What Ham rating do you have?

[Ramdough]

Well, just passed my technician class exam. I tried the General class exam, but seeing how I did not study for it, I failed.

Quick survey, what licens do you have?

[BajaTaco]

Congrats Doug! :jumping: :clapsmile :luxhello: :beer:

[Ursidae69]

I also took my general at the same time without any study time just to see how hard it was. I failed it pretty bad. I'll stick with my technician for now until I'm ready to upgrade to a HF radio.

[asteffes]

Tech. I'm holding out for the FCC to drop the Morse code requirement. :rolleyes:

[Ramdough]

....I'm holding out for the FCC to drop the Morse code requirement

No kidding.

[Ramdough]

Thanks Baja...

Don't know when I will get a radio. I am saving for a wedding, honeymoon, house, etc...

[Desertdude]

Tech - I just wanna be cool dial in 146.460 and talk with Chris and Scott :)

[mountainpete]

Canada here eh... I've got a Basic(+) - essentially the basic with honours which means I have access to all HF but can't build my own radio and put it on the air.

[Dmarchand]

Funny, I'm studying for my Tech now. Hope to take it in 2 weeks.

[asteffes]

No kidding.

It won't be long.

[DaveInDenver]

It won't be long.

I really doubt we'll hear anything this year. FWIW, the FCC document that's in question is NPRMO WT Docket 05-235. The most recent news I've heard of from the ARRL, copied here from the ARRL Letter, vol. 25, No. 20 from 5/19/06. The bold part is my edit.


==>FCC WON'T SAY PUBLICLY WHEN IT WILL ACT ON MORSE CODE ISSUE

All bets appear to be off as to when the FCC might make a final decision on deleting the Morse code requirement. Last July, an FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making and Order (NPRM&O) in WT Docket 05-235 proposed to eliminate the Element 1 (5 WPM) Morse code requirement for all license classes. Most observers expected the Commission to release a Report and Order (R&O) to that effect by the end of this year, but even that timetable could prove optimistic, based on what the Commission will say publicly. Before tackling the Morse proceeding, the FCC wants to wrap up another important Amateur Radio proceeding, WT Docket 04-140, the so-called "omnibus" or "phone band expansion" proceeding. Responding to an ARRL inquiry, FCC personnel would not go on the record and declined even to hazard a ballpark guess on when the FCC might act on either Amateur Radio proceeding.

"They're at different points in the process," an FCC staffer said, refraining from saying anything that might suggest a commitment. "One is farther along in the review chain than the other." The staff member indicated that the "omnibus" proceeding is "way ahead" of the Morse proceeding in the WTB pipeline.

The FCC staffers attempted to assure ARRL that the WTB has not been sitting on its hands. "It takes a while to plow through 4000 comments," one said, referring to the huge volume of opinions filed in the Morse docket. "It's not being neglected." The staff member did allow that WTB staff had completed its comment review in the Morse proceeding but wouldn't say when it might see the light of day. "I'd hesitate to say," one staff member demurred. Neither would even say whether the WTB expected to conclude either proceeding by the end of 2006.

"They should probably start learning code," one staffer advised those waiting for the FCC to drop the Morse requirement before upgrading, noting that a Certificate of Successful Completion of Exam (CSCE) for a written exam element is only good for a year. Even after the FCC goes public with its decision on Morse code, still more time is likely to pass before any new rules go into effect, the staff member pointed out.

Earlier this year an WTB staffer, speaking without attribution, told ARRL, "We certainly hope to release WT Docket 05-235 sometime this year, but we're not making any predictions at this time. We certainly are not saving up any big announcements for Dayton Hamvention."

Bill Cross, W3TN, the FCC Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure Division staff member who typically addresses Amateur Radio-related proceedings during Dayton Hamvention's FCC forum, won't be attending this year's show.

When the FCC does act , no one's expecting any major surprises: The Commission appears poised to simply drop the Morse requirement for all Amateur Radio license classes as it proposed last summer. Beyond that, the FCC turned away several other petitions, including proposals to create a new entry-level license class.

Any FCC decision to eliminate the 5 WPM Morse code requirement for HF access would have no impact on either the current HF CW-only subbands or on the CW privileges of Amateur Radio licensees. Current Technician licensees who have not passed Element 1 will not gain HF access if the FCC drops the Morse requirement.

The "omnibus" Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in WT Docket 04-140, released in April 2004, consolidated a dozen petitions for rulemaking, some dating back to 2001. The Commission has proposed to go along with the ARRL's Novice refarming plan aimed at reallocating the current Novice/Tech Plus subbands to expand portions of the 80, 40 and 15 meter phone bands. The FCC also agreed with an ARRL proposal to extend privileges in the current General CW-only HF subbands to present Novice and Tech Plus licensees (or Technicians with Element 1 credit).

Among other things, the FCC also proposed to essentially do away with its rules prohibiting the manufacture and marketing to Amateur Radio operators of amplifiers capable of operation on 12 and 10 meters. And it further proposed to adopt a rule to limit the number of applications a licensee may file on a given day for the same vanity call sign.

The NPRM&O in WT Docket 05-235 is on the FCC Web site
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-05-143A1.pdf

More information on WT Docket 04-140 is on the ARRL Web site
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/04/15/102/

and the NPRM is on the FCC Web site
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-04-79A1.pdf

[flyingwil]

I use telepathy! LOL... I working on trying to get a class going that is one or two days long depending on the instructor, I just can not do a 7 week long class with rotating shifts of 4 on and 4 off. If anyone else in the PHX area is interested I am sure that they would much rather have more than one student in a class let me know!

Update: Please reply to this post (http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=31018#post31018) if interested in the above class

[HenryJ]

I use telepathy! LOL... I working on trying to get a class going that is one or two days long depending on the instructor, I just can not do a 7 week long class with rotating shifts of 4 on and 4 off. If anyone else in the PHX area is interested I am sure that they would much rather have more than one student in a class let me know!I am interested in telepathy. Do I have to show up or does the instructor send the information directly? Does it work long distance? Can I sleep through the instruction and let my subconsious absorb the information?:wings:

[crawler#976]

I'll be taking the tech exam on the 8th of Sept, so I'll soon be a licenced ham vs. a plain ol' clown...

[cruiseroutfit]

Tech... KE7FYQ

[desertgirl66]

Tech---I too wanna' be cool and talk with Scott, Chris and Al. :archaeolo

[BajaTaco]

Tech---I too wanna' be cool and talk with Scott, Chris and Al. :archaeolo

:victory: Did you get licensed??!!

[desertgirl66]

Yes, have been for about 6 months! Only missed 2 questions on the test! :clapsmile

The 2 meter is an essential adventure tool.

[BajaTaco]

Yes, have been for about 6 months! Only missed 2 questions on the test! :clapsmile

The 2 meter is an essential adventure tool.

Awesome! :bowdown: You will have to email your call sign to me so I can record it on my little cheat-sheet.

[RoundOut]

I'm taking the technician test on January 24th. Looking forward to getting a radio shortly thereafter.

[Icewalker]

None yet - doesn't seem to be that big here in the NE - but It's on my list of to-do's. Even if morse is not a requirement it's still worth learning - one day it could save yer life :)

[Clay]

I've been a tech for a couple years now, and now that they will be dropping the morse code requirements I will start cramming to pass general. I'm not all too concerned with it, though, because I only really use 2 meters anyways.

[asteffes]

I feel much more motivated to reach the pinnacle of amateur radio by getting an Extra ticket now that they dropped the code requirements. Somehow, that doesn't seem right, but it is what it is. :coffee: :elkgrin:

[gary in ohio]

Your poll didnt list one license class. I hold an advanced class license.

Gary

[devinsixtyseven]

yes...i will be working towards an extra, just because.

as things stand, i can pass the tech exam...no studying. test is tomorrow :D.

[RoundOut]

Just passed the element 2 and element 3 exams. With the new rules re. no CW, they'll issue Tech in a week or so and then General on 2/15/07, I think. The VEC said it would work something like that, anyhow.

On the way back from the exam, I bought a CW audio CD by Gordon West to start practicing for the Element 1. I'll try to take it by the end of the month. I figure knowing code may save a butt some day, whether its mine or someone else's.

Like anything else though, if you don't use it, you'll lose it. So I hope to have some buddies to practice with. Anyone out there interested in some Coding practice beginning in a few weeks?

[gary in ohio]

Tech. I'm holding out for the FCC to drop the Morse code requirement. :rolleyes:

WHY? Unless your planning on going HF the license class and test will be the same before or after the code is dropped. IN fact the test might even be harder to compensate and the test will most likley change. Get your no code tech and then you can upgrade to general when the code is dropped.


Contrary to what people seem to think. Your still going to need to take the written test for general or extra to get full HF.

[asteffes]

I understand I'll still have to take the written exames, and I already have my Technician ticket.

[J_L]

Your poll didnt list one license class. I hold an advanced class license.

Gary

Yep, the poll missed that one. I'm a noob around here and an advanced class holder (kk7wr).:wavey:

BTW, the fcc did announce dropping the morse requirement.

I use yaesu vx-7 handheld driving a RF concepts dual band linear. For the antenna, a diamond NMO lip mount on the hood and a custom built bnc adapter to use the large rubber duck that came with my yaesu ft-817. Built the bnc adapter after I broke 2 diamond mobile antennas last year out in the brush. Haven't mounted all this up on the new frontier yet since I pulled it off my 2k fronty that was sold in november. Soon though.

[cruiser guy]

Here's another Canadian with a Basic + licence which as others have said, gives access to all ham bands. I just got it today with 89%!!:jumping: