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FCC fees for amateur radio - updates on implementation

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by N2RJ, Jul 9, 2021.

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  1. DO1FER

    DO1FER Ham Member QRZ Page


    The German exams are not really easy too. But we have only two grades. So that everyone is minimum on a level of to be a General Operator. But to reach the next and last step, there are only 20 more questions to answer. Here something more about diods, block diagramms and so on. I cant say thats simple to reach but with a bit more time its no mission impossible.
     
    KO4ESA, WN1MB, KK4NA and 1 other person like this.
  2. M1WML

    M1WML Ham Member QRZ Page

    ;)
     
    KO4ESA likes this.
  3. SM0AOM

    SM0AOM Ham Member QRZ Page

    I was part of the working party that studied the exam levels in various countries about 10 years ago, and the question pools for the German "Klasse A" exams covered 100% of the HAREC syllabus.

    This is where the exam level really should be, not the measly 15-20% that some countries claimed to be HAREC...

    "Quality before quantity"

    73/
    Karl-Arne
    SM0AOM
     
    M1WML and KO4ESA like this.
  4. WB4YAL

    WB4YAL Ham Member QRZ Page

    Because they make MILLIONS auctioning off spectrum to cell phone and commercial carriers.
     
    W2CPD, KF0DHQ, K4XJ and 2 others like this.
  5. AB3QD

    AB3QD Ham Member QRZ Page

    I am not sure about the details of the fees but I think an exemption for the young would be a good thing. Also a commitment by the FCC to actually enforce the rules for all services would be nice. The ever increasing noise floor is the elephant in the room that the FCC is ignoring. Along with generally poor technical practices of many commercial and public safety radio systems.
     
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  6. AB3QD

    AB3QD Ham Member QRZ Page

    Billions
     
    AJ6KZ, K4XJ, WB4YAL and 3 others like this.
  7. WD0DMO

    WD0DMO Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    You can pay more now if you want to. Just break out your checkbook pic an amount, writhe the check and send it to them. But do not pretend you speak for me because you do not. I already pay enough taxes to support agencies I do not want including the FCC.
     
    KC1ILH, K4XJ, WB4YAL and 2 others like this.
  8. KD5BVX

    KD5BVX Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    It sounds nice to pretend that not having the FCC would be a wonderful world but the reality is it wouldn't - without an agency like the FCC regulating the spectrum, it would be a free-for-all and bands would be useless for anything. Public safety radios would experience interference. Cell phones would struggle, TV stations would have issues, broadcast AM and FM radio would, and in the professional audio world the wireless mics and IEMs used in auditoriums, stadiums, churches, and the like would be hard to use because there weren't sections of spectrum that were specified for certain services, leading to interference and such from unregulated spectrum. Not to mention wifi, etc. Is the FCC perfect? Absolutely not. They're a government agency. But, as these common sense examples show, they are pretty much a necessity nonetheless. I would hate to try to function without them. $35 is a very small price to pay for the privilege of enjoying a hobby, especially compared to the cost of most home stations...
     
    K7LZR, M1WML and WN1MB like this.
  9. K9CTB

    K9CTB Ham Member QRZ Page

    I hope this doesn't qualify as "whining and crying", but if improved enforcement comes of the revenue generated by amateur license fees, then I'm all in. I can deal with the Medicare Nets on 75 meter phone ... I can even deal with the barrage of sound-card modes (a new one every week, it seems) where the only information exchanged is a 5 and 9 regardless the actual signal strength ... but the 4-letter language and the music broadcasting (on 2 meters) and the lack of proper, if any IDs pretty much everywhere else, well, I'd like to see that curbed a bit. I remember when there was a healthy combination of fear and respect among amateurs for the Engineer-In-Charge at the local FCC field office ... I'd like to get back to that if possible. Ahhh ... cart before the horse, I guess ..... we really need more FCC field offices first ....
     
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  10. KF0DHQ

    KF0DHQ Ham Member QRZ Page

    That's dumb! the last thing we need is the tyranny field office down the block! The HAM radio service needs No FCC to enforce anything! The Dang Government should Butt-Out of the radio Tyranny of empty threats and focus on the military like what there supposed to do !
     
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  11. KD5BVX

    KD5BVX Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    I'll say it again - without the FCC regulating the spectrum from 0 to whatever, it would be a crap show. Delusional to think we don't need the FCC keeping things in check.

    The Official Observers / Volunteer Monitors serve as the check on the airwaves and, if doing their job, are to warn and then report violators to the FCC. Those wanting the FCC to be more heavy-handed need to talk to the OOs/VMs they know to have violations, if they really are such, passed along. But, new modes aren't violations so wanting the FCC to put an end to the hobby (i.e. to end innovation and experimentation that is a basic tenant of the hobby) is shortsighted at best.
     
    N0CEL, M1WML, N1DQQ and 2 others like this.
  12. NN4RH

    NN4RH Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    That is not what the fees are about. The fees have nothing to do with amateur enforcement. This point has been covered thoroughly in all of the previous threads about the fees in the past year or two.

    The fees are not being implemented to generate new money for any additional FCC work. These fees are intended to offset what the FCC already costs, doing what they are already doing.

    Basically, someone (Congress) decided that licensed spectrum users (hams, among others) should be paying for administrative costs, and there has been no exception or exemption carved out for amateur radio, as there was in the past.
     
    KC1ILH, WG7X, M1WML and 7 others like this.
  13. W8WJW

    W8WJW Ham Member QRZ Page

    I wouldn't mind paying a fee if the FCC would mail us an unfolded, 8" x 10" "US Mint currency-quality" copy of our Radio License, suitable for framing, instead of the "print your own" crap. In Ohio, to renew your amateur radio plate, you have to provide a current valid copy of your station license EVERY YEAR, and couldn't renew over their website, unless that's changed because of the pandemic? So, if your license is revoked, eventually within 10 years you won't be able to get your license plate back.
    Unrelated question: half the states have eliminated the front license plate requirement (pros/cons), but wondering, if you lived in two different states, and have your OLD Ham Plate from your old state, would you be allowed to use it as your Front Plate in a state that doesn't require a front plate anymore? The license (callsign) would be the same, it would just be a different state, but only the plate number would match your rear plate, the front would still have your old state (Idaho) in front and your current state (Michigan) in back?
     
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  14. AD7SK

    AD7SK Ham Member QRZ Page

    There is no one answer that applies across all 50 states. What is okay in one state [wide tires that extend past the body of the vehicle], may well be an equipment violation in another state [okay in Arizona and illegal in Iowa]. There are two conflicting legal theories at work - "Negative Rights" - essentially everything is legal unless the government has a statute or ordinance expressly prohibiting it and the alternate theory of "Positive Rights" - only what the government allows in statute or ordinance is legal and all other acts may be illegal. A State vehicle code based on "positive rights" would be large and taken to the extreme - massive. It would spell out the max and min height, length, width, weight, etc of a vehicle; what can be displayed on it such as lights; and license plate would fall under this concept of law since the government mandates a license plate for taxation, registration, and identification purposes.

    In states that have only one plate, someone might put a "novelty plate" on the front - sports team, military affiliation, a personal statement, etc. The problem comes in when taking a state issued instrument [a license plate from another state] and putting it on your vehicle in a new state of residence. That would be considered a fictitious license plate here and subject to prosecution and seizure of the plate. The "legal twist" here is that the plate ID is your call sign on both plates... because you now live in another state now, it could be still be legally argued to be a fictitious plate since it is no longer valid in the state of issuance or a judge who sides with "negative rights" could side with the argument that there is no criminal intent to deceive since your call sign correctly IDs you and that the rear plate meets the taxation, registration, and identification purposes of the current state or residence.

    Keep in mind that the latter view is highly subjective to interpretation and police officers, prosecutors, and judges tend to base traffic law on "positive rights"; i.e. the statute allows for red taillights on your auto, but not taillights with a blue crystal in them [the old Blue Dot taillights popular in the 50's] that emit any non-red color.

    I was a cop for years, studied legal theory for one of my degree programs, and know the system. Highway Patrol/State Troopers enjoy enforcement of vehicle equipment statutes and ordinances, so be wary.

    Personally, I wouldn't do it because getting stopped can be inconvenient, getting invited to Court is not fun, and can be expensive.
     
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  15. N2EY

    N2EY Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    If you mean FCC-issued Amateur Radio licenses, you remember a past that never was.

    The license term was never 4 years. From late 1945 until about 1984 it was 5 years for renewable licenses.

    The most the license fee was in those days was $9. Special call signs cost $20 to $25.

    License fees for US amateur licenses ended Jan 1, 1977.

    See post #19 in this thread for a full history.

    73 de Jim, N2EY

    Novice 1967 (free)
    Technician and Advanced 1968 ($4 each)
    Extra 1970 ($9)
     
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