[TenTec] OT: Re: power went out

[Ken Brown]

This is not Ten-Tec specific and therefore off topic. Delete now if that 
offends you.

There are a lot of things to learn in Amateur Radio. It may be better 
(less expensive and less hazardous and less interference on the bands) 
to learn some of the details incrementally, and build your station as 
you learn, rather than going straight from never being on the air, to 
running full power.

To all of you brand new hams: Welcome to Amateur Radio. Please consider 
starting without an amplifier, just using the typical 100 watt output 
transceiver for several months. Gain some experience with antennas, RFI, 
propagation and operating procedures before you decide to run higher power.

There has never been a legal requirement to have a minimum amount of 
experience before operating at the full legal power limit. From the very 
beginning of Amateur Radio licensing, with examinations to qualify for a 
license, it was possible to take the exams in one day and get a license 
that authorized the licensee to run 1 kW input power. The license may 
have taken weeks or months to be processed and issued. However the exams 
used to require some understanding. The exact text of each exam question 
and answer choices was not published, so it was less likely that a 
person could pass a test by memorization without actual understanding of 
the principles involved.

The Novice License made it easier to get started, without as 
comprehensive and detailed knowledge as was needed for a General or 
higher class license. The Novice license came with a 75 watt input power 
limit.

The Extra Class License once required having been licensed as a General 
Class or better for two full years, before you could even take the test.


I hope the Department of Motor Vehicles does not decide that having so 
many classes of drivers licenses is just too complicated and too much of 
a burden on their examiners. How about one 25 question multiple choice 
exam, and you can drive anything from a moped to a huge semi carrying 
10,000 gallons of gasoline? No need for a behind the wheel driving test? 
The DMV could also get out of the exam business altogether and leave it 
to some private organizations such as the AAA or the local muffler shop.

DE N6KB