Having a 400W limit isn't as bad as it sounds. To get a single S point increase you would have to go up to 1.6KW. Hope the VK licence transfer goes well, our government gave up years ago, they probably don't even know what it is anymore.
That decision was made by ACMA when we introduced the Foundation Licence. Well before the AMC had anything to do with amateurs. It's now been reversed and 4 letter suffixes are no longer issued. New Foundation hams now all get 3 letter suffixes. But existing Foundation hams who have the 4 letter suffix can keep them if they don't upgrade.
Yes there have been lots of changes to the system here in the last few years. Foundation licensees no longer require four letter suffix and they along with Standard calls can choose any available three letter suffix they want. Only full calls are allowed a two letter suffix but they are always in hot demand because of scarcity of free two letter suffixes in some states. The number in calls now does not necessarily denote which state or territory you are in so you can’t tell who is where unless you look up their call in the ACMA database…. You can carry your call over to another state if you move, that’s how the above came into being. The call sign structure is now totally messed up…Thanks guys at ACMA, we can go the extra step now of making up our own call signs break break…. You can get an increase in power by applying for a special scientific license at extra cost and time to you but this will also be time limited at a time to be decided by the ACMA. Most likely 1 KW only. We are heavily aligned with the UK system here and our Kiwi brothers love rubbing our noses in it.(regarding our 400 power limit) Expect more stupidly and mayhem once the “Class License” comes into affect later down the track… Les VK3TEX.
It was only 150 Watts here earlier. Later 400 Watts was allowed for Advanced grade. Still later when the types of licences were reducced to two (Restricted and General), General category gets 400 Watts.
One S-unit is nothing if one is coming with 59+/599+ (most, virtually any daily QSO) but may be pretty important if one is barely readable from under the noise (rare DX or rare multiplier in a contest).
Interesting debata on power levels. Having worked 146 countries on 100W or less, I have found the recent removal of the 1500 W limit for ARRL Field Day to be a step to leveling the field for operating skill rather than power level.
From 1980 until 2000 I had a Ten Tec Argonaut 509. Official ouput 5 W PEP, but I never used "full power"; always about 3 watts. Antenna a Fritzel trapped dipole for 10-15-20 meters; 12 meter off the ground (being 0nly 8 meter a.s.l. in my QTH!). I worked many countries, incl. north and south America and Japan. It was big fun. Many an Armerican fell off his chair when the heared "3 watts output". But they forgot this was only possible because of HIS 4 element monobander at 30 meters hight !! Hein - PA3AYV - Holland
Zl land has a explosion of new hams with the "HAM CRAM exams " gisborne has over 40 now in the club ? wellington and hamilton as well !! the extremes of nature has helped to bring it on more ,where the cell phones only lasted 24 hrs on the ones that had battery backup others zilch then there was nothing except for some aging hams Its a interesting scenario as they dont get any real practical knowledge but the clubs get a big influx of members . this brings the two factions together and quite a few have picked the brains of the olders, the take up has been surprising even older gear is being passed down to get them on the air . they are real keen though ? perhaps aussie could look seriously at this system as it seems to work here they just cram in one weekend ,sit the exam after and pass then issued with a license and call sign ,then go home very happy and someone is using the repeaters again hooray Zl1tkl Don
Likewise... In our small British plots of land, it's hard enough avoiding killing all the electronics in the house with 100W and complying with the new EMC exposure rules is a nightmare. Martin (G8FXC)
