<blockquote>Quote:<hr>Technician, Tech Plus (Technician with Element 1 credit) and General--would be consolidated into a new General license that no longer would require a Morse examination. Current Technician and Tech Plus license holders automatically would gain current General class privileges without additional testing.<hr></blockquote>

Current Tech and General Lic holders will gain " Current" Privileges. Not less. It has always been the FCC`s Policy to never take anything away from Lic holders when any restructuring happens, if anything there are Additional privileges given. This IS a Win/Win all around!!!

Now if the FCC will go along with this ARRL plan, I can see Ham Radio Growing at an incredible rate, THIS IS the Boost that we have needed for a long time, I applaud the leaders of the ARRL for the Foresight to draft this plan


CDX 339

RadioActive





</p>

__________________
Radio-active

NASA/SOHO

On a lighter note



QRZ.com is gonna use up a LOT of Bandwith in the next few weeks on this subject....better stock up on Popcorn and soda...........<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=";)">



73

Jeff


CDX 339

RadioActive





</p>

__________________
Radio-active

NASA/SOHO

pub86.ezboard.com/fworldwidecbradioclubfrm53.showMessage?topicID=493 .topic


</p>

Sounds like they are suggesting that for the General (maybe a General with fewer rights) you'll only need the written and for Extra you'll need the code + written.






</p>

You got that right! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/eek.gif ALT=":eek"> <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif ALT=":lol"> <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/roll.gif ALT=":rollin"> <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif ALT=":lol">


73, Mike KD5VHF@hotmail.com</p>

Change is inevitable. Some are going to like it and some are not. That is why the ARRL did it the way they did. I think that this is the best plan to satisfy both sides of the issue. The last time the requirements were "lowered" there was very little growth in the HF portion of the bands. There was however considerable growth in the Tech licenses. Nobody had any desire to learn a form of communication that in outdated. I am not saying that code is useless, in fact it is a form that will make it through in very tough band conditions. It is just outdated. That is why I think the ARRL has done this. If the VHF/UHF portions of the service continue to grow and the HF does not, then the FCC could start taking away portions of the HF bands and selling them to the highest bidder. Don't think they won't because there is a huge demand for frequency spectrum. Just look at the fight over BPL. The FCC could take the position that since the HF amatuer bands are stagnant then why should BPL be held up and just let it fly. Sure there are other factors to consider, but that might be what tips the scales. The ARRL did the right thing in protecting the Amatuer radio service. Hoping that stimulated growth in this area would show the FCC that the ARRL really cares about protecting what is ours. I feel that it wasn't the IRTU that forced the hand of the ARRL, it was the FCC and their greedy ways of selling off allocations. I'm sorry to those that want to see everything just stay as it was 50 years ago, but the ARRL did the right thing. I wonder if those people still drive around in 50's vintage cars and waste fuel, and wouldn't think of operating their cell phones while driving such beasts.<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/roll.gif ALT=":rollin">

fasteddy


</p>

CW out-dated? Sure and so is AM,SSB etc. especially with digital voice on it's way in. Keep CW requirement in case it's ever needed in a emergency? Well to me that would be like the post office maintaining barns full of horses in the event of another gas shortage. I think they should make the test much more difficult/technical and drop the CW requirement. But opinions are like arm pits, almost everyone has at least one and some <span style="color:fuchsia;">STINK</span><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/tongue.gif ALT=":b"> <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif ALT=":lol">


73, Mike KD5VHF@hotmail.com</p>

Doc, I agree with you to some extent. However, there are other factors to consider. One of them is the future growth of the hobby. I believe that making the requirements "easier" by getting rid of a requirement that an entry level operator probably will never use so they can experience the HF aspect of the hobby is a good thing. If they want to use CW, then make them pass a test for it.



Band crowding is a completely different issue, and shouldn't be confused with the test requirments for using a band. If the FCC is going to revamp the requirements for using a band, they should also look at the potential number of users for the band and reallocate ithe spectrum usage accordingly. To the chagrin of many CW'ers, that may mean some spectrum given to voice that was previously allocated only to CW.



We don't know when it's going to happen, but one thing is sure, change is always inevitable.



Moleculo


</p>

wait till them 2950's and galaxy's and such get on with echo and roger beeps wooooooooohooooooooo


</p>

I guess that would be the same for the "other" side of the argument when the code requirement was dropped for the Tech class. " It is going to be just like 11 meters". It didn't happen.

fasteddy


</p>