[UK-CONTEST] Revision of our Licence

[Mark Marsden]

I have had discussions with colleagues here at work who work with Ofcom.


I wanted clarification of what Ofcom meant by "Question 5: Do you agree
that WT Act licence exemption for radio amateurs is not currently
practical?"  

The opinion here is that in terms of the WT act there are some
transmitters that are licence-exempt some examples of these are mobile
phones, WiFi 802.11 and keyfobs. 

If Ofcom persue de-regulation of amateur radio the odds are that by
then:
1) you won't have a licence
2) you won't be able to operate abroad
3) no DxPeditions (unless you already have an overseas licence)
4) no R&TTE exemption so individual homebrew equipment will have to be
tested to ETSI specs
5) you won't be able to import amateur equipment that needs a licence

There's more, but just this list alone prompted me to respond. I majored
on the economic value of DxPeditions and how individuals spend tens of
thousand of pounds on stations that need NOV's. 

Bear in mind that we are now communicating with economists, and there
are some who think radio waves stop at county borders.

73 Mark G4AXX




-----Original Message-----
From: uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:uk-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Steve Rawlings
Sent: 04 August 2005 06:15
To: uk-contest at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] Revision of our Licence

I've read the questionnaire, but can't find anything in there to make me
feel that a response is necessary.  This is probably the case with the
thousands of other licensees who, like me, have not completed the form. 
  I don't see anything openly important in the document, or even
anything hidden between the lines.

(Most of the really damaging changes to the amateur service in recent
years appear to have been at the hands of national and international
amateur radio societies, not the bodies that simply respond to such
changes.)

But I'm willing to be persuaded otherwise, if I'm missing something.

Any replies to my personal email, please.


Regards to all,
Steve GW4ALG


Dave Lawley wrote:
> 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
> 
> _______________________________________________
> UK-Contest mailing list
> UK-Contest at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest
> 

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