N2EY wrote:

In article om, "Dee D.
Flint" writes:


Yet I believe Novice DOES have permanent credit towards the 5wpm.

Cheers,
Bill K2UNK


The Novice license does indeed bestow lifetime credit but that is not the
same situation as a Tech who subsequent to the April 2000 passed element 1.
In the latter case, the credit is only good for 365 for the purposes of
upgrading as stated.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE


You're both right, but there are even odder twists in Part 97.

Any expired license still in the grace period bestows the obvious element
credits.

A Novice license expired beyond the grace period bestows Element 1

A Technician license expired beyond the grace period *and* issued before Feb
14, 1991 bestows Element 1 (but not Element 2!)

A Technician license expired beyond the grace period *and* issued before Mar
21, 1987 bestows Elements 1 and 3 (but not Element 2!)

Any commercial radiotelegraph license (issued by FCC, of course) current or
expired less than 5 years bestows Element 1

No other credit for expired licenses.

Think of all the twists!

Suppose someone had a Tech Plus issued after Feb 14, 1991 but more than 12
years prior to today, and they did not renew it, and they bypassed the Novice
back then. No credit. But if they'd gotten that same license before Feb 14,
1991, they'd have credit for Element 1. And if they'd gotten that same license
before Mar 21, 1987, they'd have credit for Elements 1 and 3.

Or suppose someone got a Novice or Tech way back in 1951 (52 years ago) and
never did anyting with it. The old license document would be good for Element 1
in both cases and also Element 3 in the Technician case. But someone who
bypassed those licenses and went straight for General or above gets *no*
credits at all.

Lots of other scenarios. A 1951 Tech whose let his/her license expire in 1956
needs only the old license document and Element 2 to get a General, but someone
who went straight to Extra 12 years and 1 day ago and did not renew gets no
credit at all.

It seems to me it would be a lot simpler to have the rules say that *any* class
of code tested license or equivalent CSCE would grant Element 1 credit, but
they don't. The written test situation is even odder, but it could be argued
that the old writtens did not include RF exposure questions and the regs have
changed quite a bit.

I'll bet you have a headache now, Jim! Its kind of like what I was
saying about actions and their consequences. Any time you change a rule
there are plenty of consequenses - like removing Element one without any
other changes. (which I think is impossible anyway, BTW)

- Mike KB3EIA -