KB0OXD Cybershack - Ham Musings

The amateur's Code

2011-09-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

The Amateur’s Code « PanhandleARES.org

9/11 First Responders NOT WELCOME TO ATTEND CEREMONIES

2011-08-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

The following is cross-posted (With Ham Radio related modifications) from this post of my political blog

As you know, I normally don't get political on here unless it has something to do with Ham Radio (I reserve such ramblings to my political blog) but this is SHAMEFUL & UNAMERICAN

Now as loyal subscribers of both of my blogs know, I normally DO NOT quote ANYTHING from known far Left Wing sources such as this, but unfortunately, there are SEVERAL mainstream media sources which have reported THE EXACT SAME THING

Here are just a few of them.....

WCBS Radio & TV (New York)
Yahoo! News

And just so we're clear - THIS IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE !!!!! Even Fox News, well known for being the mouthpiece of the GOP, is reporting it

Fox News

Furthermore, I think some of us tend to forget that some of the first responders are/were Hams THEMSELVES & responded either as support for the people resonsible for going into the WTC (Area disaster area workers working shelters, command posts & other on site emergency communications infrastructure), broadcast engineers (Who were trying as best they could under the circumstances to keep all the users of the WTC site on the air) or as police, fire & EMS workers THEMSELVES

As I said at the top of this post - This is SHAMEFUL & UNAMERICAN

But we can STAND UP to this. America should DEMAND that first responders be allowed to attend

HAVING A SEPERATE CEREMONY IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH !!!!! Make your voices heard

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Website
Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Twitter Page

Hams In The Media - AGAIN !!!!!

2011-08-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

We Can't get enough of this kind of exposure

WAY TO GO Mark Filla, KS4VT !!!!!

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK !!!!!

Won A Prize From W5KUB's Coverage Of The 2011 Huntsville Hamfest

2011-08-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

Earlier today, I won the KPC 3+ TNC from Kantronics by way of the W5KUB Webcast of the Huntsville Hamfest

Hope to use it to start building an APRS station someday. If not that, then a packet station. I'll have to see what I can do with it once I get it

My Gmail Account Has Apparently Been HACKED

2011-07-16T17:39:00.000-07:00

Seems as though SOMEONE has been hacking their way into Gmail accounts again as Gmail informed me that someone from Chile (Or an IP from there) had hacked their way into my account

Doesn't appear to have been any damage but that could be because Gmail deposited server-side backups of my email back into my inbox

Anyhow, I changed my password so the douche bag will have a much harder time of logging on next time *Devilish Grin*

In the meantime, if you use Gmail, you may wanna change your password ASAP !!

Ready To Explore The World Of HF Now

2011-07-08T23:04:00.000-07:00

Well in case you haven't figured out by now, old man Murphy struck in a way I never saw coming (Yet was EASILY preventable). As a result, I was forced to miss being on the air for Field Day this year

Here's how the calamity happened.....

It all started (And ended) as I was assembling my [b]BRAND NEW[/b MFJ 1622 HF/VHF antenna. I was mounting the loading coil onto the bracket. Had difficulty mounting it on with the bolt still attached to the bottom of the loading coil so I tried removing the bolt.

M-I-S-T-A-K-E !!!!!

After several attempts to mount the coil with the bolt off, it all came to an abrupt end when the screw which the bolt was attached to before it was removed by yours truly SLIPPED INSIDE THE COIL !!!!!

Can you say UHH OHH ?????

Anyway, I sent the loading coil to MFJ for repair (It cost me nothing since it was under warranty) & got it back today

Now if I can only get enough counterpoise wire exposed (It didn't come that way even though the manual said it was) to get it on right & then figure out how to properly tune it to receive stuff, I'd REALLY be a happy camper :D

I also got the basket for my Pride scooter today but even THAT came with a hitch - They forgot to send a mounting screw meant to be used for securing the basket to the back end of the scooter. No biggie if I can find something on my own that will serve the same purpose. I've probably got SOMETHING that will work. Nevertheless, I called the mobility place to report the matter anyway

Field Day 2011 Plans

2011-05-28T15:51:00.001-07:00

Some of you may have heard that won't be working Field Day 2011 at all this year. Well this has (Hopefully!) changed!

Thanks to some PERFECT timing (And my new apartment!), I WILL be working Field Day 2011 after all.

Thanks to this antenna which I plan to get from the local candy store next month & my ICOM IC 706 MKII-G rig, I plan to work the following bands & modes on Field Day this year.....

VOICE

6 Meters
10 Meters (Technician portion only)

CW

6 Meters
10 Meters (Where my licence allows me to work of course)
15 Meters (Where my licence allows me to work & if the band is open of course)
40 Meters (Where my licence allows me to work of course)

Now since I don't have the eye-hand coordination needed to properly work a Morse Code keyer (And even I did, I lack the neurological skills needed to decipher Morse Code anyhow), I'm afraid I'll be limited to a freebie computerized morse code program that can translate the code to text. Short of that, I won't be working CW at all

I'll also be streaming my activities on Hams On Cams via my UStream TV Channel as well

So, there you have it. Going from not working Field Day 2011 at all to working some HF on Field Day!!

Now I just have to hope that OLD MAN MURPHY stays away & doesn't strike (Knocking HARD on wood) :)

Old Man Murphy STRIKES AGAIN !!!!!

2011-04-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

Even when trying to set up a TEMPORARY MAKESHIFT antenna setup on my brand new Pride Go-Go Elite Traveller Mobility Scooter & my ICOM T7H HT, Old Man Murphy STILL has ways of sneaking up on me.

First (In full disclosure as to what I plan to do long-term), I plan on taking a simple dual band mag mount antenna & sticking it in the rear basket of my scooter. Problem is I DO NOT HAVE THE REAR BASKET. Neither Medicaid nor Medicare will pay for such things as they're considered optional accessories (This however is hardly a surprise). I would then thread only the amount of cable I needed to stretch across from the base of the antenna to the radio using adapters as & where needed (Making sure to leave just enough slack to avoid a trip hazard but so much whereas it drags on the ground & runs the risk of getting snagged somewhere underneath the scooter though).

However, since I have to order the basket (At the pretty penny of $112 plus change which includes tax) & getting the neccessary parts from a bike shop & hardware store would likely cost about as much (And that would be WITHOUT it being pre-made for my scooter), I figured it'd be a whole easier & simpler if I just ordered from Pride Mobility itself via the medical supply company that provided me the scooter in the first place.

But in the meantime, I decided to try to set up a temporary makeshift setup using the stuff I already have.

This is where Old Man Murphy enters the picture

Knowing I already have a dual band mag mount antenna, all I needed to do was figure out a way to mount it onto the back of the scooter. I managed to find a basket & a rod to insert into the back of the scooter (The rod actually being part of an armrest from my old scooter). I then HOOKED the scooter onto the armest/rod and let it drop to the bottom whereas it would rest on the back end of the scooter). I then put the antenna into the basket

Next, I then tried retrieving an SO-239 to BNC adapter from a cable coupling which I was not using which I was going to attach to the cable on the antenna base which was already in the basket & threaded to the front of the scooter. Problem with that is the cable & the adapter wouldn't seperate. I'd unscrew & unscrew & unscrew but could NEVER get the two seperasted (My guess is that rust built up on the inside of the SO-239 end of the adapter, thus forming an unbreakable bond between the cable & the adapter)

My next problem occured when I simply decided to give up on the above & just simply couple the antenna cable & the cable that had the adapter together. It would make for an MUCH LONGER cable than I needed but it sure beat what was turning into AN ACT OF FUTILITY

Or so I thought

As I was re-threading the antenna cable, my fingers came across something foreign on the cable. When I turned the cable over to investigate, I noticed THE CABLE WAS FRAYED

My reaction - Peachy. JUST WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED ON AN ANTENNA CABLE - A FRAYED SPOT

NOT !!!

My next problem came in the form of an old Radio Shack 6m/2m mag mount antenna (Remember those?). While the very tip was snipped off & it wouldn't have done much in my ability to get out on the 440 machines in town, I would've at least been able to safely get on the local 2 meter machines in town. It still has a sturdy & STRONG base (This has been my 6 meter antenna for years!). Problem with it was - You guessed it - A FRAYED SPOT on the cable.

My (Thankfully but hardly mercifully) LAST problem came in the form of another antenna I have sitting around (Mainly just collecting dust). That being an MFJ 172B. Problem with it was although the cable is in excellent condition (Not a surprise since it had not been used that much), I couldn't insert the antenna into the base because I had screwed the tiny screw it comes with so deep into the base when I first got it & put it together & I lost the little wrench that came with the antenna too (I've got to get a COMPLETE SET set of those wrenches from the hardware store someday so I don't have that problem!)

So suffice to say (And with my UNPLEASANT compliments to YOU KNOW WHO, I've got to take a trip down to the local candy store & get me a new antenna

In the meantime, I'm just gonna have to go around with a telescopic whip on my HT as a rubber duck just won't do the trick in my new neighborhood (I"m told I'm unintelligable to others listening if I'm even bring up the repeaters AT ALL)

Wish me luck.....

Cheers & 73 :D

Ham Radio Operators Respond To Haiti Earthquake

2010-01-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

Read The Story Here

Horrible Language, Topics & Overall Behavior On HF

2008-11-11T16:46:00.001-08:00

The observations of one Dan Hensley, KC9NCF. Sad to see there's still truth to this. :(

=======================

I've only been on the HF bands since September or maybe August and what I have heard so far has forced me to either keep the radio turned off when my kids are home or I am forced to put earphones in almost all the time.

I hear conversations about females genitalia and what pepole in the conversation like to do with it, I hear sick, decrepit conversations about what one station likes about old grannies and what he was going to try to do to his old lady neighbor, groups of individuals who talk about black people and anyone who isn't white, I hear conversations about booze & guns and why they are God's great answer to life and furthermore, what these guys would do with their guns if it were legal (read: racist, violent, abusive, murderous acts described in detail)
This is heard throughout the amateur bands and not only on 75 or 80 as some assume. What is the problem with our community? I can tune into any Hf freq, especially starting about 3pm Chicago time and this filth is everywhere! It lasts most nights until 4AM. This is what HF has to offer?

I have made some great contacts and met some great people, but they are proving to be few and far between. Just this past week, i have heard stations tell other stations that the frequency was in use and have asked them to turn their antenna away from their state's direction because they want the freq quiet. One Illinois station told a station calling CQ from England to go away because his signal was making it into Illinois and Illinois stations don't want to hear anyone on the band because ham radio is only for listening and nothing else. (Chicago suburban station)

I left the FM bands to get away from this type of scummy behavior and now have to encounter it on just about any frequency I tune into. Nets are being QRM'ed all the time, and I sure as heck can't get on 3.892.00 to have a decent QSO with family because the AM'ers from 3.800.00 are having a jamming party on the LSB.

I see a huge resemblance to 11 meters and my wife is now begging me to permanently disconnect all the radios because she fears what the youngest child in the house may accidentally overhear and then repeat. At this point, I just leave the headphones in to keep that possibility down.

Is this an example of drunk operators or just operators who are truly hateful and know quite well what they are doing? The SSTV operators aren't any better with their porn broadcasts. What is wrong with amateur radio ops that they can't behave like decent human beings? I'm truly disgusted.

=====================

Sad to say Dan, you should be.

The 10 VOIP Commandments

2008-11-01T22:04:00.001-07:00

....From the IMPECCABLE mind of Paul Van Der Weegen, VK2EX comes this lil public service announcement about talking on VoIP systems which I found on the EchoProducer Yahoo! Group

1. Thou Shall Leave 3 to 4 Seconds between all overs.

2. Thou Shall not Connect to more than one Conference Server at a time

3. Thou Shall restrict local repeater Id's from entering the IP
Network
4. Thou Shall Keep all overs to a maximum of 4 Minuets

5. Thou Shall Not Force other Links or Repeaters into a Multi
Conference.

6. Thou Shall Listen on a Clear Frequency before attempting a
Connection to a remote station.

7. Thou Shall Listen for at least 10 Seconds before transmitting
after connecting to a remote station.

8. Thou Shall always announce ones Call Sign before sending DTMF
Commands to a System

9. Thou Shall inhibit DTMF tones from being transmitted though the IP
Network.

10. All Commandments are final and no correspondence will be entered
into.

Getting Booted Off

2008-10-11T23:44:00.001-07:00

I seem to have a problem, only the source isn't on my end.

It seems as though some people on a certain conference server (Which we'll keep nameless) which is bridged into several other places (Including a repeater I hang out on daily which will also be kept unidentified. More on that later) either don't have their sysop settings configured correctly or don't realize what happens to other people when they log off.

I'm talking about those who DO NOT MUTE THEIR DTMF COMMANDS. You may not realize this, but if you DO NOT have your DTMF commands muted, THEY CAN TRAVEL OVER THE ECHOLINK SYSTEM. This can lead to a variety of things INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DISCONNECTING OTHER USERS WITH A MATCHING CODE.

I've had this happen SEVERAL times on me. At first, I thought it was just the sysop "cleaning house" as it were. But the more I thought about it (Coupled with the fact that he never said anything upon reconnection) has led me to believe that some people are UNINTENTIONALLY disconnecting me because they don't have their settings configured correctly.

One person, I will credit is Steve Seacrest, W8WFO who, during tonight's EchoLinksters Net gave the following tips to alleviate this embarrassing situation (See the screen capture below)

Using the screen capture above as a guide, here's what he suggested & indicated MUST be done to alleviate what can be an embarrassing situation...

* Go To TOOLS
* Scroll Down To SYSOP SETTINGS
* When The Dialog Box Opens Up, Select The DTMF Tab
* Make Sure That The Box Next To AUTO MUTE is CHECKED (If it isn't, check it)
* Make Sure That The Box Next To DISABLE DURING PTT For Good Measure (If it isn't, check it)
* Click OK To Return To The Main Interface.

Now far be it for me to be some sort of "system cop" as it were, but you'd be amazed at the number of Hams whom I've encountered in the short time I've been a sysop who haven't even thought of these things. I'm sure the disconnects ARE NOT intentional (And some are even caused by improperly configured repeater links - Some of those CLUB repeater links which the users have NO control of the technical aspects of). But some people don't realize what they are doing to the network if they don't have things configured correctly.

As for my end, I'm using the default settings for uplink, downlink, etc. plus a few station shortcuts of some my favorite & not-so-favorite repeaters, links and conference servers (The shortcuts are on my website at the page below). I don't wanna have to change the downlink code as this will make it harder for travelers & other locals using the system to bring it down if they don't know the downlink code and have never visited my website. In addition, I'd like to keep it as standardized as possible. BUT I WILL CHANGE THE DOWNLINK CODE IF I AM FORCED TO as I just put up with the idea of getting disconnected from repeaters, links & servers because someone out there is running an improperly configured node.

Now IRLP users really aren't the problem (Even when they are on EchoIRLP servers) as each node as its own unique downlink code. I dunno - Maybe this is something TPTB running the EchoLink system might need to address systemwide?

Anyhow, this little "rant" if you will IS NOT intended nor "targeted" at any one individual as there are MANY links and repeaters out there with this problem. I just figured I'd make mention of it since it does seem to be a problem which needs addressing.

My apologies in advance if anyone feels put off, offended, etc. All I'm trying to do is shed some light on a problem I'm noticing on a (Growing) portion the system. Nothing more. Nothing less.

All the best. Cheers & 73 for now folks. :)

Till we meet next time....

Hard Times & Ham Radio

2008-10-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

The following post is taken from excerpts from a USENET newsgroup post by Jim Miccolis, N2EY to the rec.radio.amateur.moderated newsgroup

The reason I'm posting this is because there is SO MUCH truth in what he says and the correlation between the economic problems of today & the era of The Great Depression.

I've been following the various political debates this election year, and the whole $700 billion bailout mess. How it happened, how to fix it, who is to blame, etc. From all that, it seems to me that we're looking at some pretty lean economic times ahead. But this isn't really a post about politics or economics. It's about their effect on ham radio, specifically, growth in our numbers. Looking back of the history of US ham radio, it seems to me that the worst economic times were the best for US ham radio growth.

Consider that: In the 1920s, the number of licensed US hams grew very slowly, if at all, despite the new technologies of tubes and short waves. By 1929 there were only about 18,000 licensed US amateurs, not much more than in 1920. The Roaring '20s radio boom was in broadcasting, whose development has many parallels to that of the internet in the '90s and '00s. Then in 1929 came two major changes for US hams. First were the "1929 regulations" that greatly narrowed the US ham bands and required much cleaner signals than before.

A lot of existing transmitters had to be extensively modified if not completely rebuilt to meet the new rules, and hams on bands like 40 and 20 were crowded into much less spectrum than before. (In those days the ham bands were far fewer than today, and simply getting a transmitter to work well on one band was a challenge). For example, 40 was reduced in width from 1000 kHz to 300, 20 was reduced from 2000 kHz to 400. Later in 1929 the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began. Hard times lasted all through the 1930s.

There was also the Dust Bowl that displaced large numbers of Americans from their farms. (May we never see such hard times again!) Yet from 1929 to 1937 the number of licensed US hams almost tripled. In percentage terms it was the time of the greatest growth US amateur radio has ever seen. As prosperity began to return in the late 1930s, the growth slowed down. WW2 shut down US amateur radio for the first half of the 1940s.

When the war ended, there was rapid growth despite all the disruption of the war, plus rising prices and shortages in the postwar economy as wage and price controls were removed. Of course a big part of that growth was from people who had put off becoming hams during the war, and later from the restructuring of 1951 that created the Novice license. But in the five years from VJ Day to the beginning of 1951, the number of US hams almost doubled, passing 100,000 in the process.

The 1960s were good economic times, yet through that decade US amateur radio growth was almost nil, similar to the 1920s. The radio boom in the 1960s was in cb, not amateur radio. Then in 1968 the new "incentive licensing" regulations came into effect, and in the 1970s problems of inflation, high interest rates, unemployment, energy crises and lack of economic growth hit the US economy very hard. Just look at gasoline prices - less than a quarter a gallon for cheap gas in 1969, a dollar and a half ten years later. It wasn't until the mid-1980s that things really stabilized. Yet all through the 1970s and into the 1980s the number of US hams grew steadily, from about 270,000 in 1969 to about twice that number in the mid-1980s.

Since the early 1990s until today, we've had (at best) slow growth in the number of US hams, and (at worst) a decline, even though the price of a ham rig in inflation-adjusted dollars has decreased greatly and the licenses are far easier to earn. The boom in these years has been in "wireless" (an old term reused!) rather than amateur radio. The only exception to the pattern of hard times = ham radio growth I can find is the 1950s, which were economic good times (at least the later 1950s). In that decade the growth of the late 1940s continued steadily, so that by the early 1960s there were about 250,000 licensed US hams.

Besides the then-new Novice license, the 1950s were a time when there was lots of WW2 surplus radio gear available at bargain prices. It was also the heyday of inexpensive but decent quality kit rigs from Heath, Johnson, Eico and others. The highest sunspot peak in recorded history happened in 1958, and the Cold War caused a lot of interest in civil defense communications by hams. Perhaps the connection is that, in hard economic times, people's recreation shifts away from going out, traveling, and making big purchases, and changes to things they can do hunkered down at home for a little money and a lot of ingenuity.

Certainly most of the ham stations of the 1930s fit that description. While new ham gear and a big station are expensive, a small homebrew or used-equipment station with a simple antenna can provide very good results if used with skill, patience and there are decent conditions. What do others think? Could we be in for another time of growth for US ham radio? The Dow is down, house prices are down, credit is tight and taxes are just about guaranteed to rise. But sunspots are on the way.... 73 de Jim, N2EY

The Importance & Value Of A PREAMP...

2008-10-02T14:42:00.001-07:00

Boy did I quickly discover the importance & value of the preamp feature of my ICOM IC-706 MKII-G which I'm using as the link radio for my EchoLink node.

As many of you no doubt heard if you listened to the EchoLink Page I didn't even get 10 BLOCKS to the WSW of my QTH (Where the node is @ 7 floors, 10 ft. (Avg. height) for a total of 75 ft (This INCLUDES approximately 5 additional feet when you add the patio railing which the mag-mount base which holds my Diamond SG-7900 antenna is attached to).

Part of this was also due to my inability to hold my entire radio (My HT is an ICOM IC-T7H, though my hands are quite small) while I was traveling over a rather bumpy bike path in a small neighborhood park. After I left the park, the RX signal started to weaken (I probably sounded a lot worse on TX). From there, I just listened as the signal was only gonna get weaker as I moved further and further away from my node & closer & closer to the grocery store where I was headed.

However on the return trip, I got the RX signal within seconds after exiting the store. From there it only got better as I only got closer & closer to the good ol' HOME SWEET HOME that is my QTH. :)

Well....That about does it for Today's Musing. Cheers & 73 for now :)

Dead EchoLink Conference Servers

2008-09-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

I know this issue has been brought up before, but I wanna bring it up yet again because it seems as though we STILL have a problem with DEAD conference servers.

By that, I mean conference servers with lots of links and nodes connected to them, but VERY LITTLE IF ANY ACTIVITY AT ALL ON THEM!!!

One example I note is the *COLORADO* conference server. Lots of nodes, links, and even a few users on there now and again, but LITTLE TO NO ACTIVITY ON THERE.

Now I can already see what your instant reaction is gonna be. You're gonna say something like "Well why don't you stop griping and DO SOMETHING about it". Well to that end, I say that you and I know that A BUNCH of these servers were created for the purpose of linking a bunch of so-called "private" repeaters owned by a bunch of Hams who just might all be related to one another, but just live in different parts of the state, country, or even the world. Hey STRANGER things have happened.

To THIS end, I have to ask these people WHY do they feel they need a full-blown conference server to do what an instance of EchoLink in conferencing mode on a separate IP address with a limited amount of slots WHICH ARE ALL CONSTANTLY TAKEN UP can do? What's the purpose? I can see the need to have a bunch of privately-owned repeaters linked together for on-air family get-togethers or whatever goes on, but do you have to keep it open whereas ANYBODY can connect IN THE HOPES of finding somebody to talk to?

I dunno, maybe I'm just brewin' up a storm where there isn't one, but I just have to wonder WHY there are so many conference servers that likely don't get very much activity on them. I know of some "-R" and "-L" nodes (One of which is MINE - shameless plug I know) that get MORE activity than some of the DEAD conference servers out there (And many of them DO **NOT** have any nets on them!!).

Anyhow....I just had to get on my soapbox and SAY SOMETHING about it. Feel free to flame away if you want or care to.

LONG Time NO Post.......

2008-09-13T22:50:00.000-07:00

Hello Ham World!!

Boy, I am AMAZED at how Hams have embraced blogging as a way to communicate thoughts, feelings, etc. I must be behind the times or something. MAN - The sheer number of blogs at HamBlogs.Net is just ABSOLUTELY STAGGERING!!! I spent all of last night and the better part of today subscribing to blogs from all over the world over there.

Anyway, this blog will be more about my musings (Not neccessarily my rants as that will be a seperate blog). It will be a mixture of text and video with a little audio thrown in whenever warranted. I also plan to have a seperate "Blog Book" podcast of sorts featuring my favorite contacts on EchoLink, VHF/UHF SSB and (When I get the antenna for it) a little bit of HF.

And now that I have software for digital modes, I plan to share some of my digital mode QSOs too.

Of course, I plan to keep you updated with the very latest news from the KB0OXD Cybershack Newsroom as well.

So that's about it for my first post in what is my new "default" blog. Till next time....Cheers & 73 :)

How I Almost Became A Silent Key

2006-03-14T17:40:00.000-08:00

All The Details Are Here...

WONDERFUL News For the First Entry

2006-03-14T08:53:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone:

This is admittedly more than two years old, but I think it bears repeating IMO...

================

I've been thinking of doing a Ham Radio-oriented
Blog for sometime now, but haven't really had much to say. In fact,
I've been so busy with Non-Ham related issues that I've kinda been out
of touch when it came to Ham Radio news. That is until I got this
piece of WONDERFUL piece of news.

What you see below is the text of an actual ARRL Proposal which I hope
becomes a reality someday soon. :-)

======================

ARRL to Propose New Entry-Level License, Code-Free HF Access

NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 19, 2004--The ARRL will ask the FCC to create a new
entry-level Amateur Radio license that would include HF phone privileges
without requiring a Morse code test. The League also will propose consolidating
all current licensees into three classes, retaining the Element 1 Morse
requirement--now 5 WPM--only for the highest class. The ARRL Board of Directors
overwhelmingly approved the plan January 16 during its Annual Meeting in
Windsor, Connecticut. The proposals--developed by the ARRL Executive Committee
following a Board instruction last July--are in response to changes made
in Article 25 of the international Radio Regulations at World Radiocommunication
Conference 2003 (WRC-03). They would continue a process of streamlining
the amateur licensing structure that the FCC began more than five years
ago but left unfinished in the Amateur Service license restructuring Report
and Order (WT 98-143) that went into effect April 15, 2000.

"Change in the Amateur Radio Service in the US, especially license requirements
and even more so when Morse is involved, has always been emotional," said
ARRL First Vice President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, in presenting the Executive
Committee's recommendations. "In fact, without a doubt, Morse is Amateur
Radio's 'religious debate.'" The plan adopted by the Board departs only
slightly from the Executive Committee's recommendations.

The "New" Novice

The entry-level license class--being called "Novice" for now--would
require a 25-question written exam. It would offer limited HF CW/data and
phone/image privileges on 80, 40, 15 and 10 meters as well as VHF and UHF
privileges on 6 and 2 meters and on 222-225 and 430-450 MHz. Power output
would be restricted to 100 W on 80, 40, and 15 meters and to 50 W on 10
meters and up, thus avoiding the need for the more complex RF safety questions
in the Novice question pool.

"The Board sought to achieve balance in giving new Novice licensees
the opportunity to sample a wider range of Amateur Radio activity than
is available to current Technicians while retaining a motivation to upgrade,"
said ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ. "It was also seen as important to limit
the scope of privileges so the exam would not have to include material
that is inappropriate at the entry level."

As an introduction to Amateur Radio, the Novice license served successfully
for most of its 50-year history. The FCC has not issued new Novice licenses
since the 2000 license restructuring, however. Under the ARRL plan, current
Novice licensees--now the smallest and least active group of radio amateurs--would
be grandfathered to the new entry-level class without further testing.

Anticipating assertions that the new plan would "dumb down" Amateur
Radio licensing, Harrison said those currently holding a ticket often perceive
the level of complexity to have been greater when they were first licensed
than it actually was. "Quite frankly," he said, "if you review the questions
presented in our license manuals throughout the years, you will be surprised
how they compare to those of today."

Technicians and Generals

The middle group of licensees--Technician, Tech Plus (Technician with
Element 1 credit) and General--would be consolidated into a new General
license that no longer would require a Morse examination. Current Technician
and Tech Plus license holders automatically would gain current General
class privileges without additional testing. The current Element 3 General
examination would remain in place for new applicants. ARRL already has
proposed additional phone privileges for Generals in its "Novice refarming"
petition, RM-10413, but the FCC has not yet acted on that petition.

Morse Code Testing Retained for Extra

At the top rung, the Board indicated that it saw no compelling reason
to change the Amateur Extra class license requirements. The ARRL plan calls
on the FCC to combine the current Advanced and Amateur Extra class licensees
into Amateur Extra, because the technical level of the exams passed by
these licensees is very similar. New applicants for Extra would have to
pass a 5 WPM Morse code examination, but the written exam would stay the
same. The League's plan calls for current Novice, Tech Plus and General
class licensees to receive lifetime Element 1 (5 WPM Morse) credit.

"This structure provides a true entry-level license with HF privileges
to promote growth in the Amateur Service," Harrison said. "It also simplifies
the FCC database by conforming to the current Universal Licensing System
(ULS) structure and does not mandate any modifications to it."

Sumner concurred. "The Board started out by recognizing that three
license classes was the right number when looking down the road 10 or 15
years," he said. "We need a new entry-level license."

"On the other hand, there's nothing particularly wrong with the existing
Extra class license," he continued. "The change in the international regulations
notwithstanding, the Board felt that the highest level of accomplishment
in the FCC's amateur licensing structure should include basic Morse capability."

Sumner and Harrison say the current Technician entry-level ticket provides
little opportunity to experience facets of ham radio beyond repeater operation.
"The quality of that experience," Sumner said, "often depends on the operator's
location."

Among other advantages, Sumner said the plan would allow new Novices
to participate in HF SSB emergency nets on 75 and 40 meters as well as
on the top 100 kHz of 15 meters. The new license also could get another
name, Sumner said. "We're trying to recapture the magic of the old Novice
license, but in a manner that's appropriate for the 21st century."

Proposal Includes "Novice Refarming" Band Plan

The overall proposed ARRL license restructuring plan would more smoothly
integrate HF spectrum privileges across the three license classes and would
incorporate the "Novice refarming" plan the League put forth nearly two
years ago in a Petition for Rule Making (RM-10413). The FCC has not yet
acted on the ARRL plan, which would alter the current HF subbands. The
Novice refarming proposal would eliminate the 80, 40 and 15-meter Novice/Technician
Plus CW subbands as such and reuse that spectrum in part to expand phone/image
subbands on 80 and 40 meters.

The ARRL license restructuring design calls for no changes in privileges
for Extra and General class licensees on 160, 60, 30, 20, 17 or 12 meters.
Novice licensees would have no access to those bands.

Proposed Phone/Image HF Subbands (Includes Novice Refarming Proposal)

80 Meters

Extra: 3.725-4.000 MHz (gain of 25 kHz)

General: 3.800-4.000 MHz (gain of 50 kHz)

Novice: 3.900-4.000 MHz (new)

40 meters

Extra: 7.125-7.300 MHz (gain of 25 kHz)

General: 7.175-7.300 MHz (gain of 50 kHz)

Novice: 7.200-7.300 MHz (new)

15 meters

Extra: 21.200-21.450 MHz (no change)

General: 21.275-21.450 MHz (gain of 25 kHz)

Novice: 21.350-21.450 MHz (new)

10 meters

Extra and General: 28.300-29.700 MHz (no change)

Novice: 28.300-28.500 MHz (no change)

Proposed CW/Data-Exclusive HF Subbands (Includes Novice Refarming Proposal)

80 meters

Extra: 3.500-3.725 MHz

General: 3.525-3.725 MHz

Novice: 3.550-3.700 MHz

40 meters

Extra: 7.000-7.125 MHz

General: 7.025-7.125 MHz

Novice: 7.050-7.125 MHz

15 meters

Extra: 21.000-21.200 MHz

General: 21.025-21.200 MHz

Novice: 21.050-21.200 MHz

10 meters

Extra/General: 28.000-28.300 MHz

Novice: 28.050-28.300 MHz

====================================

Isn't this WONDERFUL news? Now I admit therre's a little give
and take (I would've liked to see 20 Meters added to the Technician portion,
but hey we'll still get 40 to play around with :-)). Plus,
for those of us who took the Novice written way back when it was required
to do so, we No-Code Techs would also get ANY Novice voice privleges as
well (unless I mis-read the thing).

Not a bad topic for the firrst entry in the ALL NEW KB0OXD Cybershack
HamBlog if I say so myself. :-)

What do YOU think?

Cheers for now & 73 :-)

Pat Cook, KB0OXD

Denver, Colorado