FCC Noncommital on Code Changes

It never fails. I comment about a particularly whiney Tech and you guys are standing in line to fall on your swords. Don't take the cyanide pill yet. Maybe you can help me with something.

I just have a hard time understanding how admitting a subset of Technician Licensees to HF who are not motivated enough to pass a 5wpm code test is going to save amateur radio. Explain it to me. If you were going to do great things for Amateur Radio, what SPECIFICALLY about admission to HF will be the magic trigger to turn you into a savior of Hamkind. Couldn't you do great things NOW?

The majority of NCTs will upgrade when they're ready. They'll study and pass the test. There will be no pretense of saving the hobby, or lamenting the death of Amateur Radio because THEY weren't able to shoot skip for a few months/years. They don't deserve to be lumped in with the whiners. They will earn respect.

 

You've forgotten to mention the new 50 MHz wide, 4.9 GHZ public safety band...

As a consultant to the public safety industry on a part-time basis, our Nation's first responders will eventually have a myriad of options available to them for interoperable communications.  But, this interoperability will take a generation to come about, due to the organizational barriers that exist today.  RF and IT technology is not the issue today, it is people -- especially management and the government's funding of this endeavor (again politics and management).

Ham Radio's disaster response capabilities are not its old and reliable technology; it's the usually older, wiser, and trained operators that make up this disaster responding corp.

Oh, I like ham radio the way it is.  With the exception of the communicators' license, i.e. getting young kids interested in technical endeavors, HF access and testing procedures should remain or get more difficult for the higher class licenses.  Getting rid of the last demonstrated skills requirement for the higher class licenses won't help anything.

 

ab8ma-Bill Bill Bill. Sorry I bummer you. I was attempting good natured humor-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------ok sir I am sorry you Bummered me to , But that,s ok I have Been Bummered Before , But when I get on hf and point my Beam up your way it,s my time to Bummer you with a s-40 on your s-meter , you take care got to go it,s time to get Back to the code stuff , 73 Bill

 

nl7w-Oh, I like ham radio the way it is. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-(I dont think there is anybody out there that dont see this,I believe you would make it so hard no one could get in )-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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------------------nl7w-, HF access and testing procedures should remain or get more difficult for the higher class licenses. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(yes I see it,s not hard enought for you)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----nl7w- Getting rid of the last demonstrated skills requirement for the higher class licenses won't help anything.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------stuff knower what is a skill that you dont ever plan on useing , come on and admit it you just wont it to Be hard for others ,73 Bill

 

BULLHOCKEY, If the FCC allocates the spectrum, the "big 3" could have the radios and portable repeaters built in quantity and DHS or a new independent FEMA could administer the program The whole thing could be up and running in 3 years as long as they BAN anyone who has more than 5 years amateur radio experience from having ANYTHING to do with it. You OFs know a lot about why things CAN'T be done. GET OUT OF THE WAY, In one of my other hobbies,(actually my main hobby) there is a category of participants we call Foamers. These guys think they know it all but generally end up getting hurt, arrested or getting the REAL PROFESSIONALS totally PO'd at them and hurting the reputation of everyone else in the hobby. If I had to set up an interoperable system, I'd call in a bunch of military and NON HAM police/fire commo PROFESSIONALS and tell them to BUILD THE THING. Then I would get out of the way.

 

well I tell you after Reading these 2-hams post(nl7w- ag4yo) if they could make up the test to get on the hf Bands,with my education, I would not stand a chance to pass the test , its hard enought as is , and I am glad they dont make up the test, thats one good thing I have got going for me ,or I hope I have anyway,73 Bill

 

AG4YO is right, 55% of the petitions filed disagreed with the proposal. Take a look here for a breakdown:

http://www.speroni.com/FCC/05-235/Nom.html

OK, so 45% say, "Yes". 55% say, "No!" So, if we don't do away with Morse code testing completely then what should we do? With the help of Mr. Speroni tallying the totals for me we find this breakdown:
45% - Agree/No code
31% - Disagree/Status quo
23% - Disagree/Keep code for Extra

If you were the FCC (and ignore my rounding errors) what would you do? You can try compromise and go with keeping Morse code testing for Extra but then you have just gone contrary to 3 out of 4 of the "votes". The status quo won't work either because it is quite obvious that a large majority want some kind of reduction to the Morse code testing. But then the relative majority, nearly half, of the petitions stated that the Morse code testing should be gone for all license classes.

You can't please all the people all the time. The FCC recognized this breakdown in the petitions in the NPRM. They also pointed out what they have stated earlier about Morse code testing. Morse code testing does not show that an Amateur is more likely to follow rules and regulations. Morse code testing does nothing in determining readiness for emergency communications or technical aptitudes.

So, yes, a simple majority disagrees with the NPRM. A relative majority agree with the NPRM as is. That seems good enough for the FCC.

NL7W calls this "hogwash" and thinks it doesn't reflect the "real world". Everyone is welcome to voice their opinion, which is why there was the opportunity to petition the FCC on the topic.

There was an article on the ARRL website that puts some of the delay on a final word in perspective. It seems the executive branch of our federal government is busy rearranging deck chairs at the moment.

 

Your answer speaks volumes, sir. I really don't need to comment, but I will, to some degree.

My answer is qualified by recent work experience:

- For the last two years, I worked for the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center system (Mar, 2006) as a Communications Project Manager -- helping federal government, state, and local public safety organizations with their communications needs. My expertise lies within linking disparate LMR systems using VoIP technology, especially via geosynchronous satcom systems and the Internet. I was hired into this role BECAUSE of my experience... Read my project's technical paper on the subject of linking disparate and remote LMR systems in an upcoming DoJ/NIJ publication.

- Active technical participant regarding the the buildout of the Alaska Land Mobile Radio system -- the first joint federal DoD and non-DoD, state, and local communications network in the United States

- Recently retired (also Mar, 2006) 21-year radio-communications NCO with Alaska Air National Guard, with twelve years of HF through microwave and satellite communications experience with the active-duty U.S. Air Force

- Cellular and wire-line carrier network engineer and consultant regarding transmission and switching systems build-out and optimization

Can you back up your words with similar expertise? By the way, I am only 40 years of age -- not really an OF or OT. I am just someone with experience and lots of hands-on hard work in the world of comms and telecom -- in the military, government, and commercial sectors.

Oh, and my interest in electronics and communications all started BECAUSE of the challenges of the (once upon a time) difficult and unpublished written and Morse code elements. If you wondered why I am a stickler for testing integrity and standards... now you know. The licensing and testing process should challenge those who want to be challenged -- those with gumption or spunk -- those who may decide to make communications or telecommunications a career some day.

What's your background, OM?

73.

 

I am just someone with experience and lots of hands-on hard work in the world of comms and telecom -- in the military, government, and commercial sectors.

Oh, and my interest in electronics and communications all started BECAUSE of the challenges of the (once upon a time) difficult and unpublished written and Morse code elements. If you wondered why I am a stickler for testing integrity and standards... now you know. The licensing and testing process should challenge those who want to be challenged -- those with gumption or spunk -- those who may decide to make communications or telecommunications a career some day.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-( sir you should Be ashame of your self with the education and experience you was lucky enought to get and you wont the test to Be harder for every one and a lot of them with no education at all , I am glad you dont make the Rules we go By ,and I hope you never will Be able to help make any Rules we live By , you only care about the people on your level , any one less than you you wont to make it as hard as you can for them , instead of helping them you wont to hurt them ,if there has ever Been a hard liner you are one of them ,73 Bill