Friday, September 1, 2017

ARRL to Seek Greater HF Privileges for Techs


The ARRL Board of Directors in July accepted a proposal from its Ad-Hoc Entry Level License Committee to seek expanded digital and voice privileges on HF for Technician-Class, specifically on the 80, 40 and 15-meter bands, where Techs already have CW privileges. The committee had been tasked to look into better ways of attracting new hams and, once licensed, encouraging those hams to be active on the air and in the amateur community. It looked at the possibility of proposing a new entry-level license as well as expanding Tech privileges. After conducting a survey which generated nearly 8000 responses, the ARRL Letter says a “clear majority” of the respondents favored enhancing the Tech license. 
 
Separately, the board considered a staff committee proposal to develop a lifelong learning program “to focus on developing a clear developmental path for all radio amateurs, from newcomers to established radio amateurs.”