I'm having doubts about my own sanity in regard to recent discussions surrounding Field Day.
Former FCC division chief John Johnston, W3BE, wrote in his Rules & Regulations column in the May issue of World Radio some opinions that represent the most restrictive interpretations of FCC rules and Field Day I've ever seen.
His column touched on visiting hams and operating privileges before turning to the topic of Field Day. In Johnson's opinion, most Field Day operations conduct themselves illegally in the area of control operator and operating privileges.
According to Johnston, it is illegal for a Technician class licensee to operate HF outside of his/her privileges on Field Day, even if an Extra Class-licensed control operator is nearby .. or even sitting next to the operator at the same table.
In Johnston's interpretation, a Technician cannot exceed the privileges of their license. For Johnston, the issue becomes simply who is pushing the PTT button. According to him, the Tech cannot push the PTT and legally operate on General or Extra portions of the band. The only legal way a Tech can operate outside his/her privileges would be as a third-party operator, and be identified as such.
Johnston's interpretation of “control operator” goes well beyond the FCC's definition in Part 97. The rules only state the control operator is responsible for proper, legal operation of the transmissions. There's nothing in Part 97 that says the control operator must operate the PTT, though clearly from Johnson's article, he believes it is, or should be.
The article generated a lot of discussion on an Official Observer e-mail list I'm subscribed to. Some were happy for W3BE's clarification. Only one brave soul suggested that W3BE's interpretation was over-the-top, though his e-mail did get several who agreed with that opinion.
And now W3BE's article is hitting closer to home. Portions of his column were distributed to club members as evidence that we have been operating improperly for years during Field Day. The final comment pointed to the “fact” that if you're pushing the PTT on Field Day you can only operate your own privileges.
While making a change at Field Day that you can't operate outside your license won't affect me as an Extra Class licensee, it will change Field Day dramatically for those who are Techs. It goes against what the ARRL's FAQ has in its Field Day rules in this year's FD packet.
I've read Johnston's articles, and I've long considered him to be a rather bitter, grouchy gentleman who longs passionately for the “good old days” of Amateur Radio and can't accept the changes that he's seen in his 80 years on this Earth.
He's ranted and faved about dropping CW. He continues to berate the changes in the Technician question pool. I've heard it all from grouchy old farts before all over the ham bands. They're the same ones who say all the tests are easier, that you're only a “real” ham if you took your test in front of an FCC examiner, etc. GACK!
This move to squelch Field Day operation is another one of his bitter diatribes against the enjoyment of the hobby, and Field Day in particular. It's sad that a club member has repeated it as gospel, and that the changes it may cause will detract from everyone's enjoyment of Field Day.
73 es CUL … de KY4Z … dit dit