FCC Seeks Comments on Petition to Grant Lifetime Amateur Radio Licenses

How are we going to "petition to revoke" when they fail to identify? Do we know who they are? Please tell me the FCC is not renewing these turds in the punch bowl. I doubt if they even have valid licenses.

 

To what end? To keep the riff-raff out? that never worked, as we can easily tell. And most of the foul language that I have personally heard, has come from people who have passed the 21WPM test. I don't use phone on HF, but I don't think that it should be required of everyone (in my humble opinion. OK, I'll get off my soap box now.

 

Not fear, in my case, as I was required to make 500 cw contacts before I got phone privileges (It took less than 90 days, and I loved every minute of it, Straight key only) I just don't think it is necessary any more. No one else uses it any more, even the military. And, yes you can get that spiffy certificate from the league by copying the qualifying runs if you so desire, at whatever speed trips your trigger.
Dit Dit

 

A lot of comments here....but to be effective, they need to be sent to the FCC. We are not going to solve the issue here. Go to the FCC website, find the specific issue (RM-11760) and post your concerns there. I see both sides and have left my comments on the FCC site. GL.
Randy
KA4AQM

 

Re-taking a written exam would not accomplish much. You have either learned it by "Hands-On" practical application or you haven't. That's the problem with the written system we have now. Folks just remembering the correct answer to a question. Testing should be a series of practical tests or "Performance" evaluations to see if you can demonstrate knowledge combined with a written exam. We never let a new Air Force member start working on an F15 without an extensive training and performance evaluation. And then someone else always double checked his work. We need to get hams to move past just a question pool and hands on learning.

 

The current system allows for re-cycling calls as hams lose interest or become SKs. With a lifetime license, how could you do either action?

 

Correction we are NOT a hoppy, we are in fact another radio service. Now compared to other radio services we have a much better license then other services. I think we will need to have a system that will weed out SK's. Also some will drop out, we have a bunch every year that just do not renew.

 

The Morse requirement is not coming back despite the pleadings of those amateurs who say that Morse proficiency "keeps out the riffraff". It doesn't and it never did. Morse is just another digital mode, should the FCC require proficiency in Olivia, PSK 31, or other digital modes for the Extra level? I think not.

 

That was exactly my concern too, Dennis. It stumped me until I read various suggestions on this thread. Afterwards I came up with a possible solution, which today was sent to the FCC. Here's part of it. What do you think?

-------------
...I respectfully suggest that the Petition be approved but with the provision that the Commission be notified when an operator is deceased or has moved. In the former case the license would be terminated. In the latter the database would be updated, and the operator could obtain a new certificate by downloading it, which in fact is now possible. This change of address could be done online and no manual Commission resources would be needed....

...I also propose a backup system. Under the time limits listed below a licensee must complete a brief online Commission form stating the following:

1. This person is not deceased.
2. This person lives at the address shown in the database. A simple process for change of address, without penalty, can be included here.

This would be done once between five and ten years following the granting of an initial or upgraded license, the date this regulation went into effect, or the last time this form was completed, whichever is later. The last date of its completion shall also be entered into the grantee’s database and available as part of the public record, thus serving as a personal reminder.

Should a licensee not complete this process within ten years the Commission will hold the call sign for a grace period of two additional years, after which it may be reassigned. Should after that time the grantee wishes to be reinstated that person will receive examination credit for previous tests completed but will receive a new call sign if the previous one is not available.

 

Here's an idea (hopefully it's not already been mentioned). All licenses would be lifetime except vanity call signs which would require renewal (or confirmation) every 5 to 10 years. Some vanity call signs are in demand, so there's no sense in keeping it assigned to an inactive ham. If a ham looses the vanity sign, it would revert to a random sign based on the region of the licensee instead of being cancelled. Then after a certain age (one person mentioned 125 in Canada), the license would automatically expire unless the licensee reapplied.

 

Held off on a reply to see if I could find a legitimate reason to NOT have a lifetime license.

Out of the total number of hams how many now have their renewal denied as a result of being bad actors?

If a 2 letter call renews his license today and dies tomorrow does it take 10 years or 12 years for the call to become available, don't think so.

Why not significantly increase the penalty for failure to do an address change after moving with a grace period of 90 days as an example. Will you still have violators probably.... do you have them now, yep.

A recommendation perhaps backed by the ARRL to use at least some of the revenue saved from the renewal process to increase on air enforcement by the FCC.

Will keep an open mind but as of now see no reason why there should not be a lifetime license.

 

I was wondering if we need ANY Contests at all much less two days? Get rid of those,Nets,& the hundreds upon hundreds of Special Events Stations & there would be much more space & not all of the splatter on the DX Stations.You can get a Special Event call Sign just because it's Friday I think& some of the call signs look more like a message or a word than a call sign. As for the Lifetime License sure thing! {:>)

Clayton
W4KVW

 

I think that classic came from the Jay Leno show. The CW ops acted as if it were just a game and not a problem at all.

 

I had been thinking along similar lines.

The only problem I see with this is that the primary reason the FCC would want to approve a change like this is that it cuts down on the administrative burden on the FCC.

I'm not certain a system of "some folks have to renew; others don't; and for the folks who don't renew...." really reduces that burden, especially since I'm not sure there's that much burden on the FCC today. (The ULS is going to exist, regardless. Off-grid folks renew through VECs.)

 

I agree. Take the test, update your address as needed, and ask the FCC to query the social security death index to remove silent keys. Maybe they could also ask licensees to cancel their licenses if they lose interest. Other than that, get rid of renewal, and get rid of addresses online, due to harassment and identity theft, stop generating paper, and get on with the deregulation.