This is a guest post by Dan, W5DNT……Dan, KB6NU
Dear Amateur Radio Friends,
Click here to view comments I have submitted to the FCC with regard to ARRL’s proposed change to give Tech licensees expanded HF privileges, RM-11828. Their real game is HF Digital email and through their actions they seem to believe that will be the secret to attracting new members.
As most of you know, I have been very vocal with regard to past FCC comments STRONGLY AGAINST ARRL’s push for wideband digital on HF, under the guise of “EmComm”. That issue is still very alive at FCC, with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 16-239 ready to be approved at any time. Unfortunately, the comment period is long past on that one, FCC could approve it tomorrow. Sources tell me ARRL leadership believes it will be approved, as do I.
If RM-11828 is approved by FCC, 385,000 existing Techs, and whoever else decides to “study on Sunday and pass Tech on Monday”, will have immediate freely granted access to greatly expanded HF privileges, without going through any steps on their part to advance in the hobby. Should NPRM 16-239 also be approved, as we think it will, a real recipe for disaster will have been put in place. Our CW, RTTY and FT-8 bands will be overrun by boaters and preppers that simply wish to have free or off the grid email, without having to pay an ISP. For those of you that are SSB operators, RM-11828 would freely give 55% of the General Class HF phone bands to existing Techs with the stroke of a pen. RM-11828, a major “dumbing down” of amateur radio licensing, removes incentives for advancement, it does not create them. So much for incentive licensing!
It’s always easier to do nothing and complain after the fact, but here is an opportunity to get involved in the process before a problem is created! I encourage each of you to read my comments and those of others. Consider the importance of this issue. Please consider filing your own comments with FCC. Below is a link that will walk you through the very easy process of an express filing. It will only take a few minutes of your time and the future well being of amateur radio is certainly a worthwhile cause.
The filing deadline is April 13, 2019.
Please help spread the word to your friends and together let’s put a stop to this.
73 & Thanks for your consideration of this important amateur radio issue!
Dan
W5DNT