Classes/Testing/Licensing

About a month ago, I opined about why more than half of licensed radio amateurs never get more than a Technician Class license.  I then combined that with a related post about discussions within the ARRL about a possible new entry-level license and sent this article to subscribers who then publish it in their club newsletter.

This morning, I got a reply from someone who read this latest column. He writes:

Your article on why there are so many Technicians was very informative.  The comment about not finding an Elmer was dead on.  I was very happy being “just a tech” until some Elmers started nudging me to become a General and enjoy HF.

I am so grateful to them.  They were there to push me to get to the next level.  But more importantly they worked with me on becoming a very good radio operator.  And boy do some of the new hams need to learn this is not “upgraded CB” land we are in.

Lastly I will add one more addition to your list.  The study questions to move up each level are so obsolete its almost embarrassing.  With the technology in today’s radios most, and I mean most, will NEVER, EVER take it apart.  There is no need to.  Yet most of the questions are focused on what makes a radio work the way it does.  Do we really need to know about resistors and capacitors to make us good operators?  I don’t think so.

Sadly I think that is why I won’t become an extra any time soon.  Too much information to learn that will be of little to no use as I grow in the hobby.

There is a huge thought difference between the old stogies (sic) of ham radio and the new people like me.  And as long as the old stogies stand put in their ideas and ideals then yes you will not see as much growth in this hobby as there very well could be.

Thanks again for the great article.

I was very happy that he found Elmers that encouraged him and helped him along the way. I almost couldn’t believe it, however, when I read that he found no value in learning about resistors and capacitors. I replied:

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I was with you right up until you said, “ The study questions to move up each level are so obsolete its almost embarrassing….Do we really need to know about resistors and capacitors to make us good operators?” The answer to that specific question is no, but radio amateurs—especially Amateur Extra Class licensees are supposed to be more than just operators.

Part 97.1 of the rules lists five “purposes” for amateur radio. Part 97.1(b) reads, “Continuation and extension of the amateur’s proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.” I take that to mean that radio amateurs should not only know about resistors and capacitors, but a heck of a lot more as well. While the question pool certainly needs updating, removing the questions that are “focused on what makes a radio work” is truly not the way to go.

It may not seem like it to you at this point, but knowing about resistors and capacitors, and how radios work, will make you a better amateur radio operator. Even if you never do take your radio apart, this knowledge will give you a better appreciation of what your equipment is doing and how to get the best out of it. And, of course, it will help you troubleshoot problems when (not if) they arise.

I really am very sorry to hear you say that you’re not going to pursue the Extra Class license. It’s not the piece of paper that’s important, but the knowledge that you’d gain by doing so. Operating is fun, but that’s only part of amateur radio. Understanding the technology that drives amateur radio makes it even more fun.

If sticking to the idea that a radio amateur should understand how radios work makes me an old fogey, then I guess I’m an old fogey.

Friday evening, I conducted another Arduino workshop in the Ann Arbor District Library’s Secret Lab. The Secret Lab is a great resource, introducing the community not only to electronics, but a wide variety of “maker” topics, including knitting, printing, and  other crafts.

For the Arduino workshops, Steve Teeri, the Secret Lab’s director, sets up a dozen or more Arduino development stations, including both Windows and Raspberry Pi stations. I kind of like the Raspberry Pi stations, myself.

In Friday’s workshop, we had young and old. The oldest was a gentleman, who I’m guessing was in his late 70s or early 80s. The youngest was a girl about eight or nine. The girl was smart as a whip. I helped her get the blinking LED demo working, and she caught on right away when I expained how current through the LED caused it to turn on. I then showed her how the code turned the light on and off. It was a lot of fun helping everyone get their projects working.

The AADL has a bunch of cool things for electronics experimenters including Sparkfun Arduino starter kits and a digital oscilloscope. They also have a bunch of other science tools that you can check out, including a telescope, and something that I’m going to check out next, a bird cam. Before the workshop got started, I was introduced to the guy who was responsible for this collection of “tools.”

I asked him about the possibility of lending out amateur radio equipment. He was a little leery at first because using it would require an amateur radio license, but he didn’t dismiss the idea off-hand. I’m hoping to speak to him sometime soon about the possibility of maybe adding an HT to the collection.

My questions is whether any of you know of a library that lends out amateur radio gear. If I could put him in touch with another libary that’s already doing this, then it would enhance the chances of the AADL also doing so. I’d also be interested in the experience of any amateur radio clubs that has a “lending library” of ham radio stuff.

Ed, W8EMV, took this photo just before class on Saturday. This proves that I have a face for radio. Thanks (I think), Ed!

Seven of the ten who started the class have stuck with me. It won’t be long before there are seven more General Class licensees.

Yesterday, a reader asked:

Why do most people have a Technician license and not a General or Extra? Is it simply not interesting enough to get more privileges?

I just replied:

I think there are several issues at play here. In no particular order:

1. It’s pretty easy to get a Tech license, so a lot of people get them just for the challenge, but really never intend to use the license.
2. Some people get a Tech license, but then find out that amateur radio isn’t what they thought it was going to be. They have no reason to upgrade to General.
3. Some people get a Tech license, then can’t find an Elmer to help them. They lose interest and give up on ham radio.
4. Some people get a Tech license, buy an HT, and think that’s all there is to amateur radio. They quickly lose interest in amateur radio, because talking on the repeaters just isn’t all that interesting.
5. Some people get licenses to participate in local emergency communications or CERT organizations. There’s no need for them to get anything more than a Tech license.
6. Since it’s so easy to get a Tech license, even those that aren’t technically inclined get them. Getting a General Class license requires too much study for them.
7. Some people are just lazy.

Do you have any other ideas for him?

On Saturday, despite suffering from a pretty bad cold, I held the latest one-day Tech class. This class was held in Room 1200 of the EECS Building on the University of Michigan’s North Campus, the second time I had the pleasure of teaching there. The classroom was one of the auditorium-style classrooms, which makes it a lot easier to keep everyone engaged.

Below, you’ll find a crummy photo I took of the class as they came back from the lunch break. I apologize for the poor quality of the photo. The students were certainly top notch.

There were 40 students in this class. This was kind of disappointing, as I had 60 sign up for the class. One-third of them failed to show! My wife attributes this to the spring-like weather (50-degree temps and sunny) we had that day.

What wasn’t disappointing was the result. 37 of the 40 students passed the test, and one of the students that failed promises me that he’ll continue to study and get his license.

As always, thanks to all the VEs that showed up. There were at least eight of them. Six, working in teams of three did the test checking, while the other two kept everyone in line. I’m lucky to have such a great VE team here in Ann Arbor. I certainly couldn’t do this without them.

Finally, here are some comments from the students who e-mailed me after the class:

Just a quick note to thank you for the Tech Class yesterday – much appreciated since I know you had a cold and was not feeling particularly well.  Very useful as it helped me cleared up a few questions I had from studying for the class and in fact helped me with a couple of questions for the test.

I would like to thank you for a very informative and entertaining class today.  The lengths you’ve gone to help others is extremely admirable, I now realize that “promoting international goodwill” is something radio operators truly take to heart and something I will sincerely uphold as well.  Your study guide and class allowed me to pass the Technician test with ease and more importantly acted as a catalyst into a new hobby for me. Hopefully we can make contact on the air soon.

I really enjoyed the class, and it really helped me understand the hobby. I took over 11 pages of notes!  Again, your class helped me a lot and I am looking forward to passing on the hobby.