[TenTec] Fw: Fw: The End of Incentive Licensing!

[bbams@juno.com]

I posted this to the QRP-L.  Many (about 15) replies were from ops that
felt that my post was/is a reasoned response to the impending changes. 
One commented that my view of this would beof general interest because of
the noumber of active hams that were not around in 1968, the historical
perspective being important.

If you have any replies and/or comments, please send them to me directly
unless you truly feel that the List needs to read them also.

73, Keith, WB2VUO

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: wb2vuo@juno.com
To: qrp-l@lehigh.edu
Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 
Subject: Fw: The End of Incentive Licensing!

For those of you NOT around in the hobby in 1968, that was the year that
Ham Radio died at the hands of the ARRL.  Incentive Licensing went into
effect that year, taking large chunks of the bands away form those who
had toiled to achieve their General tickets, and gave it, in a totally
elitist move to Advanced and Extras.

Anyway, that's the way it was presented, mostly on 75 Meters and in the
pages of "73, Survivalist Amateur Radio" (or something like that...)

It's funny.  The ARRL was blamed for "Incentive" Licensing, blasted for
it in fact, but the program the FCC passed and implemented had almost
none of the salient points that the League had requested in their
Requests for Rulemaking.  But it was the ARRL's fault (really it was...)

Now the FCC has rescinded most of their 1968 changes, simplified the
license structure, streamlined the testing but has NOT given the band
segments for Advanced/Extra back to the Generals, but not  much has been
mentioned about that.  The present restructuring is all about "growth"
and Incentive Licensing was all about "growth" and it took a decade to
really change things then and will take at least a decade to change
anything now.

Do you really think that anyone getting an upgrade to General, going out
on the bands to work CW will stay at 5 WPM?  The quickest way to raise
one's code speed is to WORK someone, not use a code
machine/computer/tapes or whatever.

Stop whining and get your new Generals on the bands after 15 April '00. 
Make your Field Day plans >>NOW<< and make the CW station a focal point
for the newbies!

Do something or keep quiet.  My teenager already whines enough...

72/73, Keith, WB2VUO, 100% QRP from the Depths of the Great Bergen Swamp
FD'00 Chair - Brockport Amateur Radio Klub/Trustee - NQ2RP/B 10M Beacon
My night light runs more power than my Rig!!!

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