4 ms·

The reason to gatekeep on that knowledge is because the Amateur license is unique in giving you the legal authority to design and build your own transmitters an

by 7402 5y ago

The reason to gatekeep on that knowledge is because the Amateur license is unique in giving you the legal authority to design and build your own transmitters and antennas, and to operate on dozens of bands from 135 kHz to 275 GHz and up, at powers up to 1500 watts. If you just want to operate a store-bought radio, there are much easier ways to go about it, e.g., MURS, GMRS, FRS, CB. Also the Technician-class ham license has an easier test than the General-class one linked above. It's certainly reasonable to start with that one.

progman32 5y ago
That's fair, and yet the exam doesn't seem to differentiate on what I want to work on. If I don't know about how ICs work or can't exactly remember what the speed of light is, should that prevent me from getting a license? What if I'm mostly interested in SDR? Should that prevent me from being part of the safety net that hams claim to provide? What about participating in other aspects of the hobby, like DX, general socializing, operating a relay, communicating with space hardware, etc? I guess I'm unclear what the concrete value of gatekeeping on sections other than the ones I listed are.
- giantrobot 5y ago
  Most SDRs are RX only so there's zero need for a license for them. As for the other points, the Technician license is super easy and you can pass it with minimal study. If you can't pass the Technician exam, you'd actually be hard pressed to meaninvcully participate in those activities you listed. If you don't know the regulations around operating a repeater how are you going to operate a repeater? If you don't understand just a little about radio propagation how are you going to actually do any DXing or communicate with space hardware? Ham licenses exist because radio transmissions affect other people and not just yourself. If you don't know what you're doing to can keep me, your neighbor, from participating in the hobby because your TX power is too high or your antenna is just an untuned jamming device.
mike_d 5y ago
There is never a legitimate reason to gatekeep knowledge. Every time I hear this pearl clutching from hams I like to remind them that the biggest threat to their hobby isn't rouge transmitters and antennas or someone stepping on their transmission - but nobody giving a shit about them anymore. If you keep new people from entering the hobby it will completely die off and eventually all that spectrum will be reallocated to useful things like cellular.
- tshaddox 5y ago
  Gatekeeping on the knowledge. Not gatekeeping the knowledge.
  - Retric 5y ago
    Yes, it’s a lot like fireworks as a hobby. Everyone has easy and open access to the basics ie walkie-talkie/bottle rockets, it’s only the higher powered versions that require a license. For example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Radio_Service https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Radio_Service

by 7402 5y ago

progman32 5y ago

That's fair, and yet the exam doesn't seem to differentiate on what I want to work on. If I don't know about how ICs work or can't exactly remember what the speed of light is, should that prevent me from getting a license? What if I'm mostly interested in SDR? Should that prevent me from being part of the safety net that hams claim to provide? What about participating in other aspects of the hobby, like DX, general socializing, operating a relay, communicating with space hardware, etc? I guess I'm unclear what the concrete value of gatekeeping on sections other than the ones I listed are.

giantrobot 5y ago
Most SDRs are RX only so there's zero need for a license for them. As for the other points, the Technician license is super easy and you can pass it with minimal study. If you can't pass the Technician exam, you'd actually be hard pressed to meaninvcully participate in those activities you listed. If you don't know the regulations around operating a repeater how are you going to operate a repeater? If you don't understand just a little about radio propagation how are you going to actually do any DXing or communicate with space hardware? Ham licenses exist because radio transmissions affect other people and not just yourself. If you don't know what you're doing to can keep me, your neighbor, from participating in the hobby because your TX power is too high or your antenna is just an untuned jamming device.

mike_d 5y ago

There is never a legitimate reason to gatekeep knowledge. Every time I hear this pearl clutching from hams I like to remind them that the biggest threat to their hobby isn't rouge transmitters and antennas or someone stepping on their transmission - but nobody giving a shit about them anymore. If you keep new people from entering the hobby it will completely die off and eventually all that spectrum will be reallocated to useful things like cellular.

tshaddox 5y ago
Gatekeeping on the knowledge. Not gatekeeping the knowledge.
- Retric 5y ago
  Yes, it’s a lot like fireworks as a hobby. Everyone has easy and open access to the basics ie walkie-talkie/bottle rockets, it’s only the higher powered versions that require a license. For example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Radio_Service https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Radio_Service