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Author Topic: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees  (Read 12928 times)

N9AOP

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RE: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
« Reply #15 on: March 05, 2018, 09:32:09 AM »

Not a bad idea.  Give them a sliver around 7200 and let them learn from the best.
Art
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KG4RUL

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RE: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
« Reply #16 on: March 05, 2018, 07:17:11 PM »

Not a bad idea.  Give them a sliver around 7200 and let them learn from the best.
Art

What a great solution!
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N2EY

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RE: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
« Reply #17 on: November 09, 2018, 06:39:10 AM »

I predict the proposal won't get far.

Here's why:

1) FCC may simply say "just get a General; it's not that hard".

2) If the proposal gets serious consideration by FCC, it will get a comment period - and there will be a considerable number of folks who will comment against it, which will kill its chances.

IMHO, the ONLY way to get that sort of proposal passed is to get widespread support before submitting it to FCC so that when it goes to comments the positive outnumber the negative by a huge ratio.

For the record, I think expanding the privileges of the entry-level license is a good idea. I'd go for closing the Tech to new issues and creating a whole new license class.

But that would probably get even less support.

73 de Jim, N2EY
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KM1H

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RE: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
« Reply #18 on: November 10, 2018, 10:43:55 AM »

Quote
I predict the proposal won't get far.

Here's why:

1) FCC may simply say "just get a General; it's not that hard".


Which is just a condensed version of what I said yesterday and you insulted me as usual.


Quote
Quote from: KM1H on November 08, 2018, 06:37:55 PM
Techs are already on 10M and who wants them on lower bands in such huge amounts that it will become bedlam? Wait until the sunspots improve and give them 12M which is mostly unused. Keep them off any lower bands permanently, including digital, until they get a General which is not exactly a stretch for anyone above a 2 digit IQ.  Maybe get the FCC to expand 15M fone up another 100-200 kHz as SW Broadcasting is quickly going away on those frequencies anyway.
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N2EY

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RE: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
« Reply #19 on: November 17, 2018, 12:43:28 PM »

The purpose of an entry-level license is to give newcomers of all ages and experience/skill levels a way to experience, by actual USE, a good sampling of what Amateur Radio has to offer, without having to learn a whole pile of stuff as an "entry fee".

So the entry-level license should contain a balanced selection of modes and frequencies, and a test of radio basics that all amateurs should know. It should include at least some of the most-popular modes and bands, at power levels well above QRP, yet not so much of anything that there isn't much incentive (!) to upgrade.

Our current entry-level license (Technician) is very unbalanced. It gives ALL privileges above 30 MHz - all modes, all bands, full power on meat-cooking frequencies, the works - but almost nothing on HF/MF. Below 28 MHz, only one mode (CW) is allowed to Techs, and only pieces of 3 bands, despite the fact that HF/MF has much more to offer. This structure is a remnant of 67 years of patching the system created in the 1951 restructuring, and is badly in need of a complete reworking.

For many years, the usual refrains have been "well, just upgrade to General!" and "they have CW on 80, 40 and 15, let them learn it and use it if they want HF without upgrading". Even the FCC has used those bromides.

But....is that REALLY the best approach? Is the current system the best we can do?

I say it isn't.

The Big Problem that if we take the existing Technician license and add privileges, there are folks who will scream "FREE HANDOUTS!" (forgetting all about the free handouts THEY have gotten over the years.)

So, what's needed is a brand-new license class, just as the Novice was way back in 1951 - but one that's more suited to today.

How many newcomers do we lose every year because they get a Technician and an HT, find out the limitations of the local repeaters, and lose interest?

Wouldn't it be better to have newcomers presented a bigger selection of modes and bands - not everything, not high power, but a balanced selection - so they can try what interests them?

The test for this new entry-level license would not, repeat, NOT, be "easier" than the current Technician. Instead, it would be more focused on what a newcomer really needs to know, and would better match the license privileges granted.

Here's how it would work:

1) Close off the Technician to new licenses. Existing ones could be renewed and modified same as Novices and Advanceds, so nobody loses anything. Techs could upgrade to General or Extra same as ever. No "handouts" of more privileges.

2) Create a new license class called "Basic". Basic license is earned by passing a 50 question test on the rules, operating practices and basic, practical radio. The Basic test would focus on, well, the basics every ham should know. The test would not be "easier" than the Tech, it would be more focused on the basics and more comprehensive.

3) Basic privileges would consist of parts of several HF, VHF and UHF bands, low power (~150 watts HF, ~25-50 watts VHF/UHF), and a selection of modes (CW, SSB, FM, some data modes like RTTY, PSK31, maybe FT8?).

Something like this:

80 meters: 75 kHz of CW/data space
75 meters: 100 kHz of phone space
40 meters: 100 kHz of CW/data space, 50 kHz of phone space
30 meters: Entire band
15 meters: 75 kHz of CW/data space, 100 kHz of phone space
10 meters: Same as current Novice/Tech privileges
6, 2, 1.25 meters, 70 cm: Entire band

(The above is just for illustration - other possibilities abound. Maybe add 17 meters, for example.)

4) Basics could not be club trustees, repeater control operators, nor VEs.

5) Basic vanity calls limited to 2x3 block

6) Any questions in the existing Technician pools that were not made part of the Basic pool would either be dropped (if no longer relevant) or moved to the General pool. General license test increased to 50 questions to accommodate those questions from Tech pool that are retained.

7) Existing Technicians do NOT get Basic privileges automatically. If they want more privileges, they can either upgrade to General or Extra, or, pass the Basic test and get a Basic. Yes, they will lose some Technician privileges - and gain Basic privileges.

8) Existing Novices (there are less than 8,000 of them left) do NOT get Basic privileges automatically. If they want more privileges, they can either upgrade to Technician, General or Extra, or, pass the Basic test and get a Basic.

The current Technician license gives new hams a distorted view of amateur radio. The Tech test is similarly lopsided, covering all sorts of stuff the new ham almost certainly won't use but ignoring huge areas the new ham needs to know.

The Basic - and its test - would be designed to provide a solid foundation in, well, the basics! Basic would essentially be "a Novice for the 21st century". Not in the details, but in the concept.

By closing off the existing Technician license and replacing it with the Basic, there's no increase in admin work or costs for the FCC or VECs once the new test is in place.

Everybody wins. Nobody loses. It's not a "giveaway", not a "lowering of standards". It's a change to make the entry level license more in line with what a new amateur needs to know and wants to do.

Why not?

What reason is there for anyone to oppose this?

73 de Jim, N2EY
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KM1H

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RE: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
« Reply #20 on: November 17, 2018, 04:15:27 PM »

A lot of typing for little content IMO.

The Tech today can do the same as many if not MOST Novices did in the 50-60's.....buy something that covers all bands so he can listen which many already do based on the complaining from them that 10M is dead.

If he doesnt want to invest in a IC-7300 or something equally inexpensive there are plenty of less expensive older rigs available for listening and using to transmit when the General or higher is passed.

There is absolutely NO REASON to give away the store without an upgrade.

Carl
Ham since 1955
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WA7SGS

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RE: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
« Reply #21 on: November 18, 2018, 03:48:46 PM »

12/10m radios are used as 11m rigs.  There are not that many CB hobby operators out there any more but the ones who are could be encouraged to get a Technician ticket if those bands were fully opened to them.  Not many people use 12m while 10m is a huge band so there is plenty of room to roam.  Love 'em or hate 'em, at least the CB'ers who are into it as a hobby do like radio, which is something that cannot be said of any other group we could recruit from. 

No need to expand the CW HF privileges for Technicians.  Getting a General is no harder than getting a Technician ticket.  Only the Extra exam has any real rigor.  The other way to go is to drop the Technician level, then make a 50 question exam for General that includes some focus on operations above 30 Mhz since the exams have the same degree of difficulty IMO.  That covers all the basics for getting into amateur radio, which is a whole lot easier than it used to be even if there were no further changes. 

Rick
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AI4QJ

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RE: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
« Reply #22 on: November 30, 2018, 09:35:54 AM »

ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
02/28/2018

ARRL has asked the FCC to expand HF privileges for Technician licensees to include limited phone privileges on 75, 40, and 15 meters, plus RTTY and digital mode privileges on 80, 40, 15, and 10 meters. The FCC has not yet invited public comment on the proposals, which stem from recommendations put forth by the ARRL Board of Directors’ Entry-Level License Committee, which explored various initiatives and gauged member opinions in 2016 and 2017.

“This action will enhance the available license operating privileges in what has become the principal entry-level license class in the Amateur Service,” ARRL said in its Petition. “It will attract more newcomers to Amateur Radio, it will result in increased retention of licensees who hold Technician Class licenses, and it will provide an improved incentive for entry-level licensees to increase technical self-training and pursue higher license class achievement and development of communications skills.”

Specifically, ARRL proposes to provide Technician licensees, present and future, with phone privileges at 3.900 to 4.000 MHz, 7.225 to 7.300 MHz, and 21.350 to 21.450 MHz, plus RTTY and digital privileges in current Technician allocations on 80, 40, 15, and 10 meters. The ARRL petition points out the explosion in popularity of various digital modes over the past 2 decades. Under the ARRL plan, the maximum HF power level for Technician operators would remain at 200 W PEP. The few remaining Novice licensees would gain no new privileges under the League’s proposal.

ARRL’s petition points to the need for compelling incentives not only to become a radio amateur in the first place, but then to upgrade and further develop skills. Demographic and technological changes call for a “periodic rebalancing” between those two objectives, the League maintains.

“There has not been such a rebalancing in many years,” ARRL said in its petition. “It is time to do that now.” The FCC has not assessed entry-level operating privileges since 2005.

The Entry-Level License Committee offered very specific, data- and survey-supported findings about growth in Amateur Radio and its place in the advanced technological demographic that includes individuals younger than 30. It received significant input from ARRL members via more than 8,000 survey responses.

“The Committee’s analysis noted that today, Amateur Radio exists among many more modes of communication than it did half a century ago, or even 20 years ago,” ARRL said in its petition.

Now numbering some 378,000, Technician licensees comprise more than half of the US Amateur Radio population. ARRL said that after 17 years of experience with the current Technician license as the gateway to Amateur Radio, it’s urgent to make it more attractive to newcomers, in part to improve upon science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education “that inescapably accompanies a healthy, growing Amateur Radio Service,” ARRL asserted.

ARRL said its proposal is critical to developing improved operating skills, increasing emergency communication participation, improving technical self-training, and boosting overall growth in the Amateur Service, which has remained nearly inert at about 1% per year.

The Entry-Level License Committee determined that the current Technician class question pool already covers far more material than necessary for an entry-level exam to validate expanded privileges. ARRL told the FCC that it would continue to refine examination preparation and training materials aimed at STEM topics, increase outreach and recruitment, work with Amateur Radio clubs, and encourage educational institutions to utilize Amateur Radio in STEM and other experiential learning programs.

“ARRL requests that the Commission become a partner in this effort to promote Amateur Radio as a public benefit by making the very nominal changes proposed herein in the Technician class license operating privileges,” the petition concluded.

http://www.arrl.org/news/view/arrl-requests-expanded-hf-privileges-for-technician-licensees
There is not much difference between General and Technician class anymore. I agree with ARRL and in fact believe their proposed privileges are quite modest, almost enough so as to not impress technicians the HF SSB is worthwhile. Here in the Philippines where I operate as DU7SJF, the technician class is one step above an entry level class that allows you to use an HT on 2m only. The tech class has no code and allows SSB on all of the HF bands but only at 100W. Under this arrangement, the tech does get to experience HF and his/her incentive to upgrade is to 1) use higher power and 2) have more spectrum. In the Phils unlike the US, the general class question pool is substantially more difficult than the technician exam in terms of technical difficulty and here, you do not get to see the question pool before taking the tests. There are a lot of techs here trying to upgrade! I support what the ARRL is doing. The Phils general class allows 1000W max SSB and the Extra class allows 2000W SSB with total spectrum privileges. The extra here requires a DIFFICULT 5 wpm morse test (there are a lot of people here involved in maritime, being an Island nation, and knowledge of code is still thought to be somewhat beneficial to national interest). Yeah, the code was difficult because 1) it is sent in long drawn out dits and dahs, not Farnsworth, and you can hardly recognize the letters, 2) you need 1 minute perfect copy plus 80 percent correct total copy and 3) they don't allow you to pass with a question and answer test; the letters are sent out in groups of 5. But I had no problem and had no choice but to take the test in order to get my call sign. I do agree with ARRL with expanded privileges for techs except that they should limit the power to on HF SSB to 100W (until they can successfully answer some questions about amplifier safety and RFI which aren't in the tech question pool).
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K9MOV

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RE: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
« Reply #23 on: December 02, 2018, 01:57:48 PM »

I fail to understand why any Tech. who wants HF phone privileges would not take a simple test, questions and answers published and multiple choice. When given these privileges, why would they put out any effort to upgrade. Also, how are all these band limits and power limits going to be enforced? What bothers me most is all the crying about wanting more privileges without any effort to upgrade.
 The only benefit will be the ARRL and equipment manufactures.
 This is a technical hobby, you need to know more then just pushing a mike button. There are other services for that type of operating. We have 9,10,11 yearolds passing the extra, how mush easier can it get?

K9MOV
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W3DBB

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RE: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
« Reply #24 on: December 03, 2018, 05:04:25 AM »

ARRL's petition in this matter is another example of their penchant for pushing 'inside' ARRL, 'inside' amateur radio industry help from the FCC. Meanwhile, ARRL loses some long-term paying members over things like this and they don't get the newcomers. Amateur Radio Service growth is 1% per year, so what? 750,000 licensees on the rolls and only a fraction of those actually get on the air. ARRL must know many if not most of the licensees added over the past 10 years did it as part of their job or training. Previous giveaways going back more than 30 years apparently weren't enough and/or didn't have the desired effect, so somehow this petition will provide a different result. That is a clear example of illogical thinking.  I'm hoping the new CEO gets to reign in some of this stuff which borders on self-flagellation. Also, who writes ARRL petitions? Novice refarming was a hoot and now we have rebalancing. Making up new words is not how a convincing argument is made.     :)

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ND6M

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RE: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
« Reply #25 on: December 03, 2018, 06:51:07 AM »

ARRL's petition in this matter is another example of their penchant for pushing 'inside' ARRL, '... edit...ARRL loses some long-term paying members over things like this and .... Making up new words is not how a convincing argument is made.     :)



My membership expired last month, I didn't bother to renew.
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W0BKR

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RE: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
« Reply #26 on: December 03, 2018, 07:42:34 AM »

I fail to understand why any Tech. who wants HF phone privileges would not take a simple test, questions and answers published and multiple choice. When given these privileges, why would they put out any effort to upgrade. Also, how are all these band limits and power limits going to be enforced? What bothers me most is all the crying about wanting more privileges without any effort to upgrade.
 The only benefit will be the ARRL and equipment manufactures.
 This is a technical hobby, you need to know more then just pushing a mike button. There are other services for that type of operating. We have 9,10,11 yearolds passing the extra, how mush easier can it get?

K9MOV

All true, but they said that about learning back morse code too...but it was dropped...you want something bad enough, you will put effort into it....just saying
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KC4SZ

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RE: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
« Reply #27 on: December 05, 2018, 06:39:39 AM »

If the goal is to encourage more folk to become or stay hams, I doubt any increased Tech phone privilege will do the job.  Folk become and stay hams for a lot of reasons, but I doubt many do because of band plan changes.

If the goal is to increase sales of manufacturered low-band equipment, then a proposal to expand "Tech phone" is another thing altogether.  That makes any such proposal "profit motivated" rather than ham-centric.

The different license classes have served a purpose and still do.  The goal has always been to encourage one to learn-and-apply.  Taking away any incentive to learn eventually can be more harmful than helpful to amateur radio in the long term.  

As far as Techs and low-band privileges go, in the past the jump in Morse speed from the previous 5-WPM Tech to the 13-WPM General requirement was the barrier for many.  As a result, much of the experimentation and advances in the ham world above 50 MHz occurred thanks to the 5-WPM Techs who looked up the band rather than down, and a spectrum frontier was vigorously explored.  That to me was a great example of the license-class system working as it should.

Now that amateur radio has gone "code free," inevitably Techs who are drawn to the low-bands can get a General license to do so without a lot of strain.  The volunteer examiner program makes that much more convenient than the "back in the day" trip to an FCC field office.  There is no shortage of self-paced training material to help a ham upgrade if so desired, and many radio clubs offer upgrading classes to members.  

So, I'm not convinced that changing the band-privilege rules at this time is a good thing for amateur radio.  It definitely would be a good thing for the gear manufacturers, but is that a good enough reason to do so?
« Last Edit: December 05, 2018, 06:44:27 AM by W4SJZ »
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K0RGR

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RE: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
« Reply #28 on: December 25, 2018, 07:28:33 PM »

I just took a sample exam for the British Foundation License. It is remarkably similar to our Technician, indeed, perhaps less technical and even less math than our exams. However, they require their newbies to complete an in-person course that takes 10-12 hours to complete. Part of that time is a practical exam/instruction.

After passing the Foundation, they are granted most HF and VHF frequencies - all but the LF and VLF bands and 60 meters. They do not have band segments by mode, so the Foundation licensees can operate basically anywhere with any mode they desire, like the higher level licensees. They are limited to 10 watts.


I think granting our Techs some more useful HF frequencies is long overdue. We never should have stranded our newbies on the VHF bands to start with. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but it turned out to be a mistake.
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N9FB

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RE: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees
« Reply #29 on: December 25, 2018, 09:00:59 PM »

1. according to license stats, roughly half of licensed hams are Tecnicians and roughly half are Generals, Advanceds or Extras... (see post below)
2. the number of hams in the USA continues to grow all the time as it is
3. Expanding HF privileges is a bad idea unless we want quantity over quality.  marketers of course want the former, but what is best for our hobby?  is the General exam *really* that difficult???

From http://www.arrl.org/fcc-license-counts

the number of current unexpired FCC issued amateur licenses held by individuals on December 21, 2018 was:

Novice:                    8,374      (1.1%)
Technician            384,178     (50.8%)
Technician Plus                0      (0.0%)
General                175,996     (23.3%)
Advanced               39,634       (5.2%)
Extra                    147,377    (19.5%)

Total                    755,559

This is a new all time high record total.

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