About beyond April 15th,
Earlier, KH2D, Jim wrote, in part about bringing
quality new hams into the hobby and what might
attract same:
>What's 'new and exciting' about amateur radio in the
>year 2000 ? Nothing. So I'll buy the quality vs. quantity
>theory...."
Then K1YP, David wrote, in part:
> It occurs to me that there are three things that we can
> do to improve the quality of new Hams.
> .......
> These suggestions are intended to address the knowledge,
> test integrity, investment/ownership, and FCC enforcement issues.
> .......
> Sure would like to see this list refined by list members until we have
> something that we can propose to the ARRL, VEC and FCC.
>1. Enlarge the question pool so memorization is almost
> impossible.
> 2. Toughen the questions and add lots of operating and
> regulation questions ... perhaps weighting those sections
> more heavily.
Of the suggestions, the two above are certainly ones
we, as interested amateurs, might be able to impact.
However, I do not know who the VEC Question Pool
Committee members are. Plan to question the ARRL
folks on Monday. Wonder if I could be appointed onto
such a committee, hi!
There is little time to do much about the question pools by
committee before April 15th, however. Last time I looked,
the Extra question pool set was divided into 9 parts:
1. FCC Rules, had 117 questions in the pool.
2. Operating Procedures, had only 21 questions.
3. Radio Wave Propagation, had only 12 questions.
4. Amateur Radio Practice, had 27 questions in the pool.
5. Electrical Principles, had 65 questions.
6. Practical Circuits, had 69 questions.
7. Circuit Components, had only 36 questions.
8. Signals and Emissions, had 44 questions.
9. Antennas and Feed Lines, had 49 questions in pool.
Totals 440 questions in the pool at that time. I do not
have the question pools of the other elements.
However, the new Extra level "technical/rules/procedures"
question pool ought to be at least double, or closer to
900 questions, IMO! Also, I believe a bunch of the
questions in the pool set I have are SILLY. In particular
those dealing with satellite transmission/reception mode
nomenclature for one group of pure memorization stuff,
and another the incredible complex impedance plane
questions. That is at least 3rd year or beyond EE
school level theory, and can only be handled by a
radio amateur by sheer rote memorization of the
answers. If they are to stay, the questions should
be presented as complex plane plots, and then questions
framed around the indicated figure and plot data, IMO.
Or else, present plots of data from among which the
correct plot of some given problem is to be selected:
this would impart some real knowledge, it seems to
me than just memorizing some R+jX answer to be
correct from a given list is not teaching a thing!
SWR has so much mythology surrounding it, that that topic
by itself deserves exploring for inclusion in some way
that many myths might be dispelled before they enter
the new ham's mind!
If done properly, even if memorized, the question pool
sets can impart a huge amount of really useful knowledge
to the new ham. That was certainly the case for me
back in the late 1940's when I was busy essentially
memorizing the questions and paragraph explanations
in what in those days was the ARRL License Manual.
I learned a lot from that memorization, plus asking
question about some of the meanings from some of
the local "Elmer's" in town and at the High School.
Of course the actual tests then required written out
answers, circuit diagrams and explanations to be
given, clearly a more probable way of CAUSING
the very exam preparation itself to impart knowledge.
Well, anyway, it is going to be a big job for someone's.
But I am afraid that what will happen is that the present
Advanced and Extra pools will just be combined into
one big overlapping set; and the Technician
and General sets will probably remain unchanged for quite
a period of time, unless I can really be surprised by whomever
the Question Pool Committee members may be.
All presented to stir up more positive discussion, I hope.
73, Jim, KH7M
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