[UK-CONTEST] Revision of our Licence

[Dave Lawley]

 >On this issue, as a contesting community, if we feel disadvantaged in a
 >global context by our current power levels should we not lobby for a
 >revision of our license?  Then we can all run 1500 watts and watch our
 >QSO rates soar.

The perfect cue. Never mind about whether we're licensed for 400w or 
1500w, if a significant number of UK hams don't get their fingers out 
and reply to the present Ofcom consultation, in a few year's time there 
might not be a UK licence worth the name.

Contesters are an extremely active bunch. So get active on this one and 
make sure to reply by 17 August. Out of around 60,000 UK licensees 
(no-one seems quite sure of the exact number) only a couple of hundred 
responses have been received to date. There is a danger that Ofcom will 
take the view that there has not been sufficient body of input from the 
amateur community, and will therefore feel they have carte blanche to 
make whatever changes they choose.

Please visit
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/aradio/
and
http://www.rsgb.org.uk/news/q&aaug05.pdf

then consider all the issues, and make a response. Free licence for 
life? Yeah great, but you can't get something for nothing and there is 
great concern that it is a prelude to deregulation. Whatever else, I 
think it is imperative that Ofcom receive a clear unequivocal NO to 
question 6 about exemption from the WT Act in the longer term.

Former UK contester G4BKI has put together an excellent little page at

http://sciencetechnologyconsultants.com/UK.htm

which has all the links, including a Word document which you can 
download, fill in with your answers and return to the Ofcom address 
which is also listed on his page.

73, Dave G4BUO