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Author Topic: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?  (Read 2388 times)

G8FXC

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Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #75 on: April 11, 2022, 11:19:53 PM »

...
Ultimately one class of license will probably be the law of the land like it or not. 73 Rich
There's nothing wrong with having multiple licence classes - my problem with the US system is the apartheid that it enforces. By all means limit your junior classes in terms of power output, possibly deny them access to the more esoteric bands where they could hurt themselves or others with microwave radiation, but why on earth stop them talking to the senior licence class operators from whom they could actually learn something useful?

Martin (G8FXC)
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K3XR

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Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #76 on: April 12, 2022, 06:49:42 AM »

...
Ultimately one class of license will probably be the law of the land like it or not. 73 Rich
There's nothing wrong with having multiple licence classes - my problem with the US system is the apartheid that it enforces. By all means limit your junior classes in terms of power output, possibly deny them access to the more esoteric bands where they could hurt themselves or others with microwave radiation, but why on earth stop them talking to the senior licence class operators from whom they could actually learn something useful?

Martin (G8FXC)

Let's not forget there are a number of bands where all classes of US license holders can communicate.  I frequently have conversations with new hams on the local 440 repeater network. There's another solution for having only one class of license...make the Extra class test the only test.
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K3UIM

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Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #77 on: April 12, 2022, 07:18:19 AM »

".make the Extra class test the only test."
If that were the case, in 1963, with my love of "tinkering", I probably wouldn't be a ham today. Most of us, (I'm assuming), would have gotten involved in another hobby.
There are so many different phases of ham radio that have very little to do with needing that kind of knowledge that I seriously doubt ham radio would survive. (I could be wrong) So many of us "normal IQ'ers" wouldn't pass such a roadblock, I'm afraid. (And, again, I could be wrong.)
I have no desire to experiment with UHF, bouncing signals off the moon, etc and consequently, I'd surely flunk such an exam. My love is just tinkering and not getting into lofty equations, etc.
(Besides, at age 88, where would I get the gray cells to even take such a test? LOL)
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Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

K3XR

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Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #78 on: April 12, 2022, 08:50:57 AM »

".make the Extra class test the only test."
If that were the case, in 1963, with my love of "tinkering", I probably wouldn't be a ham today. Most of us, (I'm assuming), would have gotten involved in another hobby.
There are so many different phases of ham radio that have very little to do with needing that kind of knowledge that I seriously doubt ham radio would survive. (I could be wrong) So many of us "normal IQ'ers" wouldn't pass such a roadblock, I'm afraid. (And, again, I could be wrong.)
I have no desire to experiment with UHF, bouncing signals off the moon, etc and consequently, I'd surely flunk such an exam. My love is just tinkering and not getting into lofty equations, etc.
(Besides, at age 88, where would I get the gray cells to even take such a test? LOL)

I have very little background in electronics and it took me 3 times to pass the Extra theory (mostly math).  As with all the tests starting with the Novice exam in 1959, I felt the reward was well worth the effort.  I've learned far more about the technical and other aspects after taking the test. Well at least the "I can't do the code" excuse has gone the way of the 15 cent hamburger. 
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G8FXC

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Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #79 on: April 12, 2022, 09:18:51 AM »

...
Ultimately one class of license will probably be the law of the land like it or not. 73 Rich
There's nothing wrong with having multiple licence classes - my problem with the US system is the apartheid that it enforces. By all means limit your junior classes in terms of power output, possibly deny them access to the more esoteric bands where they could hurt themselves or others with microwave radiation, but why on earth stop them talking to the senior licence class operators from whom they could actually learn something useful?

Martin (G8FXC)

Let's not forget there are a number of bands where all classes of US license holders can communicate.  I frequently have conversations with new hams on the local 440 repeater network.....

The trouble with that is that it requires an active effort from the higher class operators to go to the frequencies where they can communicate with the juniors - and most of the common ground is either on CW, which is not that commonly used by most higher class operators, or VHF/UHF which is limited range and, again, not popular with people that have the right to use HF.

Martin (G8FXC)
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K3UIM

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Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #80 on: April 12, 2022, 12:11:56 PM »

I've worked my way through Crystal sets, TRF, a little time with Superhets and Regen's, and after 25 years away from the "sport" I have discovered Direct Conversion, where I've settled for a spell.

<Hidden text> Judas Priest, Griggs!! You're 88 years old! What kind of a spell do you think you've still got!!!<end text> LOL

The General test gives me all the elbow room I need or want. I'm satisfied and content!

I'm kind of sorry for the newbies that missed out on the radio fun of the 50's and 60's when every discovery was a wonderful new feeling for the hobby. Perhaps that feeling still exists, but is it the same? I wonder. (I guess one doesn't miss what one never had.) If I keep this up, I'll bust out in tears! LOL

Charlie

« Last Edit: April 12, 2022, 12:19:38 PM by K3UIM »
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Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

WA2ISE

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Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #81 on: April 15, 2022, 02:49:47 PM »


There's nothing wrong with having multiple licence classes - my problem with the US system is the apartheid that it enforces. By all means limit your junior classes in terms of power output, possibly deny them access to the more esoteric bands where they could hurt themselves or others with microwave radiation, but why on earth stop them talking to the senior licence class operators from whom they could actually learn something useful?

The FCC probably settled on frequency and sub bands to separate the license grades, as it's easy to tell if a general is using extra privs.  You look at the receive frequency on the radio.  It's way harder to tell if someone is exceeding a permitted power level.

I saw in the May QST a caution on avoiding being outside your license's privs.  They should mention that you can avoid this problem if you get your extra.
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K1FBI

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Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #82 on: April 16, 2022, 06:20:05 AM »


There's nothing wrong with having multiple licence classes - my problem with the US system is the apartheid that it enforces. By all means limit your junior classes in terms of power output, possibly deny them access to the more esoteric bands where they could hurt themselves or others with microwave radiation, but why on earth stop them talking to the senior licence class operators from whom they could actually learn something useful?

The FCC probably settled on frequency and sub bands to separate the license grades, as it's easy to tell if a general is using extra privs.  You look at the receive frequency on the radio.  It's way harder to tell if someone is exceeding a permitted power level.

I saw in the May QST a caution on avoiding being outside your license's privs.  They should mention that you can avoid this problem if you get your extra.
Those kinds of snarky comments make me want to give an Extra a 4 by 5 instead of a true 5 by 9 signal report, just to deflate his ego.
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W9FIB

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Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #83 on: April 16, 2022, 06:27:35 AM »

I saw in the May QST a caution on avoiding being outside your license's privs.  They should mention that you can avoid this problem if you get your extra.

But you still need to be careful when you run close to the band edges. Too close and your bandwidth could go out of band. And thats true of any class license.
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73, Stan
Travelling the world one signal at a time.

AA4HA

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Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #84 on: April 16, 2022, 04:54:50 PM »

There's nothing wrong with having multiple licence classes - my problem with the US system is the apartheid that it enforces. By all means limit your junior classes in terms of power output, possibly deny them access to the more esoteric bands where they could hurt themselves or others with microwave radiation, but why on earth stop them talking to the senior licence class operators from whom they could actually learn something useful?

Darn, busted! You are right, I sit on the extra-only slices of the bands just specifically so I do not need to talk to technician or general class licenses.

In fact, I pretend that nothing even exists above 30 MHz.
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Ms. Tisha Hayes, AA4HA
Lookout Mountain, Alabama

K3UIM

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Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #85 on: April 16, 2022, 05:57:51 PM »

"I do not need to talk to technician or general class licenses."
By Jinks, you must be the Wicked Witch of the West! Some of us Gen's are decent people! (Not myself included, but I do try!) LOL
Charlie
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Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

K1FBI

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Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #86 on: April 17, 2022, 03:51:49 AM »

"I do not need to talk to technician or general class licenses."
By Jinks, you must be the Wicked Witch of the West! Some of us Gen's are decent people! (Not myself included, but I do try!) LOL
Charlie
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.
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K3UIM

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Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #87 on: April 17, 2022, 05:37:30 AM »

Oh, Oh, John!! You may be in trouble!! LOL
"Ms. Tisha Hayes, AA4HA
Lookout Mountain, Alabama"
Charlie
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Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

K1FBI

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Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #88 on: April 17, 2022, 08:31:12 AM »

Oh, Oh, John!! You may be in trouble!! LOL
"Ms. Tisha Hayes, AA4HA
Lookout Mountain, Alabama"
Charlie
MS., Ya don’t say. LOL
Well the prefix is as uppity as the elitist attitude.
You really don’t think I care if I offend a person who offends every Technician, General and Advanced license holder, do you?
 
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W9FIB

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Re: General license band restrictions - why do we need them?
« Reply #89 on: April 17, 2022, 08:53:08 AM »

Oh, Oh, John!! You may be in trouble!! LOL
"Ms. Tisha Hayes, AA4HA
Lookout Mountain, Alabama"
Charlie
MS., Ya don’t say. LOL
Well the prefix is as uppity as the elitist attitude.
You really don’t think I care if I offend a person who offends every Technician, General and Advanced license holder, do you?

Class warfare at its best...operator class that is!
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73, Stan
Travelling the world one signal at a time.
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