In article , Mike Coslo
writes:

KØHB wrote:

A straightforward plan is already written and in the hands of the FCC.
http://tinyurl.com/wce9

It really isn't too bad a plan, although there are a few weaknesses
that are a bit bothersome.

That 50 watt limit for the class B license is simply unenforcable, save

some sort of training wheel governor device that they would have to put
on their transmitters.

Why would it be any more complex than what we have now?

And in the old days, there was no big deal about enforcing Novices' use of no
more than 75 watts input and crystal control.

If you want to put a time limit on upgrading, it really should be a lot

shorter, like 3 years. Ten years is simply way too long. The prospective
class A Ham almost certainly will upgrade in a year or two.

Maybe not! Look how many Tech Pluses are still on the books today, even though
for the past 42 months they've been able to upgrade with just a single written
- or in many cases, no test at all. And the number of Tech Pluses has also been
dropping by renewals as Techs.....

But I still don't like the idea of a forced retirement. It brings up an

absurdity like a person that operates exclusivly QRP having to upgrade
so that he/she is now allowed to use 1.5 kW. That's all they get. So
they are forced to upgrade and spend money for something that means
nothing to them - save keeping their license.

The same was true in the old days if a ham simply wanted to operate in the
Novice bands with xtal control and 75 watts...

When incentive licensing was reinstituted in 1968, a lot of hams had to upgrade
just to do what they'd been doing for years.

I really do like the idea of "time in grade". It is one of the best
ideas ever abandoned by the FCC.

Me too, but it's an uphill climb to get it back.

A lifetime grant license? Well, I'm not too sure. I guess it is a
pretty good thing. If you don't have to renew it, there aren't
processing costs.

The big problem is that the license won't expire even if its holder does. The
database will contain more and more entries of long-dead or lost-interest hams.


Perhaps that's part of Hans' plan - the number of hams with that class of
license will grow and grow and grow...

FCC will cancel a license if proper paperwork is done. Usually this takes the
form of a family member sending in a death certificate so that the SK's call
can be reassigned to a friend, club or relative.

Given the 10 year license term and such things as online renewal, I don't see
renewal costs as a big line item in the FCC budget.

73 de Jim, N2EY