SB QST @
ARL $ARLB096 Questions, comments, and some confusion have been the order of the day since the FCC finally dropped the other shoe on Amateur Radio restructuring on December 30. The FCC's momentous action--reducing the number of license classes to three and establishing 5 WPM as the sole Morse code examination element--has, at least for now, polarized the Amateur Radio community. It also promises to change the complexion of Amateur Radio as it enters the new millennium. More than half of those responding to an informal poll on the ARRL Web site indicate they plan to upgrade during 2000. Demand for study materials in the past week suggests many amateurs will be hitting the books in the coming weeks. After April 15, 2000, the FCC will only
issue Technician, General, and Amateur Extra class licenses. Novice and
Advanced licensees will retain current operating privileges and may
renew indefinitely. The FCC's new "This is the best news I have heard since bread and butter!" exclaimed Jimmy Stewart, WD9FHY, who said he's been trying unsuccessfully for years to boost his code proficiency. On the other side were some who asserted that the revised requirements would contribute to a further decline of Amateur Radio and open the doors to "riff-raff." The ARRL Board of Directors is expected to review the FCC Report and Order and discuss its implications when it meets January 21-22 in Memphis. In a significant step, the FCC has left it in the hands of the National Conference of VECs Question Pool Committee to determine the specific mix and makeup of written examination questions. Current Amateur Radio study materials remain valid at least until the new rules become effective in April. The nation's Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, including the ARRL-VEC, now are under the gun to meet the plan's April 15 implementation date. "The Question Pool Committee has been meeting by telephone and e-mail to get the updating process under way," said ARRL-VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ. "It's anticipated that the QPC will put out a news release soon that indicates when the updated question pools will be available to the public." Jahnke said the revised question pools will be out "well in advance" of April 15. No one loses any privileges under the FCC's new plan, and, with one limited exception, no licensee is in a position to automatically gain any privileges when April 15 rolls around. The FCC's action establishes the Technician license--with or without Morse code credit--as the entry-level ticket to Amateur Radio. Technician applicants passing the 5 WPM Morse code exam will gain current Tech Plus HF privileges. The current "no-code" Tech license will continue to be available. Technician applicants opting to not take the code test will gain current Technician VHF/UHF privileges. After April 15, 2000, the FCC will lump Technician and Technician Plus licensees into a single "Technician" database. Despite the name change, current Tech Plus licensees won't lose any privileges. Similarly, current General and Amateur Extra class holders will continue to enjoy their current privileges. The FCC took no action to reallocate any amateur bands. The new licensing regime has four examination elements: Element 1, the 5 WPM Morse code test; Element 2, a 35-question Technician test; Element 3, a 35-question General test, and Element 4, a 50-question Amateur Extra test. The new Amateur Extra test is expected to combine the important elements of the current Advanced and Amateur Extra examinations. Only minor changes are anticipated in the new General class examination. The new Technician exam likely will include some questions on HF operating from the current Novice test. The new licensing plan created a lone and
limited upgrade for those who held a Technician license or a Certificate
of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) before March 21, 1987.
Those individuals may claim credit for a new General class license. This
is because there was a single Technician-General written test under the
old system; only the code tests differed. The upgrade is not automatic,
however. Affected individuals will Judging from the questions coming into
ARRL HQ, many hams want to know whether to upgrade now or wait for the
new system. If you're either a Tech Plus or an Advanced licensee, there
might be an advantage to taking an exam now. The FCC has told the League
that current Tech Plus licensees holding a valid CSCE for Element 3B may
apply for a General class upgrade when the new rules become effective.
Likewise, current Advanced licensees holding a valid CSCE for Element 4B
may apply for an Amateur Extra class upgrade under the new system. To be
valid on April 15, 2000, any such CSCE will have to be dated on or after
April 17, 1999. A CSCE is only good for 365 days. CSCE holders must
attend a Volunteer Examiner session, complete Form 605, attach The reduced Morse code requirement hit a
nerve with some hams who felt it "devalued" their upper-class
licenses. Others, however, felt it minimized an unnecessary obstacle.
The FCC said it believes a demonstration of Morse proficiency does not
necessarily indicate an individual's "ability to contribute to the
advancement of the radio art," as the FCC put it. The Commission
also said it was not convinced that Morse proficiency had any The reduction in the Morse code
requirement was not entirely unexpected. Several other countries already
have lowered their Morse code examination requirements, and some
observers believe the Morse requirement will The Morse code issue is expected to be on
the agenda of a future World Radiocommunication Conference. The FCC said
it would not automatically "sunset" the Morse code requirement
even if Morse code is eliminated from Frequently Asked Questions on
restructuring are available at A copy of the entire Report and Order (FCC 99-412) is available at http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/wt98-143ro.pdf or at
|
