[Amps] FCC Denies Expert Linears' Request for Waiver of 15 dB Rule

[Jim Brown]

Great post, Rob!  Like many hams, especially older ones, I started down 
the learning path before I started high school. 60 years later, I'm 
still trying to learn new stuff, and to better understand the stuff I 
thought I knew. :)

Another important part of ham radio is sharing our knowledge and helping 
each other out. Older hams helped me learn about radio, helped me learn 
CW, helped me with antennas, and even gave me my first rig (a 40M 
Command set).  Now that I'm one of the older guys, I try to do my part, 
passing it forward.

Some ham clubs still practice that side of ham radio. The North Shore 
Radio Club near Chicago, The Santa Cruz County Radio Club, and the 
Northern California Contest Club all do that in different ways, but they 
do it, and do it quite well. When I moved to CA from IL 10 years ago, I 
joined NCCC and put out the word on the email reflector that I needed 
help with antennas. The next morning, two guys were standing in my 
driveway, and they had both driven an hour to get there!

73, Jim K9YC

On Fri,12/30/2016 2:37 PM, Rob Atkinson wrote:
> I completely agree with WA3JPY.  You who want this all-inclusive,
> let's all have a warm fuzzy because we all have ham tickets, ham radio
> take note:
>
> In Part 97, the FCC _requires_ licensees, who are the recipients of
> _grants_ to continue to advance the radio art, by improvement of
> communications _and_ technical skills.  Your license is a GRANT, in
> the way a scholarship is a grant.  You are supposed to IMPROVE.
>
> No, you don't get to blow off the technical stuff and play with some
> toys if you want to be a legitimate grant holder.
>
> If you want to sit back and run a ham shack "entertainment center,"
> you should get another hobby.
>
> I also am a slow learner and have found acquiring the ability to build
> and troubleshoot quite difficult.  This hobby can be a lot of hard
> work.  Many times I have been tempted to give up in anger and
> frustration.  But then, you fix something or build something and it
> works, even if it is only a power supply, and you feel like you shot a
> hole in one.
>
> People who promote the idea that, oh, it's okay to just sit there and
> use some black boxes and memorize answers to test questions to be a
> CBer ham, are NOT doing the hobby any favors. That attitude is
> harmful!
>
> Ham Radio and CB are largely the same thing now because of this.
>
> Part 97 - Rules of the Amateur Radio Service
>
> Title 47: Telecommunication – Updated September 2014
>
> PART 97—AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE
>
> Subpart A—General Provisions
>
> §97.1   Basis and purpose.
>
> The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an
> amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the
> following principles:
>
> (a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to
> the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service,
> particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
>
> (b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to
> contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
>
> (c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules
> which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and
> technical phases of the art.
>
> (d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio
> service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
>
> Converting an AF67 to controlled carrier:  I'd start by getting
> schematics for the AF67 and a controlled carrier rig like the DX60 and
> comparing them.
>
> but, the AF67 is high level plate modulated so the change over might
> be more trouble than it's worth.  I for one, do not understand why
> you'd want to take this on.  I'd run the AF67 stock because to most
> operators, a constant carrier is more desirable.  If the mod. iron is
> blown in the AF67, then that might explain your project.
>
> If you are trying to have an exciter for an RF amplifier, it would
> make more sense to beef up the amplifier to handle the continuous
> carrier duty cycle than it would to modify the exciter.  You can't go
> wrong with an improved amplifier.
>
> 73
>
> Rob
> K5UJ
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