Just my curiosity to maybe get answers from those blessed with wisdom. I got my July QST and breezed through it and there is a section on the petition giving Technician access to HF besides 10. It almost sounds like something is urgent. I believe the majority is now Technician. Most all never join the ARRL. All others are dying off or simply leaving the hobby. At least around here the radio clubs are down to several members. The repeaters are mostly silent. Every town in this state if looking at statistics has many many amateur licensees and most seem inactive or the activity is without much publicity. The ARRL created the incentive license system back in the 60's or 70's.(??) A technician class was created to have privileges that nobody wanted. I do not think VHF/UHF+ was that valuable back then. They gave the shaft to the General Class demoting them all. I am just trying to figure out the math. Why is it so urgent to get the Technician down to HF ? They have had 10 and even 6. Few use such. Worldwide on 10 but because CW is obsolete will not ever use such. Is the General test that severe a task ? This is not intended to bash anybody (I don't think) I have no role in the yes or no of this. Just wondering. No Tech's in ARRL and......
I admit, I think the movie theater popcorn tastes so much better than the stuff you make at home. It's going to be most entertaining to hear everyone's opinion on this highly charged matter.
Charles, I completely agree. The butter is much more fattening on the movie theater popcorn; don't you think? John K4AGO
You raise valid points and your opinion should be respected. The messages above and just below do not give you or your opinion the respect you deserve. Unlike many others you don't post often (25 messages in 18 years) and now that you have it is unkind to minimize your opinions. The fiasco incentive licensing was implemented November 22, 1968. Your point about the General license is well based, small children have passed it and all the questions and answers are published.
If you microwave popcorn at home, then I would agree with you. Popcorn made in a proper oil-based popper at home is usually pretty good. But real butter at home beats that butter-flavored oil that most of the theaters use these days,
1. As of Friday, slightly more than half of US licensed Amateurs held a Technican license. 2. Most or all never join the ARRL? Interesting. How do you know this? 3. All others are dying or leaving? Well, technically, all of us are dying from the day we are born, we just don’t know how long we have. That aside, how do you know this? 4. How many radio clubs? Your town, your county, your section of the state? 5. Most repeaters have been relatively quiet for years. Why is this relevant to this discussion? 6. Check history. The ARRL did not create the Incentive Licensing program. N2EY amongst others has explained this in great detail many a time here, much better and more accurate than I ever could. But that assertion is simply not true, 7. The Technician class was NOT created as part of the Incentive Licensing fiasco in the 1960’s. 8. The ARRL did NOT give “the shaft” to the General Class, That was the doing of the FCC. I’m going to stop here before I get accused of picking on you, which is not my intention. I simply wish to illustrate that further explanation may be needed and some facts and history checked. That aside, the answer to your question lies in your next to last paragraph. While I do not believe that CW is “obsolete”, at least for the Amateur Service... you overlook that Techs have 80, 40, and 15 meter privileges... but CW only. These allocations go back to when the Novice license was the entry level ticket, and CW was still in heavy use... well, at least use... in commercial, maritime, and military services. For those who have been licensed as Techs (or higher) since Element 1 testing was eliminated... these allocations, for a mode that they may not be familiar with, let alone use, are close to useless. (Much as I hate to say that, as one who enjoys CW operating, but it is what it i). So the basic idea, whether you agree with the idea in general or this specific proposal in particular, is to give Techs a taste of the rest of HF, since we are at the bottom of the solar cycle, making 10 meters close to useless beyond ground wave. That’s all. Nothing nefarious, just looking for a way to give operators incentive to get active. What’s wrong with that?
Techs already HAVE access to HF! They have CW (only) on 80, 40, and 15 Meters, and CW/Data on 28.000 MHz to 28.300 MHz. They ALSO have CW and SSB privileges on 28.300 to 28.500 MHz. Unless I'm ill-informed, 10 Meters is still a HF band, is it not?
