Wireless LAN mentioned in research paper

[jlinton]

Amateur radio and the challenge of change

A review of amateur radio, past, present and future by two long-time
radio amateurs has found that major changes are desperately needed to
ensure the hobby can survive.

The authors, Jim Linton VK3PC and Roger Harrison VK2ZRH, through their
research demonstrate that Amateur radio in Australia has been in decline

for the past five or six years, and propose a way forward to address
this serious situation.

Their paper, entitled “Amateur radio and the challenge of change,”
recommends major changes to the Australian amateur radio examination and

licensing system. The theme of the paper, which will be published soon,
is that the radio amateur community in Australia needs sustainable
growth.

It is important to encourage people into the hobby who retain their
licence and their interest in amateur radio. A hobby that continues to
interest, challenge or reward them.

The paper states that it is not only a matter of amateur licensee
numbers, but also the need to boost on-air activity by radio amateurs.
With fewer radio amateurs each year, and very few newcomers getting on
the air at every opportunity with their infectious enthusiasm, there is
less activity.

Less activity results in existing radio amateurs finding amateur radio
less interesting, and their activity drops off too. It has in recent
years led some to leave the hobby and cancel their licence.

The Linton-Harrison Paper 2003 looks at Class-licensed Wireless Local
Area Network equipment that has sparked an amateur-type boom in
non-commercial wireless networking, throughout Australia.

Increasingly, the Wireless Local Area Network hobbyists are potential
future radio amateurs – if the licensing system can be made attractive
to them.

The paper also touches on the declining interest in science and
technology and in technical education in Australia, and how amateur
radio could help boost the attractiveness science and engineering as a
career option for young people.

Linton-Harrison contend that the amateur licensing system and the
examination syllabuses  have become irrelevant because they are well
behind the times. The whole licensing structure, the examination system
and syllabuses need a fundamental rethink.

It is essential that a new system of examination for amateur licences
must take into account our prevailing social conditions.

Australia must embrace the ITU Recommendation on amateur qualifications
of August 2001 – and reflect these in its licensing system as quickly as

possible.

Linton-Harrison propose:
.. An Unrestricted Licence, with all the licence conditions of the
existing AOCP; and
.. An Entry Level Licence, with licence conditions appropriate to the
licensee’s understanding of radio system technologies and operations,
without unduly restricting the opportunity to learn by experience and
experiment.

A new syllabus, and thus a new exam system, is needed for both.

The authors say the current AOCP and Novice syllabuses are bloated well
beyond the technical and operational basics needed to ensure essential
understanding of elementary electronics and radio communication systems.

The Linton-Harrison paper does not adopt the framework of the British
Foundation licence.
They believe that Australia’s new Entry Level Licence should not be
strictly an “operators’ licence” – a simple permit to use a
type-approved transceiver.

Entry Level Licensees should be able to enjoy the thrill and
satisfaction of operating a radiocommunication system under as many
circumstances and conditions and on a wide variety of bands across the
RF spectrum as they wish to explore.

This should be in keeping with long-standing amateur radio tradition and

in line with the ITU definition, which says amateur radio exists for the

purpose of self-training, intercommunication and technical
investigations.

Under the Linton-Harrison proposal the Unrestricted licence would
continue to enjoy the same licence conditions as the present
(Unrestricted) AOCP.

The authors propose that the conditions of Entry Level licensees should
generally provide for access to most amateur bands from 1.8 MHz through
to 5.65 GHz, all currently permitted transmission modes, and 100 watts
transmitter output power maximum. Long experience with the Novice
Licence has proved that there is little or no risk in them using 100
watts output power.

The time to act is now, before the World Radiocommunication Conference
makes a decision on the future licensing requirements for amateur radio.

The amateur radio community and the Wireless Institute of Australia must

be ready to take action to revitalise the amateur radio licensing system

at the earliest opportunity.

If action is not taken, the continued decline of amateur radio will lead

to its ultimate demise.

The Linton-Harrison Paper 2003 can be read at
wiavic.org.au/lintonharrison/