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License Restructuring
CQ Magazine Web site
More than a year after it first proposed reducing the number of amateur license classes and asked hams for input on code speed requirements, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) handed down its restructuring decision on the final business day of 1999. Here is a summary of changes, which are effective as of April 15, 2000.
There will be only three license classes, Technician, General, and Amateur Extra, with a single written exam element for each grade of license.
There will be only one code exam -- at 5 words per minute (wpm) -- for licenses with HF privileges (General and Extra).
No new Novice, Tech-Plus, or Advanced Class licenses will be issued after April 14. However, hams who now hold these licenses will retain all of their current operating privileges, and will be able to modify &/or renew their licenses indefinitely. Tech-Plus hams will be renewed as Technicians, but will retain their HF operating privileges.
There will be no "refarming" of the ham bands as proposed by the ARRL. This means that current Novice and Advanced Class subbands will remain as they are, so there will be no expansion of frequency privileges for any ham without passing an upgrade exam or showing credit for all necessary exam elements (more on this later). There will also be no changes in the callsign groups.
There will be no automatic upgrades, even for hams who qualify based on past credit. Even if no additional exams are required, a ham will have to apply for an upgrade at a VE (Volunteer Examination) session.
There will be only three written exam elements, one for each new class of license. Decisions on structuring the new exam elements will be made by the Volunteer Examiner Coordinators' Question Pool Committee (QPC), which will be given even greater authority in designing and administering amateur exams.
The much-abused disability waiver for 13- and 20-wpm code tests is eliminated (since there will no longer be any 13- or 20-wpm code tests)
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The changes will take effect on April 15, 2000. This will give the QPC time to create new exams, and will give publishers time to get new license manuals into print before the new structure is put into place. In addition, it will give tens of thousands of hams with
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partial credit toward one of the new license classes the opportunity to pass the remaining element(s) before the new tests begin, possibly requiring re-examination on certain topics.
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This month's card comes to us from Canada which is usually the first DXCC entity (country) worked by new hams. At the time of Leo's QSO, Roy, VE7PEI, was located in the Canadian province of British Columbia. VE7PEI's QTH, New Westminster, is a suburb of Vancouver in the southern part of the Province. When you work a VE7, the "7" identifies station location as British Columbia.
British Columbia became a province of Canada in 1871. Prior to that, British Columbia was composed of two British colonies, one on Vancouver Island and the second on the mainland. The colonies were united in 1866 with the capital in Victoria.
Leo worked VE7PEI when his call sign was WA1ETX. Thanks, Leo, for your QSL contributions. We need QSL's for the Circuit! Contact me, Robert (N1UVA), Lee (KA1USL), Sharon (KC1YR) or anyone with a scanner and get your favorite card scanned and emailed to me.
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The Circuit is in need of QSL cards!!!
If you would like to share your favorite QSL card, which could be your own, with the club, please send it my way! A caption or story would be appreciated also.
Don't let not having a scanner keep you from sending in your favorite card. Many FARA Members have access to scanners, including Bob, W1RH.
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