Technician privileges

[KE0GXN]

Instead, I think I paid $350 for a Yaesu FT-470 at some point. That was a lot of money back then.

I am sure you faired a lot better in the end for doing that.

A lot of times having money or lack there of is not the driving factor in regards to participation in this hobby like many would have you believe. Just check out what boat they fish out of or what motorcycle they ride, etc....like any hobby out there, ham radio comes at a cost, ham radio just seems to take a beating over it for some reason, but yet folks don't have problem shelling out dough for fishing and hunting licenses and the associated gear that comes along with those activities, but a $350 dollar radio....OMG how can anyone afford that! SMH

 

[buddrousa]

I vote for CHEAP CHINEESE BOATS, CHEAP CHINEESE GUNS, CHEAP CHINEESE 4x4 SIDE BY SIDE.

 

[AK9R]

Meanwhile, back on the topic of Technician license privileges.

 

[mmckenna]

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.

Great point!
I learned a lot by taking old broken stuff apart to see how it worked.

On the 'new ham' front, I can say that while they may not have the skills/knowledge to build their own radios from scratch, most of them have a wealth of skills that we probably never will.
A lot of younger people can do things with computers that I'll probably never learn. Using SDR's and similar solutions is just a natural progression. Sure, they may not know what a vacuum tube is, but they can make an SDR radio that will do things we've never dreamed of.

A few years back when we started really migrating to VoIP at work, I realized that the people I had working for me were all very experienced in the TDM world, but we were struggling on the IP side, even though we'd all been through various courses. One of the best recruitments I've done in a long time was to hire someone that knew IP from the ground up. I ended up hiring a mid-20's guy who had worked IT help desk jobs and done a lot of server installs and router configurations. Sure, at the time he didn't understand what a T-1/PRI circuit was or how to troubleshoot one, but he did walk in and pretty much take over the VoIP side of our operation and help get us all whipped into shape. Now that late 20's guy is one of the most important and dependable guys on my team and I'd be screwed without him. And it was relatively easy to bring him up to speed on the older technology.

And that 20's guy? He picked up a Baofeng at some point and decided to get his Tech license. He learned about two way radio, and has applied some of that at work. I've been slowly bringing him up on our radio systems. While not an active ham, he does have his ticket and is using it to learn.

 

[ladn]

...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.

In addition, many of us of a certain age took (or were forced to take) "shop" classes in junior and senior high school. I had drafting, metal, wood and "electricity" in junior high and electronics in high school. Many school districts have severely curtailed such classes today in favor of a more "academic" curriculum, so many young people never really have a chance to gain a hands on understanding of actually making something.

Sadly, my schools never had a ham radio club, but my interest and experiences in electronics as a hobby helped me when I finally started working with radio equipment. And back in the day, the VTVM was king!

 

[K9DWB]

I heard it's mostly Participation Trophy 101 today.

 

[KO4IPV]

I heard it's mostly Participation Trophy 101 today.

Well if participating is away to keep me busy I am in , at 65 I have just received my Technician degree, and am thrilled , am looking forward to putting this new found hobby to practice, having a sort of background in scanning, and my father who was a Amature extra broadcast professional, my interest turned towards Amature radio somewhat late in life , nevertheless I am very interested in learning and can see myself taking the General exam soon. I see it this way Technician is a great way to get the basics down pat, and I will expect the hams with the experience to guide me in the correct path for proper etiquette on the airways. We all start from somewhere.

 

[Token]

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.

Overall, I think there are many little things that need changed to correct an overall bigger issue.

And skill based exams were part of the process years ago. You had to go to an FCC field office, convince the examiner that you not only could answer the multiple choice questions (which have been part of the process since at least as far back as the 1960's) but also the schematic and description based questions, and you had to demonstrate the skill to copy and send Morse code.

And you could not test for Extra until you could show either one or two (depending on the testing year we are talking about) years of actual logged activity on HF. And also that was back when a logbook was a requirement.

But today people who did such things, and admit it, might be called, by some, "grumpy Extras who had to walk uphill in the snow both ways to the FCC office to take the test".

The point is that back then there were real differences in privileges and license classes. Novice was the entry class license and (until relativity late) you could not renew it. It was advance or get out. It was by far the most restricted license, with very small and limited allocations. Tech was an experimenters license, that was how it was intended to be used and that was how the privileges best worked out. General was the entry level HF voice license, meant to get your feet wet and entice you to try for a higher license. Advanced was the first "big" boy you could brag about, you had to overcome a couple of significant performance and testing hurdles to get there. Extra was the top of the heap and meant it, it showed that you not only tested at a higher level but also that you could prove you were an active ham who had some time in the hobby.

Today there is simply very little delta between the licenses. Personally, I am for 2 licenses, call them Class A and Class B. Class A is roughly todays Tech, with similar limitations below 30 MHz, possibly allowing a narrow band of voice with power limits on one other HF band, like 80 meters. And Class B, todays Extra.

Why bother with 2 licenses? There is real potential to harm someone or to cause interference at the power levels available. But you seldom see a Tech running 1500 W CW on 2 meters. He could, is allowed to, but few ever do. You are much more likely to see those kinds of power levels on HF. I don't have a problem with having to answer a different set of questions to do that.

Just my opinion, and I realize opinions are like...well, whatever.

T!

 

[WA8ZTZ]

Good history lesson and analysis of the licensing structure, Token.
Your Class A license idea is deja vu all over again... almost... prior to 1950
the top dog Amateur license was Class A.

IMHO, given the current lenient license requirements just have one class of license and be done with it.
Let's face it, most of us are appliance operators. Pretty hard to get into trouble with gear that has to
conform to various standards.

 

[KO4IPV]

Good history lesson and analysis of the licensing structure, Token.
Your Class A license idea is deja vu all over again... almost... prior to 1950
the top dog Amateur license was Class A.

IMHO, given the current lenient license requirements just have one class of license and be done with it.
Let's face it, most of us are appliance operators. Pretty hard to get into trouble with gear that has to
conform to various standards.

I have to disagree just a little about the lenient license, the Technician is definitely fully briefed in exactly what is needed in the beginning stages of radio art. The schematic is taught, ethics and proper grammar and correct methods to make a contact , and the way the study is set up you must learn all the questions, and more , granted there is no more Morse code, then again not necessary in th year 2020 .

 

[Token]

Good history lesson and analysis of the licensing structure, Token.
Your Class A license idea is deja vu all over again... almost... prior to 1950
the top dog Amateur license was Class A.

Yeah, that wasn't really accidental. Class A, B, etc licensing predates me, but my first Elmers in the 1960's were active under that structure. My first license was a Novice, then a Conditional, then a General. I did not grab Extra until 2001 or so, I was never very fast on the code so when they dropped the code speed for Extra down I just went ahead and took the written test for Extra since I already had the code. And sometime later (2007?) they dropped the code requirement all together, and that was when my wife got her General (having gotten her Tech no code in the early 1990's).

IMHO, given the current lenient license requirements just have one class of license and be done with it.
Let's face it, most of us are appliance operators. Pretty hard to get into trouble with gear that has to
conform to various standards.

While it is true that most are appliance operators, not all are. And by regulation we are one of the few services that does NOT have to run type accepted / certificated gear. We can, and indeed often are encouraged to, run homebrew / repurposed / modified gear in our hobby. Of course the gear must meet the standards, however it is on the licensee/operator to assure those standards are met, not the equipment maker.

In my opinion this latitude in equipment is one of the better reasons to continue testing and possibly various levels of license.

If ham radio was just CB/FRS/GMRS/MURs/etc with more bands and higher power, and I could not experiment or build/repair/modify gear, I would probably not be a ham.

T!

 

[AK9R]

Pretty hard to get into trouble with gear that has to conform to various standards.

There is no FCC type certification for amateur radio gear except for RF power amplifiers which must meet §97.315 and various radiation standards and frequency restrictions contained in Part 15. Any device that is powered by 120 VAC probably needs to have a UL listing. Beyond that, it's up to the amateur radio operator to make sure that there station conforms to the Technical Standards contained in Part 97.

What is more concerning is the RF exposure hazards which could cause trouble for the operator and for people ("innocent bystanders") in proximity of the station. RF exposure is covered in all three current exams, but I think a lot of hams gloss over it.

 

[K9DWB]

Take what I say in the right way, but if Amateur radio equipment is arbitrarily considered meeting standards like some CB equipment, I can see where this is headed. The wrong way. CB type equipment may supposedly meet some sort of standard, but we are familiar with how those things get conveniently forgotten by way of Export radio sales here in the US. Yep the buyer is a CB operator that gets his shiny new Export 10 Meter peak and tuned to somehow start getting the 11 Meter CB frequencies.

I know the difference between the standards held in Amateur class versus CB and Export radios. And I have had both equipment types myself at some point in time. I am not going to attempt to pass myself off as one that hasn't if I had. I can tell the difference in how radio users uphold the standard or ignore it,. Those that uphold will normally be the Amateur classes and those that ignore standards will typically be CB operators. As said, I know because I have been in both camps.

Now having said that, changes to Technician class as I see it aren't really needed. If the bar is lowered any further, anyone can make it without showing any knowledge at all. Pretty much there now in my opinion. On the other hand, if it's raised then some that otherwise may pass the exam may not get in. And I do agree that these Amateur classes don't really tell others what skills you have or lack. I've already ran across a few very sharp Technician class and a few very dull Extras. With just a bit more study some joker like me that's only had a license for 3 months has the knowledge to have an Extra ticket as it stands now.

 

[WA8ZTZ]

There is no FCC type certification for amateur radio gear except for RF power amplifiers which must meet §97.315 and various radiation standards and frequency restrictions contained in Part 15. Any device that is powered by 120 VAC probably needs to have a UL listing. Beyond that, it's up to the amateur radio operator to make sure that there station conforms to the Technical Standards contained in Part 97.

What is more concerning is the RF exposure hazards which could cause trouble for the operator and for people ("innocent bystanders") in proximity of the station. RF exposure is covered in all three current exams, but I think a lot of hams gloss over it.

Well, AFAIK, here's the catch... equipment authorization is not needed for gear that can operate ONLY on frequencies allocated to the Amateur Radio Service. However, some, maybe even many radios that purportedly operate on the Amateur bands can also be "opened up" to transmit outside the Amateur bands. Such equipment must have certification.

 

[WA8ZTZ]

I have to disagree just a little about the lenient license, the Technician is definitely fully briefed in exactly what is needed in the beginning stages of radio art. The schematic is taught, ethics and proper grammar and correct methods to make a contact , and the way the study is set up you must learn all the questions, and more , granted there is no more Morse code, then again not necessary in th year 2020 .

Didn't mean to disparage the Technician class licensee... heck, was one myself for over forty years !
Anyway, probably should have clarified "lenient" to be taken comparatively to an in-person exam
before an examiner such as the Amateur exam back when, or a for a Commercial license, or for an
Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certificate, or such.

 

[AK9R]

Citizens Band radios must comply with Part 95D. The FCC does occasionally issue citations to sellers of equipment that doesn't comply with Part 95D.

 

[Token]

Well, AFAIK, here's the catch... equipment authorization is not needed for gear that can operate ONLY on frequencies allocated to the Amateur Radio Service. However, some, maybe even many radios that purportedly operate on the Amateur bands can also be "opened up" to transmit outside the Amateur bands. Such equipment must have certification.

I think you are confusing certification for sales and certification for use. With very few exceptions ham radio gear does not require certification for use. However depending on features it could require certification to be imported or offered for commercial sale.

As for a radio that starts out ham band only and gets opened up, it only needs certification if you want to actually operate it outside the ham bands and that is not what is being discussed here, we are talking about ham band operations.

In the hands of a licensed ham operator, operating legally inside his privileges, the equipment generally does not need certification for operations. It MAY need certification to be offered for sale, but that is a different issue. Once it is in the hams hands he can modify it at will and he is responsible for its emissions. For example, using any radio on CB it must be part 95D certificated, modifications that change the output modes, power levels, or frequencies void the certification. But if I modify the radio to work on ham bands, and I use it inside the ham bands only, the fact that the certification is voided means nothing.

The fact a radio may ALSO work on other frequencies does not matter for ham use. It absolutely may matter for other service use. For example, if you mod a type certificated CB to work on ham freqs and retain CB freqs, then the radio is legal to use on ham, but absolutely not legal to use on CB.

This latitude is one of the reasons we have testing for our licenses, instead of just paying a fee and getting the license.

T!

 

[CCHLLM]

There are a lot of us old First and Second Class FCC License holders that got into ham radio because we loved the vhf and uhf FM privileges due to our vocations, and because of the camaraderie, public services, and socializing of ham radio. Tech class was perfect for us because we could use the same radio gear we used at work, and we got to join in the fun that Tech class made available to us. There are many who moved on to the next classes due to the fun found at Tech level, and took advantage of the expanded opportunities to experiment and satisfy their curiosity. Not all of us of Tech ilk have moved up in classes because of time constraints and we found Tech level to be what we enjoy, but we do still respect the privileges and accolades awarded to those who go further in the hobby.

I realize the repeated relaxation of requirements versus privileges awarded has been seen as a way to increase the numbers in Amateur Radio licensees, but in the face of the virtual abandonment of FCC regs enforcement and observations of the results thereof, it would seem that having just one class of license would be turning Amateur Radio into just another version of the wastelands of CB radio and FRS, only with call signs. The FCC's smiley-faced self-regulation lip service has proven to be nothing more than a falacy at best. Aren't there already enough amateur radio licensees and busybodies out there that can barely manage to even recognize a radio two out of three times, much less find their butts in the bathtub with both hands and a flashlight?

For all those who might be offended here, this rhetoric is just one old curmudgeon's set of observations based on too much of what I see, read, and hear in the world of Amateur Radio, and amounts to $0.02 or less.

 

[KO4IPV]

If you have a Technician license and want to work HF it's easy enough to get a General. Way back the Technician and General tests were the same. The only difference was the code. Now no code. So what is the problem just upgrade.

My experience is that having HF privileges and getting on HF are two different things. Getting on HF requires buying an HF radio, power supply, antenna(s) and feed line(s). It also requires space. These are barriers for a lot of hams, even experienced ones. The tests (even Extra) are minor in comparison.

The operator with a new Technician license and a CCR isn't going to get on HF.

We have dumbed down licenses anyway. The idea of incentive licensing is going away.

Saying it is dumbed down is a complete overstatement and 99 percent not true.

 

[buddrousa]

But the license are dumb down when a 10 year old child with little or no radio background can take and pass the tech and general and not understand the privilege's that come with each license proves it is dumb down.