WIA Response to ACMA Class Licensing for VK Amateur Radio

[@hightail4x478]

Born in Australia and made to feel like an alien every time I hear that silly statement. How it has any relevance to a video chat is beyond me

[@shanerorko8076]

Just have a advanced+ cert for high power. The course can include EME safety, it's the simple solution and will work.

[@HamRadioDX]

Would work pretty easy then

[@VK6ZMS]

Most informative, thanks !

[@michaelhope007]

I cannot get onto the WIA website for the following reason Security Certificate Expires On Sunday, November 20, 2022 at 10:29:59 AM.

[@HamRadioDX]

Yeah they are working on it from what I heard

[@vk2icj]

Thank you for all the time you are putting into this. It is a tough spot you are in and likely cannot please everyone. I really appreciate your efforts in representing us.

[@michaelhope007]

I have read all the documents put out my ACMA and all the responses. I have been reading all afternoon and watched this video again and I still cannot see how this will be able to be free. There has to be costs somewhere. Maybe this is why the majority of respondents went for Option One Status Quo. I can see the costs associated with the way it runs now and I honestly don't mind paying the $55 or whatever it is. It's a dollar a week or something maybe more I don't know. Free to me doesn't seem to be an attraction. But it's happening anyway. I hope it works. Subject to the outcomes of this consultation and implementation of operational arrangements to support the proposed class licence, the ACMA intends to implement the proposed class-licensing arrangements from 1 July 2023.

[@kyhwana]

Here we in ZL we pay a one off fee to the ARX (or join a club with an ARX) for the exam, who then uploads the results to the RSM database, then there are no further costs and we keep our callsign for the rest of our lives.

[@PeterAichberger-u9f]

All bands and 1kw output for foundation operations will strengthen the hobby

[@tulenik71]

For me as european ham, this was really interesting. In Europe, we all have class licensing, mostly based on CEPT recommendations (and it was here for decades even before CEPT stepped into). In my country (and most of others), there are 2 separate documents: proficiency certificate (proof I passed the exam - CEPT Novice or "top class" HAREC; this certificate is internationally recognized in the countries recognizing/accepting corresponding CEPT recommendations, so I can apply for e.g. Czech or Austrian callsign by using it; my former gf did it other way using HAREC certificate issued in Portugal to obtain Slovak license) and after obtaining that certificate I can apply for a license (it is not even called - quite archaically - "license" or "concession" anymore, it is literally "authorization for using frequency allocation", but in English/French/German translation - mandatory to be internationally valid under CEPT agreements (translations are a part of the document) still the word "license" is used. (In my language, using archaicisms like concession/license bear a notion of forcing people to a kind of serfdom :D) Callsign is assigned in that second ("license") document. Only one per person, as it really is personal identification (I don't really understand a need for several callsigns with the exception of contests or special events - these special callsigns are valid for 1 year). It is possible to change callsign when changing class from N ( = CEPT Novice certificate) to E ( = HAREC). In that case, you can choose shorter callsign (2 characters instead of 3) IF YOU WANT. It is also possible to change callsign when moving to other region (that number between country prefix and suffix in OM1XYZ is based on my region, but it is not mandatory to change it when moving). At the end, when you see 2 character suffix you know it is E class operator. With 3 character suffix, you know nothing, exactly like Jon Snow :D In Finland, they dropped "licenses" completely. Callsign is listed on their certificate of proficiency which is valid as an authorization for using frequency allocation, too. Why would you take an exam if you wouldn't want to apply for a license. Even in my country, you can apply directly in the exam room after you will pass, they will fill the number of your certificate after issuing it (it takes several days - exams are in one of the monitoring stations of our regulator, but offices are in other place) to your application and they will send you both documents together. I didn't get why is somebody afraid about impossibility to build his own equipment. There is some criticism here about Novice class having "too hard" technical part but it is there exactly to allow building equipment. What significantly reduced any homebrewing? Regulations for spurious emissions and other EMC/EMI standards in the first place (and this is one question you can get during exam). And they are here from late 70s. Regarding EME. Guys, it is well known fact radio frequencies as non-ionizing part of the spectrum are pretty f*ing safe. On the top of that, Australia is barely inhabited :D here, in the centre of overcrowded Europe, we have 750 W max (E class, N class 100 W) and we can apply for even more. EME regulations are here mostly to try calm down paranoid public, but should we be slaves of uneducated crowd?! :/ Ironically, almost all that crowd use cell phones = are exposed to much higher doses than me directly under 750 W antenna. (This part is about voting scientifically/technically educated lawmakers not dependent on the hurt feelings of general crowd. That can be a problem...) I just recalled similar pseudo-problem about possible health issues with LEDs in late 70s/early 80s (those LEDs were of course nowhere near our high power LEDs, but there were quite esoteric speculations how in direct contact of red LED with your skin - a thing normal for all of us using HR meters/oxymeters built in sport watches - can harm you). Bullshits like that not only should be stopped, they shouldn't even be allowed to start...

[@VK4MUD]

Thank you all for putting together this session. It was most informative and explained it all quite well.

[@HamRadioDX]

Thanks John, hope you’re well mate!

[@PeterAichberger-u9f]

Only difference between amateur radio and CB Radio you don't have to pay a service fee for CB Radio foundation licence and old corrupt exam services have added to the demise of amateur radio

[@robertnitschke89]

I had my Australian Ham Licence taken from me because I missed the due date for annual payment.

[@HamRadioDX]

If it was recently, you can contact ACMA to renew it. If not, you can apply again for a callsign with your exam results with the AMC

[@floyd1526]

what so there is no control

[@Ressy66]

Firstly, a rant, viewing after the fact, since todays WIA news announced this which occurred last night, should have been in last weeks news I think, :) I'm 19 mins in and have already had to ensure 7 forced add views...... EDITED 9 adds now in 30 mins, sorry can not watch any more of this, worse than television. I have a view on this working groups, but thats for another reply.

[@HamRadioDX]

Adverts you can blame on KZbin, they are horrendous at it lately

[@shanerorko8076]

@@HamRadioDX Don't you have the option on how many adds there are?

[@HamRadioDX]

Not on auto placements, it takes several hours to days for YT to automatically place ads too, so not something that can be done immediately.

[@thunderc4s]

What a mess. Good luck getting ARRL LotW certificate issued without being able to provide your license document.

[@Ressy66]

My opinion on the working group is mates looking after mates, full calls looking after full calls, in sect 8 I think it was, they are justifying with lots of info and pretty pictures showing why they need higher power for HF, then 2 points later they say they are happy for foundations to stay at measly 10w because thats ample for enjoyment so shouldnt change. Highly contradictory. I've lost count of the number of foundations who have called into DX nets and the only people they can talk to are locals, I've directly heard two of them talk about it on 2 metres, " whats the point " and "yeah CB is free no exams, rules and much the same coverage" the whole point of foundations was to give them " a taste" how do you think they feel when they can hear 20 stations in one dx net 5-9+15 or more, and they cant eve be heard... you'd give up too ! I've also heard one foundation station on HF openly spruk he runs 100w and can easily be heard by US stations, and doesnt care he's flouting the rules, this guy is in his 80s and admits to doing it for over 10 years. So perhaps the working group should represent all hams and not just their full call mates.

[@shanerorko8076]

Also Foundation aren't allowed on 20m? If your a foundation and are limited to 10w guess what you can't run a hex beam on 20m or a 20m yagi to get some gain. We all know 40m is either dipoles, coil loaded verticals or end feds, these all have low gain. I'm on foundation and I'm trying to find some where to upgrade, let's just say I might’ve accidentally knocked the power slider I'll make sure I check it's at 10w next time.

[@shanerorko8076]

I also don't see why Foundation licence holders can't use higher power, say up to 400w, but have them in a section of the band close to centre so any mistakes won't be the end of the world. Also especially in the 10m band restricting less advanced licence holders to centre for higher power levels would be ideal. The whole argument with power levels is spurious emissions which can be managed, yes it might effect other Hams but seriously get on 40m and there is always a faint background signal from a DX station so what's the big deal with spurious emissions if contained within the band?

[@michaelhope007]

@@shanerorko8076 Even 100 watts to allow them to use to 7300 etc to its full potential.

[@tulenik71]

Again, european viewpoint: in most countries, "lower" class has 100 W (what is commonly comercially available without expensive external PA). There are exceptions, mostly in the parts of secondary allocation (used by hams on non-interference basis) with 10 W or even 1 W max, what is indicated in bandplans. That applies to the holders of E class, too (lower power is here to limit the possibility of interferences). Of course there are some exceptions (in Czech republic novices have 10 W only). Band allocation - traditionally, european novices can use noisy and hard to use 160 m, then 80 m and on the other side of HF spectrum, 15 and 10 m, Usually as a "bonus", they have DX segments cut off. That means limitation to night bands or bands usable only when sun activity is high enough. Then a part of 2 m/70 cm and as a bad joke, almost unlimited access to microwaves. Fortunately in some countries, from 2022 including mine, we have all bands all modes and the only difference is 100 W max vs 750 W max. However, I am living in the middle of the city and I have no possibility to place HF antenna anywhere, so I am predominantly portable QRP operator (at my QTH, there is only 80-10 m magloop). When the bands are open, 10 W is good enough for almost anything, with the exception when billion kW users howl me down.

[@michaelhope007]

VK5MCH. I am the third youngest member of my club and I am 61. I have had my licence 1 year and wish I had have gotten into this a lot earlier. None of my friends know anything about amateur radio and are amazed that I have the equipment I do. It seems to me that ACMA want nothing to do with this anymore and as numbers decline they will reclaim the bands we have been allocated for whatever use they see fit. I hate to say but I think this is the beginning of the end.

[@shanerorko8076]

They can't reclaim bands because internationally the interfearance would make the bands useless. Maybe in the UHF spectrum it would work. I don't think that to be the case anyway as there is plenty of spectrum left out there. The main band users are telecommunication companies, but there is a sweet spot for range, building penetration and data throughput which is about 400mhz to 1.5ghz, outside these bands there's not much the telecos want, maybe 1.5ghz and up for dish links.

[@HamRadioDX]

It’s been the beginning of the end of ham radio for over 50 years! 😂

[@shanerorko8076]

@@HamRadioDX I'm only 34 so I'll just agree 👍

[@shanerorko8076]

@@crazyham like I said already, they can't use bands that internationally are used by hams. Think about a company in Australia buying the 40m band for commercial use....... it's not going to be very good when international signals are interfering with commercial use. No engineer would advise that being a good idea to an Australian company. VHF and UHF can duct from Indonesia to the north half of Australia so they aren't much use either. The only bands I can see being at risk is 23cm and higher, but again 5g already has massive issues using the upper sections of frequency allocated to 5g. TV and Radio broadcasting is slowly dying out to internet connections so they will go before Ham radio freeing up more space. But there is soooooo much spectrum space out there it's likely not going to get used anyway. Mobile data is pretty set at the moment and there is no need to expand the current network.

[@shanerorko8076]

@@crazyham HF doesn't have the through put for local coms like WIFI and Bluetooth ect. The reason data is done predominantly on 500mhz plus is the FFT allows more data throughput.

[@robertjanoska4476]

Thanks for the great video explaining the ACMA's position and the WIA's response so far. Many thanks to all involved in the process, much appreciated. WIA member 345520 Rob VK2VH/VK4AAC

[@HamRadioDX]

Thanks Rob for watching