Draft SZR for the adjustment of permitting conditions and related regulations

The Slovak Association of Radio Amateurs has been cooperating with the Telecommunications Office since the spring of last year on changes to permitting conditions and related regulations.. The amateur public was informed about it by Ing. Kováčová at the TATRA meeting 2006. At the next meeting, which took place on Tuesday 16.1.2007 in the SZR premises, with the participation of Ing. Kováčová from TÚ SR and all three statutory bodies of SZR (OM3EI, OM0AAJ Jano, OM3JW), a specific proposal was submitted by the SZR.

The proposal concerns the following points:
Change of operator classes from the previous four (A, B, C, D) na dve (A a N). In class A (CEPT) all bands are allowed and max. performance 750 W. In class N, parts of the bands are allowed 1.8, 3.5, 10, 21, 28 MHz plus all VHF bands and max. performance 100 W.
The change of classes corresponds to the trend, how the development is going in Europe and other advanced amateur radio countries of the world. Class A will be a full-fledged class with all bands enabled, modes and the highest performance. Class N is intended for beginners and its purpose is preparation for class A. In class N, it will be possible to work in limited sections of KV bands, in the entire range of VHF bands, with limited performance 100 W. For example, they have a similar permit. in Germany.

Transformation of existing operator classes: Permit holders A, B and C will go to class A. Holders of class D permits will go to the so-called. intermediate class N1, where only VHF bands and max. performance 100 W.
Nothing will change for class A permit holders. Holders of Class B permits will be able to work at full capacity 750 W. Class C holders will benefit the most from the change, who will be able to work on all KV bands with full power 750 W. Holders of class D cannot automatically switch to class N, because they didn't do the operation test at KV. So that they can continue to broadcast within their current class, class N1 was created for them. If they want to get N class, they must pass the exam for class N. This is what we tried to do when designing the criteria for class transformation, so that no class is harmed against the current state. Classes B and C will get more power and more bands, classes A and D get nothing, but they won't lose anything either.

Repeal of the requirement for knowledge of telegraphy for the issuance of class A and N radio amateur licenses. The condition for obtaining class A will be 1 year of operation in class N and connection at least 500 connection (except for local FM connections and connections via converters).
The change corresponds to the trend, how the development is going in Europe and other advanced amateur radio countries of the world. Little, who will want to pass the telegraphy exam, they can request it from the Telecommunications Office, he will be obliged to test them and issue a certificate.

Add bandwidth 122 GHz to the frequency table.
Frequency range 122,25 – 130 GHz is reserved as a secondary for radio amateur service. Therefore, SZR requests that he complete the frequency table.

Conducting amateur radio tests: The exam will consist of two parts - written (test) and oral. The prerequisite for admission to the oral exam will be obtaining the specified number of points in the written part.
SZR requests, so that the exams are carried out transparently in the form of tests with scored answers. So that applicants can prepare for the exams, the questions and the correct answers will be published on the SZR portal on the Internet.

Lowering the age limit for issuing a radio amateur permit to 10 years.
SZR requests, so that children from 10 years, who will pass the exams. SZR is based on experience with youth courses, where even children significantly younger than 15 years, they can handle the exam questions and only because of their young age they cannot take the exams. A condition for issuing a permit would be the consent of the legal representative.

The proposal was accepted positively by the Telecommunications Office. The Office, within its competence, discusses the proposed changes and moves them to the comment procedure at the interdepartmental level. This process has its legally established time intervals intended for the statements of the concerned authorities, therefore, changes will occur only after a certain time. However, the process is already underway and the SZR will continue to cooperate with the TÚ SR on its implementation.

Organizing any coercive actions and petitions to abolish telegraphy, as conditions for issuing a permit, is completely unnecessary and rather counterproductive at this stage. Things have been in the works for a long time and it is only a matter of time, when the licensing authority will change the Regulation on Professional Qualification and the General Licensing Conditions for radio amateurs.

P.S. by the way, in the Permit Conditions there is no mention of the necessity of knowledge of telegraphy, therefore, the Regulation on Professional Qualification must be changed, which applies to all services, that is, in addition to amateur, also for aviation, shipping etc. A lesson: When I want to change something, so I'll read it first.

Roman Kudláč, OM3EI
president SZR

Note: published with the permission of OK1RR according to the original http://www.c-a-v.com/content.php?article.586