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from the Even-the-little-guy-gets-a-win-sometimes dept.
For those of you into Ham (Amateur) radio, especially the Technician class license holders, this will be pretty exciting and a good way to keep interest in the hobby going due to now having HF transmit ability. The article discusses the re-balancing for digital modes as well, which many people will find to be good move in the digital age.
"ARRL[*] has asked the FCC to expand HF privileges for Technician licensees to include limited phone privileges on 75, 40, and 15 meters, plus RTTY and digital mode privileges on 80, 40, and 15 meters. The FCC has not yet invited public comment on the proposals, which stem from recommendations put forth by the ARRL Board of Directors' Entry-Level License Committee, which explored various initiatives and gauged member opinions in 2016 and 2017."
[*] ARRL: American Radio Relay League (Wikipedia).
Link to original Story:
http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-requests-expanded-hf-privileges-for-technician-licensees
Powerpoint presentation of changes (With new bandplan pictures):
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Bandplanning/25%20Appendix%20BP_Committee_recs%20FINAL%20(h).pdf
Thanks for reading and 73's
KE5DKD
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 07 2020, @11:15PM
Heathkits were awesome. A great way to learn to solder. I built my alarm clock that worked until it was lost in a move decades later. My friend's dad did the TV. I remember seeing all the parts splayed out across their living room.
If you don't know if you are licensed, then you aren't. You basically have to let the FCC know every 10 years that you still want an amateur license. You have a 2-year grace period to get your license back, but after that, you need to do the tests again. You don't even get your old call sign back, but you can change it through the vanity call sign process.
I let mine lapse, for no other reason than laziness, so I'm in the boat that if I want to be licensed again, I need to take the test again. You can't jump right in and take the General or Extra either, you have to do them in order.