Steve.Bauer@f6.n291.z1.fidonet.org (Steve Bauer) (01/23/91)
Index Number: 13181
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
Bill, you and Grant and Tom have all asked pretty important questions
about the new Technician Class Amateur Radio license. So hear is the
official Press Release from the ARRL with the entire scoop.
ARRL/VEC NEWS RELEASE DATED DECEMBER 14, 1990
TO: ALL ARRL VE TEAM LIAISONS FROM: BART J. JAHNKE, KB9NM, ARRL/VEC MANAGER
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TITLE: FCC CREATES CODELESS CLASS OF AMATEUR RADIO
LICENSE
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, STARTING IN FEBRUARY, IT WILL BE POSSIBLE
TO OBTAIN AN AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE IN THE UNITED STATES WITHOUT
PASSING A MORSE CODE TEST. THIS WAS ANNOUNCED BY THE FCC AT ITS
OPEN MEETING YESTERDAY, DECEMBER 13TH. THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION (FCC) HAS ELIMINATED THE NEED FOR NEW TECHNICIAN CLASS
AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE APPLICANTS TO DEMONSTRATE PROFICIENCY IN
MORSE CODE IN ORDER TO HAVE ALL AMATEUR PRIVILEGES ABOVE 30 MHZ.
THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE MAY ABE AS EARLY AS FEBRUARY 1991.
TECHNICIANS WHO OBTAIN THEIR LICENSES PRIOR TO THAT DATE WILL BE
GRANDFATHERED, MEANING THEIR EXISTING HF PRIVILEGES WILL CONTINUE.
THE CODELESS TECHNICIAN WRITTEN EXAMINATION WILL HAVE 55 QUESTIONS
(EXISTING ELEMENTS 2 AND 3A). NEW TECHNICIANS WISHING TO GAIN
ACCESS TO THE HF PRIVILEGES BELOW 30 MHZ WILL BE REQUIRED TO PASS
THE ELEMENT 1A (5 WPM) MORSE CODE TEST BEFORE THREE VOLUNTEER
EXAMINERS ACCREDITED BY VOLUNTEER EXAMINER COORDINATORS, AND WILL
BE GIVEN A CERTIFICATE OF SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF EXAMINATION
(CSCE) TO SERVE AS EVIDENCE OF THEIR QUALIFICATIONS. THAT CSCE
MUST BE RETAINED BY THEM IN PERPETUITY TO PROVE THAT THEY HAVE MET
THE REQUIREMENT TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE NOVICE HF BANDS. NOVICES
WISHING TO UPGRADE TO TECHNICIAN MUST PASS ELEMENT 3A TO GAIN THE
VHF PRIVILEGES OF THE TECHNICIAN CLASS. NOVICES WILL NEED TO
RETAIN A COPY (PREFERABLY THE ORIGINAL) OF THEIR NOVICE LICENSE IN
ORDER TO SHOW THAT THEY HAVE NET THE 5 WPM REQUIREMENT FOR HF BAND
ACCESS. THIS IS BECAUSE THERE WILL BE NO CALL SIGN DESIGNATOR TO
INDICATE TECHNICIANS WHO HAVE OR HAVE NOT PASSED A CODE TEST. VECS
WILL SUPPLY FCC WITH A LIST OF THOSE CODELESS TECHNICIANS WHO
PASSED ELEMENT 1A.
THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE TO THE NOVICE LICENSE IN ANY WAY, NOR HAS
THERE BEEN ANY CHANGE MADE ABOVE THE TECHNICIAN CLASS. NOVICE
EXAMINATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO BE AVAILABLE BOTH BY TWO NOVICE
EXAMINERS (NO TEST FEE), OR BY THREE ACCREDITED VES (NO TEST FEE IF
ONLY ELEMENTS 1A AND 2 ARE INVOLVED. THE FCC DECIDED TO RETAIN THE
CURRENT NOVICE CLASS OPERATOR LICENSE AS AN ALTERNATE ENTRY LEVEL
LICENSE FOR THOSE PERSONS ABLE TO PASS THE 5 WPM MORSE CODE TEST
INSTEAD OF THE MORE COMPREHENSIVE WRITTEN EXAM REQUIRED FOR THE
TECHNICIAN CLASS LICENSE.
I hope this answers questions that are still floating.
Steve/KC0HF
P.S. Willie, I've already slapped my wrists for doing such a long
message. <GRIN>.
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