I agree with Kelly that $50 isn't much for most operators. Especially if you compare that to the cost of the equipment that many operators invest in as they progress in the hobby. I think that most folks will pay to renew/upgrade their license. However, I do have several concerns. I say this as a relatively new operator, so, take it with a grain of salt but this hobby seems to be on the decline. Anything that discourages new licensee's and/or renewal's is bad.?
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There may be quite a few older folks on fixed incomes that will be hit with this $50 fee unexpectedly. I think some may have invested in their equipment when they were younger and had more disposable income but this fee may just cause them to not renew, sell their stuff, and get out of the hobby.?
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Also, I wonder how much of an effect it will have on the "prepper" crowds who get their Tech license just to legally use a UV-5R with a cheap base station/repeater for the SHTF scenarios. I'm sure many operators would say they are not "true" HAM's and good riddance?but some of the people who get into the hobby as a prepper realize what amateur radio has to offer and become "true" operators. Before, the GMRS service was a $70 fee and the HAM option costs $14 with a relatively easy test. Now, the GMRS fee and HAM fee will be the same (HAM might even be more if the $14 testing fee remains) but GMRS doesn't have a test. Just fill out the paperwork and pay the fee. I think that will most likely end up being the path those people take.?
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And to Tommy's point, how many people will just stay as a General and not progress to the Extra class. It may seem like $50 is a trivial barrier to becoming an Extra for hard core operators (especially considering the required knowledge level to pass the exam). But it will for sure discourage some folks from pursuing the upgrade. As fewer people use the Extra class bands, will the FCC take that extra bandwidth away?
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Overall I see this as a detriment to the hobby with zero value added. Once again, speaking from the perspective of a relatively new operator, amateur radio has a reputation for being as much of a public service fielded by volunteers as a hobby for pure enjoyment. Most activities are based (in theory) on honing your skills and improving your equipment so that you could be of service if needed. Beyond the obvious emergency communication needs, I've seen in the Austin area amateur operators donating their time and equipment to local events such as marathons and bicycle races to provide communication between checkpoints along the courses (some of which spanned tens of miles between cities). Of course cell phones could have been used but it would have been much more difficult then the coordinated net that the local HAM club had setup for these events. As one David Wasmer, AD0BE, pointed out in a comment on a HAM related website, "Over the last 15 years, the FCC has enjoyed an 80% increase in it's annual budget." Does the FCC really need $50 to cover the cost of an essentially automated process? If amateur radio was used for profit or purely entertainment, I could almost see the justification. Like Kelly said, I hope the ARRL folks can put up a decent fight on this one.?
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KG5SVM
William Collier
