The AM Forum

ARRL Board of Directors: Second Meeting Minutes: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/About%20ARRL/Board%20Meetings/2014_July_ARRL_Board_Minutes.pdf

Item 37 is an interesting read: In part, "Create a 10 kHz Technician Digital Subband with a limit of 200 watts in the 80m, 40m, and 15m bands. Digital modes would be limited to RTTY and PSK. The subbands would be 3,600-3,610 kHz (moving the bottom of the Extra phone band to 3,610 kHz), 7,115-7,125 kHz, and 21.190-21.200 MHz."

And yes, I do read these things in their entirety.


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Just a few thoughts on it, in no order:

Some FSK or PSK with the techs would not be objectionable except for encroachment on the voice area of 80M. However it is a large band with only a little restricted to non-voice.

80M: 10% of the extra voice band, 2.5% of the total voice band.
40M: no loss to voice, 8% shared by the non-voice segment.
15M: no loss to voice, 5% shared by the non-voice segment.

I do not object and believe that it is good or educational to invite techs to do some FSK on HF that is still possible to do the analog way for those inclined to gain real understanding; as well as PSK which is better done with logic devices.

My question is what percentage of hams so newly privileged would do it the learning way using analog or by self-programming a little controller, and what percentage would just push convenient buttons on the HF set or turn key PC? Interesting data point only, the result should be the same on-air.

I would like to be on guard for new things incrementally 'chipping away' at available phone bandwidth (and privileges and power).

Hogwash.  The Technician license is barely more than a gift, as exemplified by the many "Get your ham license in a day" events.  Cram some facts and get a few reminders on multiple guess test-taking strategy and go for the test.  The "pass" percentages that I have seen quoted are typically in the 90s.
The General license does not require one to be a Rhodes Scholar either.
 I never cease to be amazed by the rationalizations that people, and the League, use to continue dumbing down the Amateur ranks in the quest for "more new blood".  This goes hand-in-hand with the greater trend where everyone must get a trophy, even if they show up late.  If the League wants to get more youngsters onto the ham bands, and I agree that that is a worthy goal, they need to develop ways to recruit the smart kids, not just the ones who want to send text messages another way.  We need more eggheads, not button pushers. 

I would not object if this was limited to 15 meters. But not below that.

Where can the organized data be found on the Technican pass percentages? That looks very interesting. It would be cool to see the data for all classes, including the recent data, because I think the exams were just updated to include modern technology.

I don't care too much about blood or awards or entry level test difficulty. Like anyone else I can only stand on my own accomplishments, among which I consider the ham radio license to be only a small but pleasant garnish on the plate of my own life. Any new ham has to stand on his life accomplishments great or small, and also draw from them to advance.

I just don't consider ham radio to be so sacred or exclusive that I want to complain about the difficulty of the entry level exams or a 10Khz slice for higher-tech non-phone use. The slice is for digital which is mature in hardware but not in software, it is modern and fit for more development which is exactly what younger people will do with software.

I stated I believe that recently the extra exam was revised and now contains more modern and digital technology, and if that is the case then I wonder how many hams who passed the extra a few years ago or longer back, could pass the new one confidently. How many of them would raise a howl if required to do so, and how many would feel entitled to a gimmie on that? How nice the FCC does not require a retest when the tests are changed.

There has to be a beginner class. If it is not interesting or looks like ham radio is a bunch of crabs who want to keep others out, why would anyone bother?

Kids today who 'text' are not the same culture the kids of old. They have no tolerance for BS or silliness when a commitment is required of them, and will not generally get all their buddies together for study meetings at the garage clubhouse or one of their parents' houses, and then go get licensed and buy a bunch of equipment just to idly text as they would otherwise do with the existing handsets.

It will be the technology-motivated geeks and hackers in those groups, partially leaving the rest behind in the social-appliance environment and hopefully coming to exchange technical ideas with others like minded in the licensed bands where technical accomplishments and innovation mean something.

The important question I have is: Who believes that this enticement will not encourage existing tech licensees to experiment and learn more?

I recall getting my general radiotelephone many years before even bothering with ham radio, which I considered of only average importance because I do not much care to speak on the air. I'd rather play with technology and one needs no license for that if an antenna is not used. Lucky I got interested in the many facets of AM otherwise would not even be here. Now everyone knows how to get rid of me. Outlaw AM.

The other, and maybe most important, side of ham radio is being able to efficiently communicate in a disciplined manner. Few hams are familiar with a controlled net and fewer could control one. The two subsets of egghead and communicator likely do not overlap so much.

Not everyone is so devout about building or experimenting with technology, but I believe an interest in hands-on can be developed if it is present at all. Not everyone new has to be a button pusher.