Technician privileges

[mmckenna]

Agreed. I memorized the Extra exam and aced it, but it means nothing about my radio knowledge. I'll readily admit that I did what I had to do to pass so I could operate in a particular part of the band. There are many techs that know way more than me, I'm sure.

Years ago my wife did a "ham cram" session. Walked in with zero understanding of radio, walked out with the tech license and still zero understanding of radio.

An individuals license class means nothing to me. Actually, when someone starts throwing their license class around, I usually think a bit less of them. The paper means nothing. Their ability/skill is what matters.

I still think testing is a way for people to prove they have the knowledge and skills. For some of my previous certifications, there were skill-based exams (not written), similar to a private pilot checkride or a driver's license test. You may have it in your head, but if you can't perform, you don't get the upgrade.

I've done a lot of training throughout my career. I've got a lot of pieces of paper that say I'm certified/trained/licensed/qualified, but often unless I use those skills, I get rusty and forget a lot of it. Somewhere I've got Cisco training certificates, and I'll be danged if I can remember any of it.
What I do have is the basic knowledge to know when to stop what I'm doing and either refresh my memory, or ask someone with more knowledge for assistance.

When I hire new staff, I usually ignore the long list of acronyms and certifications on the bottom of the resume. It's more important to know what they are actually passionate about, what they really know well, and what they really love about the job.

Other than bragging rights, the license class doesn't mean a lot. Yeah, you get some extra slices of spectrum, but we've all seen what happens with those. I'm not impressed with what I've heard.

 

[K5MPH]

Let's see...
I've seen radio installs done by "extra class" hams that fall under the "WTF class" license qualifications.
I've seen a number of "extra class" hams that make statements/ask questions on this website (as well as others) that show they never studied for the test, forgot all they learned, or again, fall under the "WT literal F" license class.

One test. One license class. One band plan. Learn from there.

I myself have come across some Extra and Generals that dident even know what a SWR meter was or how to use it.......

 

[tweiss3]

Years ago my wife did a "ham cram" session. Walked in with zero understanding of radio, walked out with the tech license and still zero understanding of radio.

An individuals license class means nothing to me. Actually, when someone starts throwing their license class around, I usually think a bit less of them. The paper means nothing. Their ability/skill is what matters.



I've done a lot of training throughout my career. I've got a lot of pieces of paper that say I'm certified/trained/licensed/qualified, but often unless I use those skills, I get rusty and forget a lot of it. Somewhere I've got Cisco training certificates, and I'll be danged if I can remember any of it.
What I do have is the basic knowledge to know when to stop what I'm doing and either refresh my memory, or ask someone with more knowledge for assistance.

When I hire new staff, I usually ignore the long list of acronyms and certifications on the bottom of the resume. It's more important to know what they are actually passionate about, what they really know well, and what they really love about the job.

Other than bragging rights, the license class doesn't mean a lot. Yeah, you get some extra slices of spectrum, but we've all seen what happens with those. I'm not impressed with what I've heard.

I think you hit the nail on the head. I still claim (and tell my new hire engineers) that you do learn a lot in college, but the number 1 thing you really learn (besides time management) is how to look up what you don't know and figure it out, not to memorize everything.

 

[mmckenna]

I think you hit the nail on the head. I still claim (and tell my new hire engineers) that you do learn a lot in college, but the number 1 thing you really learn (besides time management) is how to look up what you don't know and figure it out, not to memorize everything.

And the closer I get to retirement, the more problems I have memorizing things. Not sure what I'd do without the internet, except my office would probably look like a disorganized library.

 

[WA8ZTZ]

yup, don't try to memorize every little detail, rather memorize where to find reliable information and know how to think through it

 

[bill4long]

When will technicians capability on at80 in 40and 15 meter phone .I hear a lot of Yeehaw aBout It is the FCC or ARRL doing anything like a comeback answer 73

Any chimp can pass the General test these days. Just get a General license.

 

[bill4long]

Or maybe like GMRS, just charge a small fee for a license to get a callsign.
Or just make ham radio "licensed by rule" and get it over with.
Tongue in cheek of course.

At any rate, it's probably a good idea to read Part 97.1 once in a while to remember why the FCC still keeps ham radio around.

§ 97.1 Basis and purpose.
The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in
the following principles:
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication
service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication
and technical phases of the art.
(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.

 

[belvdr]

§ 97.1 Basis and purpose.
The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in
the following principles:
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication
service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication
and technical phases of the art.
(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.

Quite a few funny parts to that.

 

[K9DWB]

Yup that is why I'm in it; the art of radio. Sign me up, I'm Picasso Van Yaesu.

 

[mmckenna]

Or maybe like GMRS, just charge a small fee for a license to get a callsign.
Or just make ham radio "licensed by rule" and get it over with.
Tongue in cheek of course.

At any rate, it's probably a good idea to read Part 97.1 once in a while to remember why the FCC still keeps ham radio around.

§ 97.1 Basis and purpose.
The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in
the following principles:
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication
service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication
and technical phases of the art.
(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.

FCC needs to update Part 97:

(f) Provide reason for China to send POS radios into the USA to be hacked and used on public safety frequencies. *maybe that's part of (b)….

 

[belvdr]

FCC needs to update Part 97:

(f) Provide reason for China to send POS radios into the USA to be hacked and used on public safety frequencies. *maybe that's part of (b)….

Part (d) under trained operator.

 

[KE0GXN]

FCC needs to update Part 97:

(f) Provide reason for China to send POS radios into the USA to be hacked and used on public safety frequencies. *maybe that's part of (b)….

Now, now...we all know those POS China radios are awesome for growing the hobby as it provides an affordable option for all these newcomers......(as they take selfies and tweet away on their 1K cellphones)......

 

[buddrousa]

Just look at the PROTESTERS and other groups they are all are wearing CCR

 

[mmckenna]

Now, now...we all know those POS China radios are awesome for growing the hobby as it provides an affordable option for all these newcomers......(as they take selfies and tweet away on their 1K cellphones)......

Yeah, you know, honestly, I agree. While I am not at all impressed with the radios (and yes, I have had them on a service monitor) they are attractive to the newcomer. When I was first starting off as a ham, if someone had offered me a radio for $20 that had all those capabilities, I would have jumped at it, too. Instead, I think I paid $350 for a Yaesu FT-470 at some point. That was a lot of money back then.

But, hey, now that I'm older and have more disposable income, I've suddenly developed higher standards….

 

[K9DWB]

(f) Under no circumstances will radios that equate snake load scatter shot transmit be permitted.

 

[captainmax1]

My Engineering Professor in college use to tell us that we don't have to know the answer to every problem but have to know how to find the answer to every problem.

 

[buddrousa]

My Electronics Instructor in 1979 used to tell us if you know why and how something works you will know why it is not working.

 

[jim202]

I have run into many hams that come over to my house to try and find out why their radio isn't working. I pull out my trusty volt ohm meter and lay it on the bench. The first question out of the person is "What is that?".

So I take the time to educate the person on the basics of what the meter will do and how it can save the day on many occasions. That person does now walk away with at least the basics of what the VOM can do for them and has had a lesson on how to use it.

Many of those that have a ham license, managed to get it without the understanding of basic electronics or anything about what the RF is that is going through their coax. Like someone has already stated, they don't even know what an SWR meter is or what information it is providing.

I could go on for hours with the lack of understanding that the new generation of hams have these days. It may seem pathetic, but that is just how it is. The days of having a mentor available to the new hams has almost gone by the wayside.

When someone gets on the repeater and actually asks for help on a problem they have is rare these days. But if I hear someone asking for help, I will jump in and offer my help to that person. Invite them over and have a sit down and go over the issue. Maybe if more people offered to help the new generation, we would see more skilled hams on the air with better sounding radios.

It's not every ham that has a service monitor in their shack to tune up a radio these days. Plus there are few hams thet even would know how to run the test equipment needed to adjust a radio that radio.

Enough said from this end.

 

[K9DWB]

I'd agree with jim202. Even though I am a new ham, I've done my own radio mounting before. It's in the CB world but it was radio. I had a variety of CB ish radios in big trucks for 11 years. I did my own antenna tweaks with an SWR. I will not claim I know it all, but I do have some experience stepping into ham. My Tech and General questions on NEC, electrical code stuff, most things antenna, I already knew it. Only some bands and ham specific info was what I had to focus on for the exams.

 

[WA8ZTZ]

Way back when, many if not most guys were SWLs or CBers or tinkered with TV sets
or learned radio in the military before they got into ham radio.
They had probably built a Knight Kit or Heathkit or two or three. The magazine rack at the drugstore offered an array
of radio-TV-electronics magazines loaded with a wide range of articles and all kinds of projects. If someone had an
old TV or radio and set it by the curb or in the alley on trash day or gave it away it became a gold mine of parts to be
stripped out by an electronics nut kid. There were actual neighborhood stores that sold electronics parts, service literature,
and surplus (can still remember the particular musty smell of plastic, wax, dust, insulation), with bins loaded with cool stuff
you could paw through to your heart's content.

All that is pretty much gone today so you can't really blame a new guy for not having had exposure to hands-on practical
electronic experience before getting a ham ticket. Today, a new ham is not likely to have a deposit of prior electronics knowledge.
He will just have to get on the air and learn as he goes, hopefully with some help from older, more experienced hams.