Well... I got my extra some years ago. At that time I had to pass the
20wpm code, which was a modern mircale :))
Anyway...Ham radio is dying out so rapidly that I feel we should open up
all bands and modes and priveleges as soon as possible, or we will simply
become obsolete.
Gary
AA2IZ
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Rippey" <w3uls@3n.net>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, April 19, 2002 10:21 PM
Subject: [TenTec] "Extra in a Day"
> I am one ham who could never legitimately earn an Extra Class license
> because I could not master such advanced material. MIT made a huge mistake
> when it admitted me to its Freshman Class in 1950 and we both agreed
> quickly I was in the wrong place. (I ended up graduating elsewhere with a
> B.A. degree heavy in philosophy.) So my choice as a Novice since 1999 has
> been either to cram/memorize answers to a bunch of questions, a la the
item
> in the ARRL's April 20 Bulletin, or forego the honor. I have chosen the
> latter, because it would make me uncomfortable to receive a ticket knowing
> I obtained it under false pretenses. (The General Class is probably doable
> for me, but I am talking about the Extra Class.)
>
> Oddly, code has never been a problem (my deceased father started out as a
> railroad telegrapher) and I could easily pass a 13 or 20 wpm test if that
> were still a requirement.
>
> So rather than cram/memorize for a higher-level license I used my spare
> time in 2001 pestering the FCC to grant somewhat more meaningful HF
> frequency privileges for entry-level licensees. Along came the ARRL in
> March 2002 to propose "refarming" the Novice HF frequencies and in so
doing
> granting even broader HF CW privileges for entry-level licensees than I
had
> proposed. My petition (RM-10354) was roundly criticized by 99% of the 35
or
> so hams responding. The ARRL's petition, with its broader grant of
> authority, seems to be getting about a 50-50 response so far (it was
posted
> by the FCC earlier this week).
>
> My impression is that most Ten-Tec owners may be (or should be) CW mavens.
> If so, you might want to give the FCC web site a look since expanded CW
> privileges for electrical/mathematical ignoramuses like me are at the
heart
> of what the ARRL is proposing (with a gesture toward a little more HF SSB
> expansion). So I find myself rooting for the League and, in so doing,
> against the strongly-held opinions of many, many veteran hams.
>
> 73,
> John, W3ULS
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
|