Technician privileges

[KQ4ZVY]

I recognize that it's technically not allowed to do FT8 with your CW privs but that seems like a distinction that's not helping anything.

regarding tiered licenses: I think the "what equipment do you intend to use" lens is helpful here as well. In that view, the test is to make sure you don't kill yourself climbing up a mast or trying to wire something up. Technicians operating on 2/70 get asked a little bit about safety but not more than what they'd need to know if someone asked them to help in the shack for an afternoon, because they're using mobiles or handhelds mostly. The General asks a bunch more questions about power and electrical safety and grounding - stuff that a Tech largely doesn't have to worry about, but a General running an HF rig would. It's a basic safety check.

 

[ladn]

General asks a bunch more questions about power and electrical safety and grounding - stuff that a Tech largely doesn't have to worry about, but a General running an HF rig would. It's a basic safety check.

Agreed. But, the Extra (and Advanced) question pool contains very little additional safety-related questions, but does contain a significant amount of AC wave and other very technical questions on circuit and antenna design. Unless one is actively engaged in engineering, most of these questions serve no useful purpose in today's world. This is the type of information that one can easily look up as needed.

 

[kc2asb]

Agreed. But, the Extra (and Advanced) question pool contains very little additional safety-related questions, but does contain a significant amount of AC wave and other very technical questions on circuit and antenna design. Unless one is actively engaged in engineering, most of these questions serve no useful purpose in today's world. This is the type of information that one can easily look up as needed.

So it would be a case of just memorizing answers to pass a test, with little if any retention and application of the material. Based on your description, it sounds as though the antenna design questions are well beyond what the average amateur would need for homebrew antenna projects.

Any proposals to simplify the written exams would probably be met with a lot of resistance

 

[Token]

Agreed. But, the Extra (and Advanced) question pool contains very little additional safety-related questions, but does contain a significant amount of AC wave and other very technical questions on circuit and antenna design. Unless one is actively engaged in engineering, most of these questions serve no useful purpose in today's world. This is the type of information that one can easily look up as needed.

But, as long as ham radio operators are allowed to design, build, and use their own assembled equipment, without type certification, I can see the need for those types of questions. If nothing else, they indicate the tested individual has some idea of how to find sources for the answers, and the fact that such issues exist to look up.

Ham radio, in its freedom of hardware used, is fairly unique as a hobby or non-professional radio service. That alone is a strong argument for the continuation of a testing requirement. And something of an argument for a tiered system.

Sure, a Tech might (and legally can) design and fabricate his own HF transmitter. But the reality is that very few, in todays environment, will do so. Outside the assembly of kits, when was the last time you heard of a Tech building, from scratch and out of junk box parts, a somewhat full power (not QRP) transmitter for the allowed 40 meter frequencies / mode? Absolutely, it occasionally happens, but a person so inclined will probably be more likely to push for the General or Extra license, if for no other reasons than the added bandwidth and modes.

Why make the (probable) hardware operator Tech bother to answer those more technically oriented questions, why add those extra hurdles? I find this amusing, since the original purpose of the Tech license was experimentation (and why the earlier Tech had to pass both the Novice and the General license written elements and the Novice element).

I suppose you could regualte the hardware each class uses, i.e. type certificated gear for people that have not tested to a higher level, but that seems trashy to me. There have been hardware limitations on lower class licensees in the past (and still is today in the form of power limitations). Novices were not allowed to use VFOs for many years, their transmitter, be it one they made or one they bought, had to be tied to a crystal. And when home built equipment was much more common the Novice (now Tech) power limit was much lower, at 75 Watts input power. This was, realistically, something less than 50 Watts output in most cases. These limitations reduced the potential for issues with the Novice transmissions.

T!

 

[k6cpo]

The horse died long ago...

 

[ladn]

But, as long as ham radio operators are allowed to design, build, and use their own assembled equipment, without type certification, I can see the need for those types of questions. If nothing else, they indicate the tested individual has some idea of how to find sources for the answers, and the fact that such issues exist to look up.

As an Extra, I can design and build exactly the same types of equipment as I could as a General or Technician. Granted, I can now operate said equipment in a few more dark corners of the HF bands, but the operating principals as an Extra are no different than other classes.

 

[Token]

As an Extra, I can design and build exactly the same types of equipment as I could as a General or Technician. Granted, I can now operate said equipment in a few more dark corners of the HF bands, but the operating principals as an Extra are no different than other classes.

Being an Extra does not mean you are capable of designing and building such a rig, just as being a Tech does not mean you are incapable. And I did not say either was true.

You missed the main point of what I had to say, which was not about operation and was instead about the equipment operated. As long as we allow the operation of non-type certified equipment some level of testing is going to be required. We can, of course, argue if the current testing regimen demonstrates any knowledge at all, but that is a different discussion.

But it is not the average case you have to regulate for, it is the fringe cases.

The Tech (who remains a Tech and never advances) that can, and does, design, fabricate, and operate, a full power HF rig is going to be the exception, not the rule. The Extra that does the same thing is ALSO the exception, and not the rule, but at least the Extra has demonstrated (by supposedly passing a more detailed test) a basic understanding of more advanced principals. And so the Extra is allowed more power, more modes, and more spectrum. And more potential to screw up.

Sure, the existing test proves little. It is entirely possible the Extra did nothing but memorize answers, with no understanding of the underlying materials at all. But at least they were exposed to the concepts, and there is documentation in the form of their test results that this exposure has happened. If they chose to not learn a thing, and go on to mess up badly, then it is their fault. Just as it is if they did learn the concepts, and still messed up badly.

T!

 

[Token]

The horse died long ago...

But the longer you beat it the more tender it becomes .....

T!