ARRL Proposal to Give Technicians More Operating Privileges

Could you post a link, screen grab, or something to back this up? I'm not seeing it.

 

ARRL Home Page , ARRL reply comments first paragraph

 

Do you mean this?

That's quite different from what you claimed they said, which was this...

The ARRL simply wants this petition to stand alone, not be lumped in with other petitions.

 

IMO, If a tech simply took the general test they would have all the hf privileges they could ever want.
And they would be more informed as well. It's just not that hard.

 

OH Dave.... Can I say it just one more time?

Huh?

Please?

Pretty please with honey on top?

 

I have seen many Tech Hams in my area that have no business even being a ham. They have no motivation to learn how to operate the 2M/70CM radios that they have. They want the privilege of radio, but are too lazy and unmotivated to even learn how to set up a repeater freq, or even understand how or why. I studied my butt off for a month before I passed my General. If a person is gonna take interest in upgrading to General, they should be willing to put forth the effort. Giving away privileges is like passing out trophies to everyone on the losing team. Giving a privilege to someone too lazy to study and undeserving is never the correct response.

 

What has also been said at least twice is that this claim of just having a Technician holder passing the test to upgrade is missing the point. The problem is that people with a Technician license are not taking the test.

The FCC makes adjustments to privileges with some regularity, some more notable than others. It's been 12 years since the last such adjustment. How much longer did people expect the FCC to leave the current license structure as it is? How long did people expect the FCC to leave Technician privileges as CW only below 25 MHz? If this isn't the kind of change needed then what should the FCC be doing? Status quo is king but a lot of things have changed since incentive licensing was cooked up over 50 years ago. We will see changes in privileges and the question is, what those changes will (or should) be?

 

I see, more Technician bashing. How is this helpful?

Remember that anyone with a Technician license passed a test that was developed and proctored by those in the Amateur radio community. If Technician license holders are not properly prepared to operate a radio then who's fault is it? The teacher or the student? I honestly want to know the answer. If there is blame here then where should we place that?

Here's another question, if those with a Technician license today are not prepared for the privileges granted then what are YOU doing to correct that? Maybe we could propose a new license class, with new testing, with new privileges? Would that rectify the problem? If so then what should that license look like?

I'm still quite convinced that the problem is not with the people holding a Technician license, it's the rest of the Amateur radio community that chooses to treat them like second class citizens. Claiming that Technician license holders are not prepared for the tiny addition of some phone and digital privileges on HF tells me that the Amateur radio community has not been preparing Technician license applicants for the privileges that they already have!

I believe all of you need to find the real problem here then go about fixing it. I suggest starting your search by looking in a mirror.

 

I'm not "tech bashing" as you say. I was a tech, there is nothing wrong with being a tech. The techs I'm referring to lazy people who want everybody else to do everything for them. They don't want to lift a finger or put forth any effort. They won't even crack open the operating manual for their radio. If you are not one of these tech, then disregard, I have no problem with that. One of the techs that I know was bitching at me after I programmed his radio for him. He didn't like my alpha numerical that I programmed into it. I told him to change it himself if he doesn't like it. He was pissed at me cuz of his laziness. The more you try to "cater" to people, the worse it gets.

I was a motivated tech. I wanted to learn everything about ham radio that I could. I motivated my self by buying and HF rig, listening for 6 months, then the bug hit me, I studied and passed my general.

Are we still in nursery school?

I personally think the Tech test should be more educational than just memorizing correct answers without understanding.

Education, not hand outs, are the answer, imho.

 

You want motivated licensed Amateurs? So, where is the problem then in the licensing process. It seems you recognize a problem but disagree on the solution. What solution do you propose then?

I'm beginning to wonder myself.

The question pool consists of over 420 questions, and it's been that way for a very long time now. Nobody is memorizing that amount of material without gaining some understanding, or at least it would be exceedingly rare for somebody to do so. This is the same process for commercial radio licensing as well as many other licensing done by the federal government and government at other levels. This process simply will not be changed on a whim.

If there is a problem with the testing then where does this problem lie? Who's responsibility is it to fix this problem? Why does this seem to only apply to those with an Amateur Technician license? Would not this also apply to higher license classes? To other licensing done in a similar manner?

Again, it seems you recognize a problem. What should the solution be?

 

I'm not claiming to be a know it all, or having "all" the answers. I personally believe in gun rights, as an example. Do I think everyone should own a gun? No I don't, but that's not my decision to make for someone else.

Yes, I do see a problem, and no, I don't know what the best solution may be. If you want to be a ham tech, by all means be a ham tech, that's great. The true radio nuts, if they want to talk on HF, they will put forth the effort like I did. I think leaving it alone, and not changing it is better than allowing privileges to motivate people. The people that want to advance, will already.

I would love to operate on the extras portion, but I haven't earned it, and out of respect for the people who have, I'm not gonna push them to lessen the test, just to appease me. I have not earned it, thus I don't want to crap on those who did. If you want something, go out and earn it.

 

its not a requirement for me to motivate someone else, Don't even try to suggest that.

there is NO problem in the licensing process.
the real problem is you blaming everyone/everything except the REAL culprit, the UNmotivated lifelong Tech.

just pass an easy test and upgrade.

 

Perhaps it is time to get rid of the Technician Class. I would propose Class A, B and C. Class A is Amateur Extra with CW skills (13 wpm), Class B is General with CW skills (5 wpm), Class C is No CW skills but with 75% of General privileges. Class A and Class B privileges would remain the same but Class C would expand. So, too, should the examination. Removing the CW requirement for General and Amateur Extra was a mistake. Ironically, many new General and Extra class holders now want to learn CW - which is a good thing. CW remains the true digital mode.... Just my two cents' worth.

 

I'm not expecting you to have all the answers, but certainly you can at least articulate the problem in a way that one could derive a possible solution, no?

Okay then, what's the problem?

Isn't that the problem? That those with a Technician license aren't "true radio nuts" that want access to HF? Maybe there's a problem right there, that we assume that if they don't want HF then therefore they must not be all that interested in radio at all. Well, they did get a license. It appears a large number of them continue to renew their license. So, therefore they have some interest, no?

Yes, those that want to advance will. So, why aren't they advancing? Maybe incentive licensing no longer has any incentive.

Technician license holders did earn this. They studied on how to operate on 80, 40, 15, and 10 meters so they could pass the current testing. They also studied on how to operate phone and digital modes. How did they not earn this teeny tiny update to their privileges?