[RTTY] Question pools (was Re: [WriteLog] RTTY In CW Bands ?

[Peter Laws]

On 11/13/05, Phil Krichbaum <pfkski at vail.net> wrote:
>         A few years ago a relative was asking me about what it took too get a
> license as he had a mild interest. I told him about the VEs and question
> pool etc. He asked if the exam pool questions delt with how to actually get
> on the air and operate. I had to admit that it didn't but certainly should.

I recently submitted comments on the FCC's recent NPRM in favor of
retaining Element 1 for Extras (a lost cause, IMHO).  Actually
*reading* the NPRM was interesting.  There were many petitioners
(remember the NPRM summed up more than a dozen Morse-related
petitions) that lamented the fact that the written tests were so
"easy".

The FCC's response was, basically, "we don't and won't regulate the
content of the exams so your complaint is with the Question Pool
Committee".  And they are right.  There is **nothing** to stop any ham
from submitting new questions to the QPC.  In fact, there is nothing
to prevent a ham from asking the QPC to make the tests **longer**.

So if someone wanted to add questions pertaining to "unwritten rules"
of operating a station, then all one would have to do is formulate the
question and answers and submit to http://www.ncvec.org/feedback.php.

I'm not involved with the QPC in any way and have no idea what the
process is to determine which questions make it into the pool, but I'm
pretty sure it starts with submitting a question.


73,
Peter Laws
N5UWY/9
ARRL VE
WAC (phone)
WAS #51466 / RTTY WAS #410 / WAS/90