Is U. S. Foundation-type Licenses In Our Future

[Pete, WA2CWA]

From the ARRL:
The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) reports that the number of new radio amateurs "down under" has grown by upward of 500 licensees -- 3.4 percent -- in the 11-month period ending August 1. WIA credits the Foundation license with helping to reverse a trend of declining ham radio numbers.

For the rest of the story, go here:
http://www.remote.arrl.org/?artid=6791

Read the background on the Foundation License and check out the mode and frequency range for 80 meters. This should make the CW guys take notice:

http://www.wia.org.au/foundation/foundation%20licence%20information-v1.pdf

[k4kyv]

The foundation licence operator can only use commercially manufactured
equipment.

Great! So we institutionalise appliance operating.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Great! So we institutionalise appliance operating.

Who are we? Are you Australian Don?

[k4kyv]

Remember the whole no-code thing got started in New Zealand with NCI.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

New Zealand is a great place. Spent some time there earlier this year. No code was and is a good idea.

[k4kyv]

I've travelled to a few places in Europe and Africa, but never managed to get south of the equator.  Do remember standing right on top of it years ago on the tarmac at the airport in Entebbe, Uganda. 

I would like to get a view of the southern nighttime sky some day.

If you like know-code vs no-code debates,  all you have to do is start a thread on QRZ.com.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

You'd love NZ. Clean air, wide open spaces, natural beauty.

Not looking for a code/no-code debate. The debate is over. No code licensees have access to 99% of the amateur radio spectrum. Not much left to argue about.

[W3SLK]

Don said:

I've travelled to a few places in Europe and Africa, but never managed to get south of the equator.  Do remember standing right on top of it years ago on the tarmac at the airport in Entebbe, Uganda.

I was really disappointed to find out that when I crossed it, I didn't see any 'dashed-lines' marking it in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I haven’t seen anything in print where the ARRL is advocating a “foundation class” license.
The ARRL had tried to get the Novice license class resurrected but the FCC shot it down.

The 6 meter band plan does provide space for "remote control" at 50.8-51.0, Radio remote control (20-kHz channels), 53.1, 53.2, 53.3, 53.4 (Radio remote control), and 53.5, 53.6, 53.7, 53.8 (Radio remote control). So we need  The "World Above 50 MHz" column.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I never said they didn't need that column. If the League should ever change its emphasis from Part 97 to the Part 95 services, they could use remote control and the GMRS, MURS, and Family Radio services as justification to continue it.

Yep, you're correct. I went back and read it; seems I got the words reformatted and removed twisted in my mind.