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#Post#: 5848--------------------------------------------------
TGIF Net Transcript April 17, 2036
DIR By: VE3RD
Date: April 25, 2026, 6:16 am
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[center]TGIF Net Transcript April 17[/center]
#Preamble
Good evening, and welcome to the TGIF Amateur Radio Net for
Friday, April 24th, 2026. My name is Steve, call sign W2SHR, and
my QTH is Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. We meet here every
Friday at 8.30 p.m. Eastern in the TGIF Talk Group 31665 to chat
about amateur radio. Tonight's topic: the hierarchy of ham radio
licensing.
Please remember this is a directed net; only transmit when
directed by net control. Please give your sign normally and
phonetically (e.g., W2SHR, Whiskey 2, Sierra Hotel, Romeo).
Leave a second of "dead air" between transmissions to avoid
doubling. Does anybody have announcements or news? If so, key
your mic now.
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--- Code ---
KF5MG Mark TX NY2S Tom NY N6CZE Gary
CA
W3MTN Doug MD K5DCE Doug TX WB3GCK Craig
PA
WM3Q Sam MD KE8PCQ Dave OH N3JAS John
PA
KB4QCE Paul GA WB8KOB Rod OH K9FEH
Chester IN
K7DLB Sharon WA KE8APO David OH KD0CIV
Dolores MO
WC7V Kerry WA N3TJK Tim PA N6PPP Chris
CA
N4PRF Paul VA K5WLC Bill TX WD4LED Steve
TN
KE8LR Robert OH NT9Q Gary IL WB3IHY Joe
PA
W4GWH Gary GA WX4BDB Brandon AL WE8M David
MI
K8TLH Thomas MI KE4TLC Charlotte SC N4HYK Doc
GA
N9MJS Brett IN WB4T Roger NC KA3NGT Bruce
PA
K2OZ Dan NY W3ATN Steve PA W1GSK Glen
MA
KN4RW Rudy FL W3GTM Mike MD N1XQX Dennis
MA
VE3RD Phil ON KA2YED Angel NJ KB3JQQ Scott
PA
KX4XR Robert VA K4WZB Robert GA KD4BJA Kurt
VA
N4ZWR Simon VA NG5N Jerry AR N4XV
Jonathan VA
KC8USA Frederick MI N9RUT James IN KV9Q
Michael IN
NS8G Jeffrey MI WD9HGO Paul WI KC9SIO Steven
IL
KC9IC Wayne AZ N9DRF George IL KV8PFL Edward
MI
KV9LIQ Benjamin IN KB3SVT Chris PA
--- End Code ---
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#Discussion
KF5MG: I think it's very important we have those steps. As an
Extra class who started as a Tech, I believe the hierarchy
ensures competence. Picking up a mic doesn't make you a
competent operator. The goal is to learn the engineering and
technology so you can repair equipment or set up antennas
properly in an emergency. A Tech license is often "plug and
play," but General and Extra require in-depth technical
knowledge and understanding of regulations.
N4HYK: I might need a new hotspot; I’m on an old Pi W. Regarding
the topic: back in 1961, there were even more license classes.
An amateur license qualifies you to adjust and even build your
own transmitter. The FCC wants to ensure you are qualified to
operate and adjust gear. Once, you had to know oscillator
circuits and tank circuits; today, it feels like manufacturers
want fewer licensing barriers just to sell more gear.
KV9Q: I don't see the reason for three tiers anymore. Everything
is online now; people just memorize the answers to pass. Most
ham radio today is "plug and play"—DMR radios and hotspots come
pre-programmed. I disagree with the older thinking because you
learn more from actual experience. Even 50-year veterans
sometimes struggle with digital audio. We are largely
self-regulated anyway.
K4WZB: I disagree with Michael. The license tiers are there for
a reason. Amateur radio is a privilege, and you should qualify
for the bands you use. Technician is a foot in the door, and as
you advance, you get into Smith charts and complex circuits.
It’s a license for learning, and we need to get back to that.
KC8USA: I disagree based on qualification. Ham radio is the only
place where you can just memorize answers to a test. That’s why
we have people who don't know the difference between Hertz and
Amps. The system is broken because it doesn't require actual
understanding, just memory.
KF5MG: It’s not about pride; it’s about ability. Even if people
memorize, they might learn something. I’ve seen newer Techs from
the CB world who don't understand the internals of a radio. We
need to be ready for real emergencies, and that requires
understanding the technology, not just having a good memory.
KC8USA: Mark, if you memorize an answer, you aren't learning. I
can talk to someone for two minutes and tell if they actually
know their stuff or just memorized the test. That is what's
"broke."
N6PPP: Here's a monkey wrench: if you were trained on equipment
in the 50s, can you safely work on a radio released last year?
Should we have to renew or re-test to ensure we are trained on
newer technology?
KF5MG: Principles don't change. My commercial license is for a
lifetime because once you understand the principles and can read
a schematic, you can follow the technology as it evolves. Basics
are the foundation for everything from old radars to modern
computers.
WB3IHY: My opinion is radical: go back to five license classes,
including Novice and Advanced. The barrier to entry should be
higher. Part 97.1 says the purpose of the service is to have a
reservoir of trained operators and electronics experts. Testing
is how we determine that.
KV9Q: Getting a license today is incredibly easy because it's
all online. Emergency services in many areas (like Indiana)
don't even use us anymore because they've moved past analog. If
you haven't looked at the online tests recently, you should—they
are far easier than they used to be.
N4HYK: Regarding emergency ops, it depends on the local club's
relationship with the EOC. I was in a club that had an
underground bunker and practiced daily for nuclear threats.
KF5MG: Actually, most P25 radios can do analog, and EOCs still
keep HF gear because repeaters can fail. The capability for
emergency backup is absolutely still there.
NT9Q: I think they should bring back the code (CW). It would
stop a lot of the nonsense on HF. Many people don't even know
Ohm’s Law. Bringing back the code would ensure people actually
know what they’re doing.
WB3GTM: I'm Advanced class—a class that doesn't exist anymore. I
have mixed feelings. Eliminating the code helped bring in more
operators when the hobby was dying, but we’ve lost the
"building" aspect of the hobby. Even some Extras can barely
operate their own radios today.
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#TGIF Trading Post
N4HYK is listing:
Ameritron ATR3-30 Transmatch.
Yaesu 102 (fixer-upper).
* Icom IC-7300 MK2 (Brand new in box).
Check qrz.com for contact info.
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#Acknowledgements
Thanks to:
Ty Weaver (KG5RKI): Coding genius.
Andy Nielsen (G7LRR): Dashboard and scheduler mastermind.
Glenn Allison (N3MEL): Forum creator.
Net Controls: Robert Bressman, Steve Smith, and Eric
Young-Peters.
* Management: Mark Rounds, Doug Smith, Joe Garber, Vic Lewin
(VE3JAR), and Phil Thompson (VE3RD).
Special thanks to Robert Bressman (K4WZB), our chief engineer,
for keeping us running 24/7.
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#Close
Thank you for joining. Send us your topic ideas! My name is
Steve, W2SHR, signing off from North Carolina. Join us next week
at 8.30 Eastern on TG 31665.
73 and Thank God It's Friday!
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