What You’ve Told Us…

Reader Survey, May 2002

Our March survey asked for your views on two proposals to “refarm” the HF Novice bands, the ARRL’s and ours, plus your own thoughts on what should be done.

Half of you (50%) support the ARRL’s plan to add 25 kHz to each of the 75- and 40-meter phone bands, taking frequencies from the current Novice bands, while 30% think it will take too big a bite out of the CW subbands, 14% feel it doesn’t add enough voice frequencies, and 7% have no opinion. Nearly half of you (48%) also agree with the ARRL’s plan to give Novices and Technicians with code credit all General Class CW privileges on 80, 40, 15, and 10 meters, subject to the current 200-watt power limit, while just over one-third (34%) feel it would offer too many new privileges without upgrading, 14% agree parts of the plan, while 4% feel there aren’t enough new privileges, and only 1% have no opinion.

CQ proposed opening up full General Class CW and digital privileges to Novices and Techs with code credit. Nearly half of you (49%) feel that would give too many privileges without upgrading, while 36% like the plan, 11 % agree in part, 1% feel the plan offers too little, and 3% have no opinion.

What would you prefer? There was no consensus on the Novice bands, with 29% saying to leave them as they are, 25% saying keep them CW-only, a nearly equal number (24%) calling for larger phone bands than proposed, 8% wanting smaller phone bands than proposed and 14% with no opinion. On the question of HF privileges for Novices and Techs with code credit, 46% say they should have only code privileges, 39% agree with adding digital privileges, and 24% want more phone privileges; 43% think frequency privileges should stay as they are, 41% say add more, and 8% say take some away. The only point of agreement is keeping the 200-watt power limit (84%), while 12% feel more power should be permitted.

Thank you to all who responded. This month’s winner of a free one-year subscription to CQ is John Holmes, W9ILY, of Aok Lawn, Illinois.

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