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From: DL8ABO @ DB0NHM.#NDS.DEU.EU (Mirko-AB0DL)
To: ARRL @ EU
[The American Radio Relay League][TravelPlus CD-ROM 1999-2000 -- Ad]
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Amateur Restructuring is Here: Three License Classes, One
Text-only page Code Speed
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Questions and Answers about Restructuring
NEWINGTON, CT, Dec 30, 1999--Amateur Radio will get a new
look in the new millennium. The FCC today issued its
long-awaited Report and Order in the 1998 Biennial Regulatory
Review of Part 97--more commonly known as "license
restructuring." The bottom line is that starting April 15,
2000, there will be three license classes--Technician,
General, and Amateur Extra--and a single Morse code
requirement--5 WPM.
"We believe that an individual's ability to demonstrate
increased Morse code proficiency is not necessarily
indicative of that individual's ability to contribute to the
advancement of the radio art," the FCC said.
Besides drastically streamlining the Amateur Radio licensing
process, the FCC said its actions would "eliminate
unnecessary requirements that may discourage or limit
individuals from becoming trained operators, technicians, and
electronic experts."
Although no new Novice and Advanced licenses will be issued
after the effective date of the Report and Order, the FCC
does not plan to automatically upgrade any existing license
privileges. The ARRL had proposed a one-time across-the-board
upgrading of current Novice and Tech Plus licensees to
General class, but the FCC declined to adopt the idea. This
means that current licensees will retain their current
operating privileges, including access to various modes and
subbands, and will be able to renew their licenses
indefinitely.
Starting April 15, 2000, individuals who qualified for the
Technician class license prior to March 21, 1987, will be
able to upgrade to General class by providing documentary
proof to a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator, paying an
application fee, and completing FCC Form 605.
The FCC's decision not to automatically upgrade Novice and
Tech Plus licensees means the current Novice/Tech Plus HF
subbands will remain and not be "refarmed" to higher class
licensees as the ARRL had proposed. The FCC said it did not
refarm these subbands because there was "no consensus" within
the amateur community as to what to do with them.
As it had proposed earlier, the FCC decided to lump
Technician and Tech Plus licensees into a single licensee
database, all designated as "Technician" licensees. Those who
can document having passed the 5 WPM Morse code examination
will continue to have the current Tech Plus HF privileges.
"If documentation is needed to verify whether a licensee has
passed a telegraphy examination, we may request the
documentation from that licensee or the VECs," the FCC said.
In addition to reducing the number of license classes from
six to three and eliminating the 20 and 13 WPM code tests,
the FCC also will reduce the number of written examination
elements from five to three, authorize Advanced Class hams to
prepare and administer General class examinations, and
eliminate Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES)
station licenses. RACES will remain, however. "After review
of the record, we conclude that we should eliminate RACES
station licenses because RACES station licenses are
unnecessary for amateur stations and amateur service licenses
to provide emergency communications," the FCC said.
Under the new licensing scheme, there will be four
examination elements. Element 1 will be the 5 WPM Morse code
exam. Element 2 will be a 35-question written test to obtain
a Technician license; Element 3 will be a 35-question written
test to obtain a General license, and Element 4 will be a
50-question written test for the Amateur Extra license. 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 FCC's new licensing plan means someone will be able to
become a ham by passing a single 35-question written
examination. The plan also simplifies and shortens the
upgrade path from the ground floor through Amateur
Extra--especially since amateurs will only have to pass one
Morse code test.
Elimination of the 13 and 20 WPM Morse requirements also
means an end to physician certification waivers for
applicants claiming an inability to pass the Morse code
examination due to physical handicap.
The effective date provides a window of upgrade opportunity
for current Tech Plus and Advanced class licensees. Between
now and April 15, current Advanced licensees who pass or hold
a Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE)
for the existing Element 4B, will meet the new requirements
for Amateur Extra when the new rules become effective.
Likewise, current Tech Plus licensees who pass or hold a CSCE
for Element 3B will be poised to upgrade to General class
when the new rules go into effect April 15. Any CSCEs must be
dated on or after April 17, 1999, to be valid April 15, 2000.
The FCC disagreed with the League's suggestion that it
undertake a restructuring of operating privileges along with
licensing restructuring. "We believe that in light of ongoing
discussions concerning implementation of new and more modern
communications technologies within the amateur service
community, we should accord the amateur service community an
opportunity to complete such discussions and possibly reach a
consensus regarding implementation of new technologies before
we undertake a comprehensive restructuring of the amateur
service operating privileges and frequencies," the FCC said
in its Report and Order.
In its amendments to Part 97, the FCC's Report and Order
refers to a "Club Station Call Sign Administrator," something
that does not exist under the current rules and which was not
explained in the R&O itself. An FCC spokesperson said the
Commission plans to issue a Public Notice soon to explain the
program and to solicit qualified entities to serve as call
sign administrators for club station applications.
A copy of the entire Report and Order (FCC 99-412) is
available on the ARRL Web site in Adobe PDF format or from
the FCC Web site in plain text.
See also: Questions and Answers about Restructuring
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Page last modified: 5:41 PM, 07 Jan 2000 ET
Page author: n1rl@arrl.org
Copyright ¸ 2000, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All
Rights Reserved.
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73 de Mirko +++ DL 8 ABO / AB 0 DL +++
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