HAM Toolkit/HAM Toolkit.iso/text/arrl/examnews.txt

Text File | 1992-10-21 | 15KB | 288 lines

ARRL VE Express Newsletter


AUGUST 1992


FCC Proposes to Bring Novice Examinations Into the VEC System

     On July 23, 1992, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (NPRM) to amend the Amateur Service Rules to
include Novice class Operator License Examinations in the
VEC system. A copy of the FCCs proposal is included
elsewhere in this newsletter.
     What the FCC proposes is that all examinations be VEC
coordinated. Three VEC-accredited examiners would be re-
quired in order to administer any examination. The FCC has
indicated that General class licensees could seek accreditation
in order to continue to administer the Element 1A and 2 Nov-
ice license examination, but that three accredited VEs would be
required to administer the examinations. A public announce-
ment would need to be made prior to the administration of any
examination (including examinations for the Novice license).
     By implementing such a system, the FCC feels that it would
standardize and simplify the examination process for all ama-
teur license examinations--since, currently, two examination
systems exist: one for Novice applicants and a second for all
other classes.
     The Commission cites statistics which indicate that the
trend of examinations has gone from 88% of all examinations
being for the Novice license in calendar year 1990, to January
1992 in which 16.3% of all new licensees were Novice while
82.3% were Technician. This trend indicates that only a small
portion of initial licensees are becoming licensed under the two
examiner program. The Commission also indicates that applica-
tion errors are significantly higher under the two examiner
Novice program. They cite an error ratio on applications of
9.4% under the two examiner program, while under the VEC
system application errors were a very low 0.8%. These errors
result in delays to individuals seeking their initial licenses, and
an administrative burden on FCC staff already feeling the
effects of a tight federal budget.
     The Commission feels that VEs, and VECs, could accept a
small reimbursement fee to offset direct out-of-pocket expenses
incurred in administering all examinations.
     Your comments are invited on this proposal, PR Docket
No. 92-154. Please be sure to file them with the FCC by Octo-
ber 9, 1992. Your reply comments are also invited. The reply-
comment deadline is November 9, 1992.


FCC Proposes To Provide A Special Temporary
Licensing Procedure for Visiting Foreign Amateur
Operators

     On August 6, 1992, the FCC released an NPRM which
proposes a special licensing procedure for visiting foreign ama-
teur operators who are interested in operating in United States.
The FCC proposal would create a form of temporary operating
authority available to any foreign licensee which would be valid
for a 60-day period.
      This proposal would provide a third means for foreign
amateurs to gain authority to operate in the US; the other two
ways are for the foreign amateur to take the US license exami-
nations, or the foreign amateur may apply for a Reciprocal
Permit for an Alien Amateur License (which is only available to
amateurs from 76 countries). The proposed temporary operat-
ing authority would be available to all foreign amateurs (not
limited only to countries with whom we have reciprocity).
      The FCC would have the VEC system provide the mecha-
nism for granting of the temporary authority. Foreign amateurs
would be required to present themselves before a team of three
Extra class VEC-accredited examiners at a VEC-coordinated
test session. The VEs would be required to: 1) confirm that the
person currently holds an amateur service license from their
country of citizenship; 2) determine the extent of operating
privileges granted by the foreign license; 3) make certain that
the person is qualified to perform the duties of an amateur
operator in the US and that authorization is in the public inter-
est; 4) provide the foreign amateur operator with a document
attesting to the fact of qualification; and 5) record pertinent
data so that the Commission can contact the person, if neces-
sary.
     How would the FCC have VEs meet these objectives? The
VEs would review the foreign amateur's identification (Pass-
port) and licensing documents. The VEs would determine what
privileges the foreign amateur's license conveys (probably to
provide information to the foreign amateur regarding frequency
or emission limitations while operating in the US, as compared
to privileges in his/her home country). The VE Team would
administer a 20-question examination (examination Element 5)
consisting of questions on FCC Rules most applicable to the
type of operation which the visitor plans to engage in while in
the US. The pass the examination, the foreign amateur must
correctly answer 18 out of the 20 questions (90%). Upon pass-
ing of the examination, the VEs would record the foreign
amateur's name, call sign and the privileges authorized by the
foreign license. The VEs would issue a CSCE to the person
which would serve as proof of the foreign amateur's conditional
license authorizing operation in the US. The VEs would be
required to submit to the coordinating VEC within 10 days of
the test session the examinee's name, call sign, operator privi-
leges as granted by the foreign license, US mailing address
where the examinee may be contacted during the 60-day opera-
tion period and the beginning and ending dates of the period.
In turn, the VEC would add the name and US mailing address
to a data base that is maintained and forwarded to the Commis-
sion on a regular basis.
     The FCC would allow VEs and VECs to be reimbursed for
out-of-pocket expenses in administering the examination--and
would permit a test fee to be charged the visiting foreign ama-
teur operator for this certification process.
     Upon receiving a CSCE from the VEs, the temporary
visiting foreign operator would be authorized to begin a single,
consecutive operating period, not to exceed 60 days, at any time
during the 365 days of the issuance of the CSCE. The CSCE
would designate the 60-day period for which the foreign ama-
teur intended to operate.
     The temporary visiting foreign operator could use the same
privileges in the US as those authorized by his/her own govern-
ment, but they may not exceed the privileges granted to the US
Extra class license.
     The FCC invites comments on this proposal, PR Docket
No. 92-167. The comment deadline is October 26, 1992, with a
reply comment deadline of November 30, 1992.


Overnight Shipping Services for Returning Your
Completed Test Sessions

     If you are not already doing so, your VE Team is encour-
aged to return completed test session packages to the
ARRL/VEC using one of the pre-paid overnight tracked services
which we have established accounts with. These services provide
your team, your applicants and us at the VEC with greater
peace-of-mind in ensuring that each of your test session packag-
es safely arrives at the VEC within a day or two after you've
sent your completed test session package to us. In doing so,
four pre-paid services are provided for your use which include
US Postal Service Express Mail, UPS Red Label Overnight Air-
Parcel Service, AirBorne Express and Federal Express.
     Of these services we highly recommend AirBorne Express.
Although not as convenient as US Postal Service Express Mail,
AirBorne Express does have an on-call pick-up service which
covers many locations around the country--and more notably
they do so at less than one-half the per-pound cost as compared
to the other services. Typically, a one pound package shipped
via AirBorne Express using their economy "Standard Delivery
Service" (SDS) service costs $4.50; for the same package, US
Postal Service charges $9.95, UPS Red Label service is $9.75
and Federal Express is about $12.00.
     Check with us to see if AirBorne Express can be an option
for your team's packages (or feel free to call AirBorne Express
at 1-800-247-2676 to find out for yourself if your area is served
with local "on-call" pickup {be sure to verify whether you are
within a regular "on call" service area, or not, as there is a $10
extra charge for out-of-area pickups}). As always, we can supply
you with the packaging and VEC-addressed pre-paid mailing la-
bels (airbills) for this service. As we've mentioned before, we
currently send our daily packages from the ARRL/VEC to the
FCC using AirBorne Express--and we are very pleased with the
service they've been providing.
     Not to frighten you, but test sessions have been lost in
transit to the ARRL/VEC. Almost all sessions that were lost
were sent to us via First-Class Mail. Three packages have been
lost during 1992, so far. So, please, do consider the use of the
express services we are providing (and look into using the most
cost-effective service, AirBorne Express, as an option for your
team). It may cost a bit more than First-Class Mail but the
comfort in knowing that your package is being tracked should
be considered money well spent.
     Don't forget to keep your tracking label from the service
you've chosen to use. Stick or staple that label or receipt to
your Candidate Roster/CSCE carbon copy test session records
for easy reference.


Morse Code Exemption Procedures

     Remember that effective August 1, 1992, all applicants who
are seeking handicapped/disabled Morse code exemption/credit
at your test session(s) must present your VE Team with the
FCC's new Form 610 which now includes the FCC's required
Physician's Certification of Disability and Patient's Release of
medical information on the back of the form. None of the
earlier certification formats may be accepted by your VE Team.

    The procedure for use of the exemption/credit process is as
follows:

* An applicant must present your VE Team with an original of
the FCC's new 610 form which must be correctly completed
(that is, both the applicant and his/her physician must have
already completed and signed their portions of the back of
the form). Once presented; if the 610 form is correctly
completed and if the applicant has passed or already holds
credit(s) for the necessary written elements required for the
upgrade being sought (and the applicant can verify that
he/she has passed at least an initial 5 WPM Morse code
examination {either via a license with a code requirement
or via a CSCE}), the VE Team must accept the applicants
application and issue a CSCE indicating Element 1C credit
(Physician's Cert. and Release: 1C), plus any other credit(s)
earned at this test session, and must indicate the upgrade
earned by the individual as a result of receiving Element 1C
credit.

* Remember that three VEs must sign the CSCE and 610 form.
The applicant must pay a $5.40 application fee. Even if the
VEs assemble themselves to process such an application,
this is considered a test session--it must be publicly an-
nounced in advance--and the proper test session paperwork
(Candidate Roster, Test Session Report and CSCE Carbon
Copy) must be submitted to the VEC with the application.

* VEs may not turn away someone who presents the correctly-
completed Form 610 application seeking the exemp-
tion/credit if that person has met all of the above require-
ments. Should the VEs have observations which they would
like to share about the concerns they may have regarding a
specific applicant, please forward those to us with the test
session paperwork (or after the test session to the VEC
Manager's Attention). Since each application must be pro-
cessed by a VE Team, do not direct the applicant to for-
ward documents to the ARRL/VEC (they must come
through your VE Team).

* VEs may suggest that an applicant might try taking the exami-
nation using available accommodative procedures. These
procedures may not be imposed, however. Someone who
presents the exemption/credit certification has already met
the FCC's procedural requirements to be exempted. There-
fore, only the FCC can decide whether a license should, or
should not, be granted as a result. VEs must still process
the paperwork as required, including issuance of an up-
grade CSCE.


Reissuance of Unassigned Call Signs

As you may have heard, the FCC has received Congres-
sional support for the reissuance/issuance of special call signs.
On June 12, 1992, Rep. Edward J. Markey (Massachusetts),
Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives - Telecommuni-
cations and Finance Subcommittee, and Rep. Ralph M. Hall
(Texas), a member of the same House committee, wrote FCC
Chairman Sikes on behalf of several radio operators interested
in establishing an FCC system for allocating distinctive call
signs. Congressmen Markey and Hall suggested that such call
signs would be available at a fee to radio operators, in order to
recover costs associated with this program.
     They also said, "We understand that the Commission al-
ready has a system in place which assigns call signs based on a
licensee's address and operator class. This method is orderly
and cost-effective, but it does not allow for the creation of
unique call signs which could be obtained for an extra fee.
     They went on to say, "We are supportive of a special call
sign program, provided that it could generate sufficient fees to
fully fund additional Commission staff and equipment require-
ments. With this in mind, we ask that the Commission staff
review this proposal to determine its feasibility."
     Shortly thereafter, ARRL President George Wilson III,
W4OYI, wrote to FCC Chairman Sikes reiterating the League's
position. In his letter, President Wilson wrote, "While the
ARRL opposes the imposition of amateur license fees that
would discourage individuals from obtaining an amateur license
or from upgrading their skills, we do not oppose the funding of
a call sign assignment system in the manner described by
Messrs. Markey and Hall." He went on to say, "We would be
pleased to work with FCC staff in developing a fair, workable
system for assigning specific, unassigned, Amateur Radio call
signs."
     Where does the matter stand? It's clear to the FCC, with
Amateur Radio and Congressional support, that a special call
sign issuance system is desired. With these requests in hand, the
Commission needs to determine what staffing, computer hard-
ware and software resources, and financing requirements they
require in order to make such a system reality. This is indeed a
glimmer of light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel.


1993 Test Fee

    No word has been received from FCC regarding the maximum test
fee reimbursement for 1993. As soon as we hear from them, this file
and others will be updated accordingly.