Well, here's the latest license restructuring posed by the FCC.
I don't like it. Even though I am a fan of morse code and feel it should
be required for HF, under the new proposal GENERAL class would be the
entry level to HF. In other words, you'd now have to pass 13 wpm code to
get on HF. This is silly and blocks far too many people from getting HF
priviledges.
I was hoping for better. The ARRL proposal sounded good. Hopefully, the
FCC will modify it's proposal based on public comments.
73,
Jon
KE9NA
---------------- Begin Forwarded Message ----------------
______________________________ Forward Header
__________________________________
Subject: FCC releases restructuring proposal
Author: vec@arrl.org at Internet
To: <amps@contesting.com>
Date: 08/11/1998 13:12
Dear VE:
The following was just released from FCC. FCC invites your comments by
December 1, 1998.
73,
Bart J. Jahnke, W9JJ
Manager
ARRL/VEC
bjahnke@arrl.org
==========================
This is the text of a W1AW Bulletin being run today...
Subject: FCC restructuring proposal
To: <amps@contesting.com>
Date: Tuesday, August 11, 1998 12:06PM
FCC proposes to streamline amateur rules
The FCC has proposed to phase out the Novice and Technician Plus class
licenses, leaving just four amateur license classes in place--Technician,
General, Advanced, and Extra. The Commission also has asked the amateur
community to express its opinions on Morse code requirements for
licensing
and testing, but offered no specific changes. And the FCC proposed to
permit
Advanced class licensees to administer amateur exams up through General
class. The proposals were among several suggested rules changes and
invitations to comment contained in an FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,
WT
Docket 98-143, made public August 10.
In proposing to phase out the Novice and Tech Plus tickets, the FCC said
"there appears to be an unnecessary overlap between the Novice,
Technician,
and Technician Plus license classes." The FCC also said that Technician
and
Tech Plus operators "predominantly" use FM and packet on VHF and UHF. In
addition, the FCC said Novice applicants last year numbered fewer than
1000,
while there were nearly 21,500 Technician applications.
Under the FCC plan, Novice and Tech Plus licensees would retain current
operating privileges, but no new Novice or Tech Plus licenses would be
granted. For examination purposes, current examination elements 2 and 3A
would be combined into a new element 3A. For administrative purposes, the
FCC would combine the current Technician and Tech Plus databases into a
single Technician database. The proposal would eliminate the 5 WPM code
test, Element 1A, as a required element for any class of license.
The elimination of the Novice and Tech Plus license classes would
effectively raise the bar for future applicants desiring to gain HF
operating privileges, unless the FCC ultimately reduces Morse code
testing
requirements. Since the General class license would become the
entry-level
HF ticket under the FCC's proposed rules, applicants would have to pass
at
least the 13 WPM code test.
The FCC did not propose to change any operating frequencies or license
privileges for amateurs. However, the FCC does seeks comment on the
disposition of the current Novice HF bands, which carry a 200-W output
power
limit for all licensees. The FCC invited comment on whether it would be
"appropriate" to delete the Novice bands and the power restrictions on
higher-class licensees and permit Novices to operate CW anywhere on 80,
40,
15, and 10 meters at 200 W output.
The FCC opened the door to comments on all aspects of Morse code testing
from the amateur community. In particular, the Commission said it wants
to
know if hams prefer the current three-level system or would like to see
it
reduced to a one or two-tier system--and, if so, at what required speeds.
The FCC asked whether hams would be willing to trade a reduction in Morse
code requirements for additional written elements on newer digital
technologies "which, in part, are replacing the Morse code." And, the
Commission asked whether it should consider specifying Morse code
examination methods, such as fill-in-the-blank or one minute of solid
copy,
instead of allowing VEs to determine the testing method.
In a related issue, the FCC also seeks comments on how to deal with
potential abuses of the current disability waiver for higher-speed Morse
code tests. In RM-9196, the ARRL had asked the FCC to require anyone
applying for an exemption pursuant to a doctor's certification to first
attempt the higher-speed test before examination credit could be given.
The
League also asked that VECs have access to relevant medical information
from
the certifying physician. The FCC said the ARRL's proposal would place
"an
unfair burden on examinees" and raised serious privacy and
confidentiality
issues.
The FCC went along with an ARRL petition and proposed allowing Advanced
class hams to be eligible to prepare and administer license examinations
up
through General class under the VE program. The Commission said the
change
would permit greater testing opportunities for hams. The FCC also invited
comments on whether it should change written examination requirements "to
provide VEs and VECs additional flexibility in determining the specific
contents of written examinations."
Referring to yet another ARRL petition, RM-9150, the FCC invited comments
on
how it can improve its Amateur Radio enforcement processes. The FCC
applauded the ARRL "for its creative thinking" in that petition, but said
the specific proposal was "inconsistent" with the current statutory role
of
administrative law judges. The FCC raised the possibility of encouraging
complainants to include a draft order "to show cause to initiate a
revocation or cease and desist hearing proceeding." The FCC said it also
wants to hear how it can better use the services of the Amateur Auxiliary
in
beefing up enforcement.
The FCC proposed to phase out Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, or
RACES, stations by not renewing their licenses. No new RACES licenses
have
been issued since 1980, and only 249 valid licenses remain. The FCC said
RACES stations no longer are needed because any amateur station that has
been properly registered with a civil defense organization has the same
privileges as a RACES station.
The FCC also took the occasion to clarify the definition of "power" as
used
in the RF exposure table in Section 97.13(c)(1). The FCC said it refers
to
peak envelope power (PEP) input to the antenna. It also made clear that
no
one holding an FCC-issued ham ticket may apply for a reciprocal permit
for
alien amateur license.
The FCC set a longer-than-normal comment period. The deadline for
comments
is December 1, 1998. The deadline for reply comments is January 15, 1999.
The FCC will accept electronic comments via the Internet at
http://www.fcc.gov/e-file/ecfs.html.
A copy of the complete NPRM will be posted on the ARRLWeb page,
http://www.arrl.org, as soon as it is available.
---
Submissions hallicrafters@qth.net
----------------- End Forwarded Message -----------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jon Ogden
jono@enteract.com
www.qsl.net/ke9na
"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."
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