Prepared
by Jim Wiley KL7CC, with assistance from other members of the committee working
on changes to the US Amateur rules in response to changes in the international
regulations that occurred at the World Radio Conference, 2003. It is intended as a way to help fellow Amateur Radio operators understand some of
the thought processes that led us to where we are today. It is not a statement of the way things will
end up, but rather it is simply a plan, subject to change and improvement. It is, in a word, someplace to start. Should any of these ideas actually reach
the stage where a formal petition for rule-making is filed before the FCC, we
encourage you to file comments either in support or in opposition, as you see fit.
While there are of necessity some references to the NCVEC (National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators) within this document, it must be made clear that this document does not in any way reflect official NCVEC policy, and has not been approved by their leadership. Some of the statements herein are individual in nature, some represent the collective views of the committee as a whole. Whichever viewpoint is being expressed at the moment, we are sure there are other opinions on these same issues. Again, one of the primary purposes of this document is to start a discussion. We hope all of you who take the time to read this will think about what ham radio means to you, and how you got here, and where you would like to see our hobby go in the future. We ask you to think not of just your own small corner of ham radio, but the hobby as a whole, without prejudice, without favoritism, without jealousy. Before you jump up and shout, think about the way things should be, or could be, looking forward to the future, not backward to what has gone by. Do not ignore tradition, but at the same time, try to expand your thinking to encompass what is yet to come. Think about what we actually need to move ahead, and what might be best left behind.
__________
Hi. What follows is a discussion of what we are
trying to accomplish, and why. If you
will take the time to read this, then think about it overnight, before
formulating a hasty reply, I suspect that you might find yourself in agreement
with most, if not all, of the issues we are addressing. If you still disagree, make sure it is for
the right reason, after thoughtful consideration of all the different points,
and not just because some of the things herein are new ideas or come as a surprise.
First,
an “Executive Summary” – in other words, the high points. If you are interested in more detail read
the expanded text that follows.
Executive
Summary – proposals
for changes to the US Amateur Radio licensing structure
I.
Elimination of the Morse code requirements. Discussion of the pros and cons of the proposal, some reasons
each way, a few facts, a few anecdotes, and some things to make a person
think. In summary, an idea whose time
has come, and no one loses anything. CW
remains legal, just not a requirement.
And, as we will show, it simply does not work as a ”filter” to keep
“riff-raff” out. We have already filed this petition,
as there was large majority agreement at the NCVEC conference that this action
should be taken immediately. This
petition appears on the FCC web site as RM-10787.
II.
Creation of a new entry-level license. How this would fit into our present licensing structure, and why
we need to do this. If our hobby is to
continue, we must attract new people.
Where to start, who do we target, how do we modify the exam structure to
accomplish this? How do we make ham
radio attractive to these people? What are the alternatives?
III.
Restructuring our HF bands to accommodate changes brought about by WARC
2003 and the addition of a new class of license. How to make better use of presently sparsely populated HF
“novice” band frequencies. Increasing
the size of the most popular HF phone bands.
IV.
Closing discussion. What’s
next? What
other items could be addressed, and what timetable are we talking about
here?
__________________________________________
Discussion
in detail:
First,
who is this committee, this “Gang of Four”?
Who are these people, and who elected them as “God”?
They
are the NCVEC “Rules Committee”. This
group of 4 persons consists of: Fred Maia, W5YI, John Johnstone, W3BE, Scott Neustatder, W4WW, and myself, Jim
Wiley, KL7CC. Fred, the committee
chairman, and founder and former owner of the W5YI Group (the 2nd
largest VEC), has been active in ham radio for many years, and is very familiar
with the regulatory process. John is a retired FCC employee. He actually wrote most (if not all) of the
“Part 97” section of the FCC rules that govern Amateur Radio. John also has a monthly column in World Radio
magazine. Scott is the head of the
NCVEC Question Poll Committee. Scott is
the one that edits and approves all of the questions that appear on the exams. An employee of a very large Aerospace firm,
Scott is a professional engineer, and that rarest of persons, a for real
“rocket scientist.” I am the new kid on
the block, replacing Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, who runs the ARRL VEC. Because of possible conflicts of interest,
and because the ARRL has not formulated it’s official position on these issues,
Bart asked to be excused from this project.
I was asked to serve for many reasons, but mostly because of my initial
presentation of and continuing involvement with finding a way to accomplish VEC
testing in remote areas of Alaska. As
it turned out, I was also elected Vice Chairman of NCVEC at this same
conference. The committee was chosen by
vote from all of the NCVEC members present at the July 2003 conference, and was
charged by the NCVEC with the task of developing a petition to be submitted to
the FCC requesting that the code testing requirement be dropped from the
present rules. They were also asked to
investigate other related issues that might naturally be connected with this
action.
Some
of the thought processes, and the reasoning behind them:
Lets
consider the matter of the Morse code. Even before
anything else, keep in mind the fact that every person on the committee
that drafted the NCVEC petition, now known as RM-10787, to remove the Morse
code requirement, and also every person on the committee that is working
on the new entry level license, is a “20 WPM” Extra class licensee. And, most if not all of them would list
Morse as one of their favorite modes, if not indeed the favorite mode.
My own favorite modes, in order, are Morse, AM Phone, SSB, and VHF FM. I also operate occasionally on other modes,
such as RTTY, packet, satellite, and I am thinking about learning how to use
PSK31. DXCC? Yes, about 200 officially, with another 60 or 70 worked but not
submitted yet. Most of them were on Morse
Code. One of our committee members,
Fred, W5YI holds DXCC- CW only. Another, Scotty, W4WW holds 5 Band DXCC and has
been on the DXCC Honor Roll. John,
W3BE, uses CW almost daily, using it for traffic handling and chasing DX.
So,
there are no “Morse code haters” on the committee. There is no conspiracy, no secret agenda, no kickback from the
manufacturers, no “black plan” from the ARRL, no anything. Just some guys that want nothing more than
to see our great hobby prosper for the next hundred years, or longer.
Will
dropping the Morse requirement remove a “filter” that keeps out poor operators,
“CB Radio” types, scofflaws, and so on?
I think not. Listen to 75 meters
on any given evening, or 20 meters above 14300 during the day, and all too
often what you hear is a cacophony of indecent language, illegal operation,
intentional interference, music, poor sportsmanship, you name it. And every one of those characters
passed a code test! Whether it was 5 or 13 or 20 WPM, they all passed a
test. Some filter, huh?
Will
removing the Morse requirement let in some “bad apples”? Yes, it will. But I firmly believe the number will be very small in comparison
to the gain our hobby will receive from decent, law abiding, talented, and
enthusiastic new hams. Just as letting
code free new hams on to our VHF bands has not, for the most part, resulted in
chaos, the same will be true of our HF assignments. It will be up to us, as the “experts”, to guide newcomers,
passing on the traditions of our hobby, the skills and operating techniques
that make up a ham that we can all point to and say “that is a good operator”.
Will
Morse code go away? Probably not in our
lifetimes. Remember that Morse code is
still the easiest way to get on the air, the most effective means of
communicating under poor conditions, and where most of the DX will still
be. We are not making Morse Code
illegal; we are just making it equal to any other mode that hams might enjoy. We don’t have special tests before a ham
can operate SSB, or RTTY, or SSTV, or any other mode, so why for Morse
code? When most operators (admit it,
it’s true) operate voice or data.
Morse
will probably retain most of it’s exclusive band segments, at least for
now. We are not addressing this issue
at this time. This may change in the future.
Several countries no longer have exclusive segments, but depend instead
on voluntary band plans. In fact, our 160-meter band works this way today, with
surprisingly few problems.
Remember
that when Ham Radio started, Morse code was all there was. It wasn’t even CW – we all used spark gap
transmitters! One of the
justifications for Amateur Radio, from the government’s point of view, is that
we continue to lead, or at least follow closely behind, advancements in the
“state of the art” of electronic communications. That means advancing, not standing still. And by the way, the only reason there was
ever a Morse requirement for Amateur licensing in the first place is because of
spark transmissions. It was
necessary for amateurs to understand the code so that they could be told to
stand by in case their transmissions were interfering with critical government
traffic, perhaps involving safety of life.
Spark, by its very nature, covers up a lot of frequencies – thus putting
everyone, hams and government alike, effectively on the same channel.
By
the way, most hams use the terms “CW” and “Morse Code” interchangeably, but if
a person were to be picky, they are not the same. CW means “Continuous Wave”, or a continuous, unmodulated
signal. Spark emissions used a “damped
wave”, with a “high decrement”, rich in harmonics and with wide sidebands,
which caused great amounts of interference.
CW transmissions, on the other hand, are restricted to a single
frequency, or at least to a very narrow range.
Morse code, as used in most Amateur Radio situations, involves keying a
CW transmitter on and off in specific patterns, which we recognize as letters,
numbers, punctuation, and other symbols.
However, to simplify things and save on space, I will also use the terms
interchangeably, as most Amateur Radio operators do in everyday usage.
Will
we lose something because we will no longer have the knowledge that all hams
can at least understand and send CW, even if very slowly? Maybe, maybe not. You would be surprised at the number of applicants I see that
actually want to learn CW – they think it will be fun. There’s a novel concept – someone learning a
skill because it is fun, not because the government says you must do it.
Well,
OK, that is all well and good, you say, but are there any reasons we could
offer that might support the idea of removing the Morse testing requirement,
and what are some of the expected implications?
Obviously,
removing the Morse test requirement will make it easier for thousands of
interested persons to join our hobby.
There are many, who for whatever reason have a real, not imagined,
problem with learning the code. Call it
stage fright, a psychological block, hearing problems, poor recognition skills,
whatever you want; there are indeed those who literally cannot master the code,
no matter how hard they try. Lazy, you
say? Anyone can make it to 5 WPM, you
say? They just don’t try, you say? Apparently you have not participated at
hundreds of exam sessions. I have. I have seen grown men and women with tears
in their eyes, frustrated, angry, sometimes back next time, sometimes giving up
on ham radio altogether. Where’s the
gain in having someone give up?
Are
you proud that you “made it”? Can you
not find something that another person can do that you would find extremely
difficult if not impossible? Could you
win the Tour de France bicycle race – even if you trained every day for the
rest of your life? Could you invent the
Laser? Could you paint the Mona
Lisa? Not that painting a work of art
or riding a bicycle has all that much to do with radio, it’s just to point out
that while you may have been able to master the code with some degree of
success, that doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone has the same ability as
you. I would argue that the ability to
master the code has no apparent connection with how “good” a ham a person
is. What we want, I think you will
agree, is someone who will respect our traditions, follow the rules, bring
enthusiasm and vigor to the hobby, and make a positive contribution.
So,
who’s to say that mastering Morse code skills makes a better ham? I would not be so arrogant as to think such
a thing. Every time I get to feeling
superior, I look around, and guess what?
- - - I can find someone who is better at something, anything, than
me. I can also name several
individuals that I think are in one way or another “better hams” than I, better
operators, better engineers, better at some aspect of our hobby than me. Might that be true with you too?
CW
is a great mode. It’s fun. I enjoy it.
And, it’s time to move on. We
no longer require applicants to draw schematic diagrams, demonstrate how to
neutralize a triode vacuum tube amplifier, lots of other things. Lets be gentlemen and give CW a decent,
respectful, wave. Remembering our old
friend, but looking forward, not backward.
Morse code will live forever. As
long as someone cares about the history and mystery of early radio, and lots of
hams do, CW will be around. Like
anything else, when a person finds he or she has a need to use Morse code, they
will learn it. Want to work DX, or
QRP, or weak signal VHF, or Moon-bounce?
Better learn the code, or you won’t have a very satisfying experience.
Are
we “dumbing down” amateur radio? Are
you kidding? Have you looked at the new
Extra class tests? Could you honestly
say you could pass one, picked at random, “cold”? I couldn’t, at least not without some serious study of the
books. I have been licensed since the
late 50’s, went through all of the steps, starting at Novice, and getting my
Extra in the 70’s. Even had a “First
Class” commercial radiotelephone, with both the radar and aircraft endorsements
– passed all the elements in one sitting, missed at most 3 or 4 questions on
any given section – a couple were perfect.
And, except for the Novice, did this while sitting in front of the FCC
themselves, no less. Never
flunked a FCC code or theory exam. Never.
So what? That and a dollar will
get me a cup of coffee. I learned about
ham radio from my peers, from watching and listening, not from tests.
Will
ham radio turn into CB? No, it
won’t. In the first place, CB is
essentially an unlicensed service. Secondly, there are still the written exams,
and add to that peer pressure from other hams, and the fact that hams must use
call signs, instead of “handles”, and there is just no comparison. It isn’t even an “apples and oranges”
argument – it’s more of an “apples and cement mixers” discussion – there just
isn’t any common ground between the two services. Hams will literally refuse to talk to someone without a call sign
– and a call sign removes the anonymity of CB.
Break the rules on the ham bands, and you will get caught, and
fined or even sent to jail. We even
have an “enforcer”, in the person of Riley Hollingsworth, of the FCC’s
enforcement division. Riley and his
helpers do an excellent job of keeping the ham bands clean, and his efforts in
cooperation with Amateur Radio volunteers, such as the ARRL’s Official Observer
corps, do the job. Yes, he knows about
the problems on 75 and 20, as well as elsewhere – and he is working on them as
you read this. He has a problem common
to all law enforcement types – he has to follow the rules, and the violators
don’t – but he will catch up with them in the end, trust me on that. I have
visited with Riley one on one, and listened to him speak. He is a great guy, funny, personable, very
sharp, and dead serious about his job. I surely wouldn’t want him mad at
me!
OK,
what about that new license class – why in the heck are we even thinking about it at
all?
Let
me give you a chill. Think, seriously,
for a moment what this means: For every
ham under the age of 20 we are attracting, 2 (or more) hams over the age
of 50 either die or leave the hobby.
Hmmmmm. It shouldn’t take a
genius to see where that is going. In
10 years, we may not even have ham radio.
Wait! Wait!, you say, I’m only 45 (or whatever age you are), and I’ll be
around longer than that. Great – but
there might very well be no ham radio.
Why? You think I’m kidding, right? What is the fastest growing sector of our
economy today? The answer is
Information Technology (IT). And what
does IT need to succeed and grow? Interconnection,
that’s what. And increasingly, wireless
interconnection. And what does wireless
interconnection need? Spectrum. Radio spectrum -- Lots of it. And who has lots of spectrum, most of it
unused? Go to your bathroom and look in
the mirror. That’s who. Now, what happens to that spectrum when (not
if) you become a silent key – and there is no one to take your place? What happens when there are so few hams that
we become insignificant? What happens
when there are so few hams that manufacturers can no longer afford to amortize
the engineering costs needed to bring you a new radio?
Oh,
pardon me – you always build everything from scratch? Great! Who, exactly, are
you going to talk to? Most of the rest
of us opt for the practical approach, and purchase a rig from one of the
several companies that cater to hams.
If there are no manufacturers, then there are no new rigs. Hard to carry on a QSO if no one is there.
One
of the primary goals of the new license we are going to propose is a true
entry-level ticket. Limited power, limited
frequencies, but still useful, with enough of the essence of Amateur Radio to
attract beginners and show them what lies ahead when they upgrade. Simpler
exam. WAIT! - - WAIT! - - WHAT WAS THAT??!!
Yes,
I said simpler exam. Hopefully 20
questions. Aimed at a young person aged
12 or more. That means a 6th
grade education. Also fits teens, high
schoolers, home schoolers. You know,
fresh ideas, new blood, people that can actually see their radios without
having to put on glasses – what a concept!
20 questions, simple enough to get someone started in a responsible way,
pointed in the right direction, all that stuff.
That
sure sounds like “dumbing down”, doesn’t it?
Keep reading.
Here
is what we are thinking, and some of the rationale behind it. We, however, don’t have all the good ideas,
in fact we may not even have most of them, so input from others is
welcome. Make that rational
input. Invective and obviously
impractical stuff will get filed immediately in 13.
First
consideration: Lower power. 2
reasons. First, everyone at the recent
NCVEC meeting expressed concern about letting brand new hams loose with 1500
watts of VHF or UHF. That’s dangerous,
no doubt about it. Cook your neighbor’s
cat type stuff. Not funny. So, we are thinking about a license that
allows enough power to be useful, but not enough to be unsafe. It turns out that 50 watts above 24 MHz and
100 watts below 24 MHz allows hams to operate without having to worry about RF
safety issues or evaluations.
Transmitters at those power levels are presumed safe. If there are no RF safety issues, then there
is no need to ask questions about those issues, and we can have a smaller
exam. Second, those power levels represent
the vast majority of commercially manufactured (or kit) radios offered for
sale. The 100-watt HF set is
everywhere, and very few VHF/UHF mobiles exceed 50 watts. Yes, some sets run more power, but the
overwhelming majority meet the 100W HF / 50W VHF standard.
Another
idea: Restrict radios (for this license
class only) to a maximum of 30 Volts on the final stage. Why?
30 volts is the generally accepted point that defines the split between
low and high voltage. Virtually
all-solid state sets use less than 30V on the PA stage, most being, of course,
12 volts. Less chance of an
inexperienced ham injuring him or herself.
Oops – no vacuum tubes! OK, we
know that. Also lets out lots of used
gear. We know that too. All a ham has to do is upgrade, and the
restriction goes away. However, to
upgrade, he or she must pass another test, which involves, among other things,
RF safety questions, power safety questions, and other appropriate stuff. Remember that we are aiming this entry-level
ticket at 12 year olds. Do you have
kids? Grandkids? Wouldn’t you be
happier if their new radio had very little chance of harming them? I would.
Remove
some of the math. Remove some or even
most of the “radio law” type questions.
Instead, require applicants to sign a statement that they have read the
Part 97 rulebook, and that they have a copy (available for free via web
download). Yes, some of the applicants
will “skate” - and not read it when they signed that they did. But, most will, and even among those that
don’t, eventually, probably sooner than later, they will get around to it. Some never will. That’s human nature – we’re not looking for saints, just people
that can become productive hams. The
35-question exam is shrinking. 20
questions seem in reach.
Take
out one or two more theory questions.
We’re not making engineers, at least not yet. Put in a couple of additional practical questions about
operating your radio. A poke here, a
cut there, and we’re done. A
20-question exam that covers all a beginner really needs to know. Finish up with a few words about how to
find the information needed to advance one’s skills, how to find an “Elmer”,
and how to find more about the hobby on the internet.
By
the way – the Novice license of old, the one that many of us used to get
started – was a 20 question exam. For most of it’s existence, the Novice
exam had no questions about antennas,
propagation, feed lines, or most
of the other questions that the present “entry level” exam has. Yet, somehow, a great many hams who entered
via that license became active, productive, vital members of the Amateur Radio
community. How could that have been
possible?
Take
a moment to think back. I’ll be willing
to bet you didn’t just drop out of a tree all ready to go, knowing everything
that you know about ham radio today, did you?
It took time; study, listening to other hams, all the rest, to get where
you are today. Were you nervous on
your first contact? Did you get over
it? Did you make a couple of dumb
mistakes; maybe even accidentally violate the rules once, or maybe even
twice? These people will too. It’s called learning.
What
do you think is better for our hobby – lots of enthusiastic newcomers, or an
ever-declining number of increasingly older hams? Answer the question honestly, not just in light of your favorite
band getting more crowded. And another
thing – if the bands get more crowded, doesn’t that help make a case for increased
spectrum? And guess what? All those new
hams vote (or will soon enough), and Congress pays attention to numbers. Numbers become very important when we are in
competition with commercial interests for spectrum space. And maybe the prices of new radio gear will
decline, if manufacturers can spread fixed costs over a larger sales base. And maybe some brand new manufacturers will
be encouraged to bring something to market.
Will that be bad?
OK,
now we’ve got a brand new ham. Whether
we call them a “Communicator”, or some
other name, what’s next? Where are they
going to operate? Are you going to get
run over by a horde of newcomers?
Help! I’m sinking in a sea of QRM!
Ahem. We have a plan. It probably won’t turn out to be exactly the way things come down, but it’s a start. Someone else may very well come up with a better suggestion. That’s OK, too.
Whatever we come up with, it will have to fit within the FCC
budget. This probably means that in all likelihood what will
happen, assuming that the idea of a beginner’s class license is even accepted
at all, is that they (the FCC) will juggle the existing 3 classes to
accommodate the new structure.
Technician will change from what it is now to the basic license. It may be named “Communicator” or simply
left as Technician. Let’s assume it gets
the name “Communicator”. All existing
Techs will be upgraded to General.
Assuming that the Morse requirement is removed
first, our opinion is that most of the Techs will take (and hopefully
pass) the element 3 exam as soon as they can, thus becoming General class
licensees. Remember, that before the
changes that created the present no-code tech, the General and Tech exams were
identical. Only the code separated
them, and even there it was only the difference between 5 and 13 WPM. All Advanced licenses will be upgraded to
Extra, and if there are any remaining Novice tickets out there, they will
become “Communicators”. Now we have 3
classes: (1) Communicator, (2) General, and (3) Extra.
The
exams will be adjusted to combine element 2 and 3 into a new element 3,
probably with a 50-question exam, using the existing pools. Element 1 (Code)
disappears. A new Element 2 is
created, which becomes the Communicator exam.
Element 4 remains as is, or maybe becomes even harder, in the event we
(all hams) indicate that the extra exam should really be a test that “separates
the men from the boys” (apologies to the YL’s - JW). Many would agree that this is already the case, and that no
changes are required here.
Kind
of sounds like a bunch of folks are going to get something for free, something
that you might have worked hard for, doesn’t it? How can we justify this?
Well, maybe it won’t happen that way at all. Maybe instead of “instant upgrades”, the Techs will have to pass
their element 3 exam or be downgraded to Communicator licensees, and
Advanced licensees will have to pass element 4 or be downgraded to
General. That goes in the face of our desire
to have this whole thing take place with no net loss to any existing licensee,
but if enough people object to the idea of “free” upgrades, then there is one
alternative (but probably unlikely) solution.
Another is to continue the Technician and Advanced licenses “as is”,
until they upgrade. Maybe even make
upgrading mandatory for renewal. Using
that plan, they will all either upgrade or disappear within 10 years, with no
further effort on the part of the FCC.
OK,
now the license classes have been tuned up, and the exams adjusted, what’s
next?
We
need some place where these new licensees can get their feet wet, where they
can participate in Amateur Radio in a meaningful way. All of ham radio, not just local repeaters. What we need is a few spare kilohertz. I wonder where we can find some? New band?
Probably not. So, what do we
have that can be reworked to fit our need?
How about the present HF novice bands?
Suppose,
just for a moment, that a petition got filed requesting that the FCC make
the following changes: Take the
present HF Novice bands on 80, 40, 15, and 10 meters and reassign them to voice
operation. Move the corresponding phone
segments down by the appropriate amount.
Change the segments open to various classes of license to fit, and let
the new “Communicator” licensees have access to the HF bands in 50 or 100 KHz
blocks. For example, and this is
just an illustration, 40 meters could end up looking something like
this:
7000
– 7025 Extra, CW and data only
7025
– 7100 All classes, including
communicator, CW and data only
7100
– 7150 Extra, all modes
7150
- >7250 Extra and General, all modes
7250
– 7300 All classes, including
communicator, all modes
Similar adjustments would be done at 80, 15, and 10 meters. Actually, 10 meters is already pretty much set and ready to go. We might do only 50 KHz on 15 meters, leaving the other 50 as a “DX window”. There could be, or not be, consideration of allowing communicators on the other HF bands (160, 30, 20, 17, 12). Not too sure what to do about the new 60-meter band yet. Have to think about that one for a while. Perhaps we start here (with 80, 40, 15, and 10), and after a few years experience, revisit the issue and decide whether granting access to parts of the other HF bands is a good idea or not. Time will tell.
In
other words, what we will have done is to “slide” the phone bands down the
equivalent amount of the former novice segment, and allowed the new
communicators access to the top 50 KHz of the voice band. Traditionally,
higher-class licensees have been given access to the lower frequency segments
within a band, and this would remain true.
No one loses anything!
Generals and Extras get some new phone bands, even former Novices, (now
upgraded to Communicator) get more room in the CW segment, and access to a
portion of the phone band.
Communicators
operate with their 100-watt limit, General and Extra can use 1500 if they
wish. Again, no one loses! No hassle like many of us remember over
“incentive licensing” all those many years ago. If a “Communicator” wants to run more power, he or she simply
upgrades to General, and away they go.
We (hams in general) might
decide that voluntary power restrictions in the “communicator” segments
are appropriate, but time will tell.
That is another issue, not part of the 3-part plan we are working on.
VHF and UHF privileges would be given to the communicator
licensees. We are suggesting 50 watts
max for the bands 50 to 450 MHz inclusive, with no operation on the higher UHF
or microwave bands.
An alternative solution, which has been adopted in other parts of
the world, would be to grant Communicators the same frequency privileges as
Generals, but with the lower power limits discussed above. The United Kingdom has implemented this
approach in their Foundation license, which has become the fastest growing
license in the UK’s history.
Will
anyone have any problems with these proposals?
Of course. Inevitably, it will
turn out that someone’s favorite net is in the “communicator” area. Maybe the net members will decide to move,
maybe they will stay where they are and attract hundreds of new members. Someone’s favorite spot will suddenly turn
out to be open to new modes. OK, so
what? Where does it say that anyone is
given exclusive rights to one particular spot or another? Pretty much every radio available today has
a VFO. Use it. You might even meet a new friend or two.
How
about those who feel insulted that these new hams are gaining “free” access to
bands that “they had to work hard for”.
Excuse me? Do we recognize that
times have changed and move on, or not?
Following that argument to it’s logical end, isn’t it reasonable to say
that if the newcomers have to learn the old stuff before they can have a
license, then the existing licensees should have to give back their tickets
until they could show they had mastered all the newer techniques too? Wouldn’t that be fair? I’m sure it seems reasonable to a
newcomer. Sauce for the goose, and all
that, right?
A
timetable:
As
we all know, several petitions requesting that the FCC remove Morse code
testing have been filed. Depending on how soon a NPRM is issued, assuming
it is at all, then we have to wait while they slog their way through the rule
making process. One of the things that
will happen is that comments, both pro and con, will begin to accumulate. After a several weeks or at most a few
months, and assuming the majority of comments are in favor of eliminating the
code as a licensing requirement, then we plan to file for a waiver asking for
an immediate end to code testing.
Obviously, this can only be done if there are enough favorable comments
on file for the FCC to justify granting such a waiver. The actual change in the FCC rules will
still be in progress, but if we can show that there is enough interest, and
that such a waiver will be beneficial to Amateur Radio as a whole, then there
is a good chance it would be granted.
Very
soon (a few days at most) after the Morse requirement disappears, assuming it
does, then we plan to file for the creation of the “Communicator” license,
as detailed elsewhere in this discussion.
We will follow the same procedure as before, filing a petition for a
NPRM, and starting the clock on that issue.
Assuming the comments on that issue are also favorable, after a
reasonable time has elapsed, we will file a petition to upgrade Techs to
General, and Advanced to Extra, as explained earlier.
We
will probably not be able to accelerate the creation of the “Communicator”
license, since it would involve a complete restructure of the present system,
but in case that option should become available, we would likewise pursue that
end.
Next,
once the “Communicator” proposal started to look like it would become reality,
we would file another petition asking that the Novice HF assignments be
re-allocated, also as per the previous discussion. We would further ask that the re-allocation
take place at the same time as the implementation date of the new license, so
that those who passed their tests would have a place to operate.
In
all cases, because this is a multiple step process, useful information will be
gained as each part moves forward.
This is actually a benefit, because we may very well find that some of
the present ideas need revision before being submitted.
All
this will take some time, perhaps spanning several years. Mixed in with these proposals, but not part
of them, will be the issue of how to best implement other changes to the
amateur regulations that came out of WRC-2003, such as the 40 meter
readjustment. These issues have their
own timetable, of course, but those issues and the topics discussed in the
possible petitions mentioned here do interact to varying degrees.
In
other words, nothing is going to happen next week, and everyone will have ample
time to offer his or her own suggestions as to how to proceed. There will be no “rush to judgment”. All the present actions have done, or can
do, is to get something out there for consideration. There is absolutely no guarantee that the FCC, or the ham
community at large, will accept these proposals.
You
have heard a lot about what we are planning.
Now, how about some of the things we are not addressing at this time:
We are not addressing the issue of reallocation of bands or sub-bands, either by mode or license class, with the sole exception of using the former Novice CW sub-bands on 80, 40, 15 and 10 meters to create working space for new Communicator licensees. By the way, don’t forget that this adjustment will create more phone space for General, Advanced, and Extra operators at the same time. And, in the case of 40 meters, when the WRC-2003 re-allocation adds another 100 KHz the band in regions 1 and 3 (that is to say, adding 7100-7200 to the present 7000-7100 world wide Amateur allocation), there will be a 100 KHz phone band overlap all ready to go!
We
are not suggesting that the CW sub-bands, or the exclusive CW bands for Extra
licensees, be eliminated or otherwise adjusted. Again, with the exception of Novice CW, we are not proposing any
change whatsoever to the present band plans or allocations.
We
are not addressing the issue of the relative split between General, Advanced,
and Extra allocations at HF.
We
feel that these issues are best dealt with only after some period of experience
with both the proposed new license and a completely code free licensing
structure give us more insight on the best way to proceed. This intermediate stage may take a while to
properly evaluate. These issues may be
best addressed at the time that reallocation of the 40 meter band (per decisions made at WRC 2003) takes
place. According to the present
schedule, that is not likely to happen sooner than 5 or 6 years from now. By that time, we will have accumulated enough
data to tell us whether additional adjustments are in order, or not.
OK,
there you have it, the “master plan”.
Will it actually turn out this way?
Probably not. Just as there are
thousands of hams, there will be lots of suggestions, pro and con, about which
is the best way to go. When (and if) a
petition is filed, and a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) is posted, offer
your comments and suggestions. The FCC
will consider all sides before changing anything. If a majority of comments indicate that hams want thing to stay
the way they are, then that’s what will happen. If hams want change, and their arguments make sense, then that’s
what will happen. In almost no other
country in the world are the governed given the chance to affect the rules that
do the governing. Use that power if you
wish. But don’t just sit there and
complain if you don’t act.
A
few final words:
There
are no black helicopters.
This
is not a plot by ARRL or Fred (W5YI) or anyone else to sell more books,
antennas, radios, or (fill in the blank).
Yes, ARRL will gain some new members, the W5YI group will sell a few
more books, and possibly some of the manufacturers and vendors will peddle a
few more sets. Is this bad? How?
It looks like growth of our beloved hobby from here. By the way, did you know Fred sold his
company some time back? He does not
particularly stand to gain anything from this effort, nor do any of the other
committee members. Do you suppose the committee members just want to see our
wonderful hobby prosper? Wouldn’t that
be an odd reason for doing what they are doing?
Just
thought you’d like to know. Thanks for
taking the time to read this somewhat long explanation, and in the truest
sense, 73.
Respectfully
submitted by Jim Wiley, KL7CC
With assistance from Fred Maia, W5YI, and Scott Neustadter, W4WW