FYI
> From: "Malcolm Keown" <w5xx@vicksburg.com>
> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2004 7:18 PM
> Subject: W5XX on the ARRL License Restructuring Plan
>
>
> I was out of town last week visiting relatives in Tennessee. When I
> returned and opened my mailbox last Saturday Night all sorts
> of fire and
> brimstone rolled forth regarding the proposed ARRL License
> Restructuring
> Plan along with some comments that strongly support the Plan. After
> thinking about this issue for a few days, talking to several
> folks on the
> telephone, and reading the email traffic, below is my opinion
> that I sent
> to K5UR.
>
> See y'all in Jackson!
>
> Best 73 de W5XX
>
>
> Hello Rick,
>
> I have studied the proposed ARRL License Restructuring Plan.
> There are two
> points which I think need refinement:
>
> (a) two of the SSB HF band segments proposed for use by the
> "New Novices"
> are undoubtedly problem areas. Specifically, 3900 to 4000 and 7200 to
> 7300. The 75 M segment is wall to wall nets and ragchewing
> 24 hours a day.
> To a lesser extent the 40 M segment is the same during the
> daylight hours.
> (the ARRL Net Directory lists 327 Nets operating between 3900
> and 4000 and
> 102 between 7200 and 7300). When the "New Novices" begin to
> descend on
> these band segments with cursory knowledge of HF operating
> procedures and
> the operational protocol of established nets, conflict will
> ensue. Heated
> exchanges will probably occur when KG5XXX insists on
> continuing his QSO on
> frequency past the net start time for a given net or KG5XYZ with his
> lingering CB slang tries to QSO with W5XYZ. This is truly
> going to be a
> lose-lose situation. In the early days of the Novice license, band
> segments were reserved for Novice use from 3700 to 3750, 7150
> to 7200, and
> 21100 to 21250. This in effect allowed newcomers to learn
> among themselves
> and with the benefit of experienced hams who chose to Elmer
> in these band
> segments. The current proposal does exactly the reverse. The "New
> Novices" will be free to descend on the "Old Timers" without
> any restraint.
> Seeing that we have Novice segments still in place on 80,
> 40, and 15, I
> would propose that this spectrum space be allocated (or an equivalent
> space) outside of the existing SSB Bands for "New Novice"
> operation. If an
> "Old Timer" chooses to Elmer in these band segments, then that is his
> choice. This approach will preserve the dignity of the current ham
> community and hopefully eliminate the clashes that are sure
> to occur if
> proposed ARRL Plan is implemented.
>
> (b) the ARRL Plan indicates that the "only substantial
> difference between
> the Technician and General Class examinations was the Morse
> requirement."
> Thus, the "elimination of the Morse requirement for General
> Class makes
> upward merger of a Technician a natural and minor step." I
> beg to differ.
> A review of "Now You're talking" (5th Edition) and the "General Class
> License Manual" (4th Edition) indicates there are many
> technical topics in
> the General Manual that are either not included in the
> Technician Manual or
> receive only cursory treatment. In particular testing transmitter
> performance, SSB power measurements, Kirchhoff's Law's, power
> gain, loss,
> and decibels, impedance and reactance, transformers, power supplies,
> filters, modulation techniques, test equipment, etc. It is
> difficult to
> draw the conclusion that the current Technician and General
> Exams are truly
> comparable.
>
> Request that the Executive Committee revisit these two
> critical points.
>
> Best 73 de W5XX
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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