Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 [7] 8   Go Down

Author Topic: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?  (Read 2383 times)

K3UIM

  • Member
  • Posts: 2145
Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #90 on: April 17, 2022, 09:15:17 AM »

I went to Buffalo, N.Y. to take the General test in 63, I believe. (Any way to check that??) I enjoyed CW so much that I stuck with it and was operating in the low 20 WPM's until the need to vacate for about 25 years. Getting back into the fray I more or less stuck with tinkering and haven't sent a word since but, still, I love CW.
Charlie
On edit: I must admit, I also enjoy the friendly bantering of this group. LOL
Logged
Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

WW5F

  • Posts: 451
    • HomeURL
Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #91 on: April 17, 2022, 11:40:07 AM »

I made extra back in 1985.  I still like to hang out on the old 40 meter novice band.  (Although, it shrunk a bit a while back.  It *was* 7100-7150.  Now it's 7100-7125.)
Logged

K3UIM

  • Member
  • Posts: 2145
Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #92 on: April 17, 2022, 02:14:59 PM »

Dog-gone it, UAA! You've kindled my CW spirit! I'm thinking I may just try my luck on 40 tonight!!! Only "He" knows what my speed is anymore, but I'm sure going to try it again. I'll probably start off 5-10 wpm and see what happens. (Hoping I'll still be able to copy at that speed again. LOL LOL
Charlie
Logged
Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

WA2ISE

  • Member
  • Posts: 1488
Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #93 on: July 15, 2022, 01:45:05 PM »


Quote
No Charlie he is really more like the Wizard of Oz only he hides behind a radio instead of a curtain. In reality he is just a little frail man who tries to bully people just like the Wizard.

"Ignore that man behind the curtain, he's just the IT guy trying to fix the network router!"  :D

Logged

AI5BC

  • Posts: 456
    • HomeURL
Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #94 on: July 15, 2022, 04:41:26 PM »

Have I considered passing the Extra exam? Yes. And decided against it - it is too “technical”

Interesting, any moron with an application fee can pass the EXTRA test. Takes ZERO knowledge. Download the questions answer and take the test on-line stupid. The whole license process is a joke along with the hobby. 99% of hams do not know the difference between an Ohm and a Drone.
Logged

K6BRN

  • Member
  • Posts: 2231
Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #95 on: July 15, 2022, 07:37:57 PM »

Interesting, any moron with an application fee can pass the EXTRA test. Takes ZERO knowledge. Download the questions answer and take the test on-line stupid. The whole license process is a joke along with the hobby. 99% of hams do not know the difference between an Ohm and a Drone.

Hi Brad (AI5BC):

I think you're being just a little pessimistic.   About 32 million Americans (~10%) can't read, so take them off the table.  And some of them aren't morons (old-style IQ of about 50-70) - just uneducated or blind.  So right off the bat, 90% of the population already can't be in the "...Download the questions answer and take the test on-line stupid"  range.  See?  It's already a selective test.

Then there are those darn engineers and scientists.  You know, the ones with training: BSEE, MSEE, Ph.D. EE and similar.  Lots of THOSE in amateur radio.  Quite a few physicists of various sorts, too.  Like Joe Taylor, JT65/JT9/FT9 developer/inventor and Nobel Prize winner.  Many have P.E licenses as well and know the difference between an Ohm and Mho.  Not too shabby.  LOTS of them out my way in AeroSpaceLand.  Let's just ballpark them at 30% of the radio amateur crowd, with absolutely no supporting data (seems natural, today). 

So now we're down to less than 70% who COULD be morons.  And morons are RARE - less than 2% of the general population.  Morons who can read, write and take tests are even more rare - and you have to applaud them for their achievements, given the barriers they face.  So maybe ham radio only gets the very best morons, which would seem to be OK.  But I digress...

Next, we have the BS or better, non-engineering "professional" crowd.  You know - English teachers, real estate agents, art history majors, economics grads who go into business, wealth management and trading.  Not morons by any means - just interested in ham radio for no other reason other than that it's "cool".  And they have a proven ability to learn at an advanced level and usually do.  Their diplomas and earning ability which enables them to buy $5,000 worth of radio gear proves it.  Because this category is so very broad, lets say another 30% live in it.  Now we're down to at least 40% of hams who aren't REALLY morons, though some might pretend to be, particularly on social media.

Next there are the "Techs" - 2-year degree holders and those with SOME technology training - at least enough to earn the cash to buy radios, antennas, homes, etc.  You know the type, right?  I'm SURE they're good for AT LEAST another 30%.  But they're VERY vocal and SOUND like 75% - but we'll ignore that.

OK.  So maybe as much as 10% of Radio Amateurs might be be literal morons - not just "acting morons".  Or none at all.  Given that the general population is made up of 2% morons, I tend to think that at least 98% of all radio amateurs are not literal "morons".  Unless someone's lining morons up and forcing them to take the test.  Who knows - we live in strange times.

So, with just a little work and some solid sideways logic and hard speculation, we've gone from maybe 99% of radio amateurs being morons, as you implied, to just 2% or less in that category.  At least on the air.  Social media is another situation altogether.

Isn't it wonderful what you can do with just a little thought and optimism?  :)

Brian - K6BRN



Logged

W9FIB

  • Member
  • Posts: 3501
    • HomeURL
Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #96 on: July 16, 2022, 05:31:26 AM »

Isn't it wonderful what you can do with just a little thought and optimism?  :)
Brian - K6BRN

Wow Brian, for once we agree on something!
Logged
73, Stan
Travelling the world one signal at a time.

K6BRN

  • Member
  • Posts: 2231
Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #97 on: July 16, 2022, 05:48:20 AM »

Isn't it wonderful what you can do with just a little thought and optimism?  :)
Brian - K6BRN

Wow Brian, for once we agree on something!

Virtual "High Five", Stan!

Brian - K6BRN
Logged

K3UIM

  • Member
  • Posts: 2145
Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #98 on: July 16, 2022, 09:17:10 AM »

Hey! Hey! Hey, you guys! None of that hugging and kissing on this thread!! LOL
Charlie
Logged
Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

KC3TEC

  • Posts: 150
    • HomeURL
Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #99 on: November 18, 2022, 06:00:23 PM »

Im a general, yes going for expert,
all the while re studying morse, actively participating in the fire department, volunteering and teaching electronics, and electrical safety, welding, carpentry and woodworking, masonry, plumbing, hvac, computer repair and coding, and sign language.
in general i am an extremely busy person
by the way Im Retired and i have an IQ of 177
does that make me a moron?

i have seen this argument so many times on different forums by trolls attempting influence the fcc into selling more of our bandwidth
if you want to use the bands allotted to extra, earn the right!Pass the damn test and quit B!t(Hing about it
Logged

K6AER

  • Member
  • Posts: 7159
Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #100 on: November 18, 2022, 06:41:53 PM »

Unbelievable, this thread has been going for over a year.

I got my Extra at age twelve in 1961. The technical was easy but the code required a bit if work. I guess it is against the prevailing wisdom to work for something.
Logged

KC3TEC

  • Posts: 150
    • HomeURL
Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #101 on: November 18, 2022, 07:11:49 PM »

Unbelievable, this thread has been going for over a year.

I got my Extra at age twelve in 1961. The technical was easy but the code required a bit if work. I guess it is against the prevailing wisdom to work for something.

 ;Di know what you mean!
ive seen the same argument in so many places its actually ridiculous,
but then again ive also seen similar type posts on numerous firefighter forums about imposing strict physical performance regulations on all of its members ( and canning the older members who couldn't perform to their ridiculous high standards)
turns out they were insurance shills trying to influence community leaders into disbanding volunteer departments.
Logged

KT8R

  • Member
  • Posts: 59
Extra
« Reply #102 on: November 19, 2022, 05:02:11 AM »

Seems like we have someone wanting to skirt requirments to get everything handed to them. I worked for my Extra, I've come up through the CW years as a Novice, Tech(General class theory), General (13 wpm) and Advanced, which was the hardest of the tests! You get nothing handed to you, work for it, like everyone else has in the past. The current Extra is a comic book compared to the old Extra!
Logged

K7MEM

  • Member
  • Posts: 1058
    • JavaScript Electronic Notebook
Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #103 on: November 19, 2022, 06:10:26 AM »

Yes, a lot of us came up from Novice. I got my Novice in 1965, but I was content with my band allocation and didn't bother getting my Extra until 1999. I took the Tech and General written tests, plus the 13 WPM Morse test in a single VE session. Then, about 2 months later, I took the Advanced and Extra written tests, plus the 20 WPM Morse test in another single VE session. Personally, I didn't find any of the written tests very difficult, but some hams do. For me, the CW tests took a bit of studying.
Logged
Martin - K7MEM
http://www.k7mem.com

AI5BC

  • Posts: 456
    • HomeURL
Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #104 on: November 19, 2022, 09:20:44 AM »

The whole Amateur licensing process is a joke. Any moron with $35 can be an Extra Classw. Takes no education or age requirements. You download the test questions, and you are a ham radio operator. My 13-year-old nephew downloaded the test questions, a week later was an Extra class sammy. Does no t know anything about the hobby and even less about electronics and electricity. In the professional industry, there is no respect for hams.

We have a few hams like me in the company, but we know sammy hammy ways are antiquated and 50 years behind in knowledge and technology. Most ham practices do not comply with any known electrical codes or practices. Elmers practices are dangerous and a threat to public safety. Most of you still tell clueless newbies to bring the coax directly to the shack and stick a rod in the dirt thinking it does something good. If you only knew how dangerous and stupid that practice is. Great for the idiots who sell you magic ferrite beads and doughnuts trying to fix all the RFI/EMI problems it causes, does nothing to remove you from the ground loop you placed yourself in begging for lightning and high voltage utility to teach your ignorant souls.

Think of it this way. would you want your pilot or doctor licensing and practices to match sammy hammy? No educational requirements, no proof of demonstrated skill, just a cheat sheet with all the test question answers and $35.

OK boomer elmer, chew on that rag.
Logged
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 [7] 8   Go Up