Volunteer Examiner Coordinators Discuss Question Pools, Restructuring

NEWINGTON, CT, Jul 28, 2004--The size, scope and comprehension level of Amateur Radio examination questions occupied much of the discussion as 11 of the nation's 14 Volunteer Examiner coordinators gathered this month in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. But conferees reached no firm conclusions as they anticipate FCC action on Amateur Radio restructuring. Several FCC staff members also were on hand for the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) annual meeting July 23. Bill Cross, W3TN, of the FCC's Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure Division told the VECs that the Commission--with help from some law school interns--is reviewing the approximately 6000 comments filed on various petitions regarding the Morse code exam requirement and Amateur Radio restructuring. The FCC has received 18 petitions addressing Morse code and restructuring, and Cross told the VECs that a restructuring decision is not imminent.

"He indicated that some time will be necessary to review all the comments to glean some consensus on the number of license classes, whether or not to retain Morse code as a licensing requirement for HF operation, the proposed auto-upgrading of certain license classes and what to call any new beginner's license," said ARRL VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ.

Cross also told the gathering that the FCC would soon announce extended comment/reply comment deadlines in the so-called Amateur Radio "omnibus" Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order (NPRM&O) in WT Docket 04-140 that dealt with several issues other than restructuring. The Commission released the NPRM&O on April 15, but it was never published in The Federal Register as required. The NPRM&O has attracted some 130 comments.

FCC Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth addresses the NCVEC conference. NCVEC Vice Chairman Jim Wiley, KL7CC, is at the left.

FCC Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth told the VECs he's "really aggravated" to still be dealing with enforcement issues resulting from a 1999 examination session in Yucaipa, California "where VEs apparently sold licenses." The situation occurred, Hollingsworth said, because "VEC management was asleep at the wheel" and not properly overseeing its program. He admonished the VECs that they have a responsibility to do more than "sit back comfortably unless you get a complaint."

"It was a failure of imagination--a failure to think on the part of the manager about what he was there for in the first place," said Hollingsworth--borrowing a phrase from the recent 9/11 Commission report. In the Yucaipa case, he said, several volunteer examiners signed off on 250 examinations in a 26-month period. In an earlier case involving exam sessions in Puerto Rico, Hollingsworth said, the FCC recalled 100 applicants for retesting, and only one showed up. Last week he reported 37 more retest actions pursuant to the FCC probe of six examination sessions in Yucaipa during 1999. He told the VECs he has more than 200 to go.

"I can tell you that so far I have been a fan of the VEC program," Hollingsworth said. "But if we have one more case of the magnitude of the Puerto Rico or Yucaipa cases, that's going to change fast." He pointed out that the FCC does not have to accept the services of any given VEC, and he said if any VECs are uncomfortable with taking responsibility for oversight, following up and random reviews of their test sessions, they can stop being VECs.

"You have an obligation to remain awake at the wheel, and the point is not how fast or easily you can do your job, but how well you can do it." He said today's applicants will determine the character of the Amateur Radio Service in the future. "If your own VEs are running a license factory right in front of you, we are going to hold you responsible."

By and large, Hollingsworth concluded, the VECs do a "great job, and I am proud of the system." But he said he expects the VECs to "add integrity to the process" and be vigilant to avoid future embarrassments and problems.

ARRL VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, addresses the 2004 NCVEC Conference while Fred Maia, W5YI, looks on.

The day before the NCVEC meeting, the FCC's Donna Scott gave the ARRL delegation an impromptu tour of the FCC Gettysburg licensing operation. Scott is checking the license printing log, while Jahnke observes. All FCC licenses are printed on security paper on a commercial grade laser printer. As many as 550 Amateur Radio Service license documents are printed each day.

Filling in for Question Pool Committee Chairman Scotty Neustadter, W4WW, Jahnke reported on the past year's QPC activities, which included release of a new General class (Element 3) examination pool. Jahnke repeated a call for input to the Amateur Extra class (Element 4) syllabus, but he noted that any Element 4 review may be suspended if and when the FCC proceeds toward restructuring and establishment of a new beginner's license.

The VECs were treated to a demonstration of a redesigned Universal Licensing System application search application and application archive. Dorothy Conway, associate chief of the FCC's Spectrum Management Resources and Technologies Division said the new search engine will be implemented in the near future. Conway said the FCC plans to reduce the size of its application database to retain just one year's worth of "live" data. Remaining data will be archived. The size of the database was slowing down the system, she explained.

Jim Wiley, KL7CC, of the Anchorage VEC provided an update on the remote areas testing system. Wiley indicated that the system is now up and that one student has been used for a trial run. He'll have a follow-up report at the next NCVEC meeting.

NCVEC Chairman Tom Fuszard, KF9PU, of the Milwaukee VEC, addresses the conferees.

Leading this year's conference was NCVEC Chairman Tom Fuszard, KF9PU, of the Milwaukee VEC, who was re-elected at the July 23 meeting. Also re-elected were Vice Chairman Jim Wiley, Secretary Steve Sternitzke, NS5I, of the W5YI VEC and Treasurer Ray Adams, W4CPA, of the Western Carolina Amateur Radio Society.

Chosen to serve on the Question Pool Committee were Larry Pollock, NB5X, of the W5YI VEC, Neustadter, Wiley and Jahnke. Wiley will chair the committee.

Assistant to the VEC Manager Perry Green, WY1O, ARRL Amateur Radio Education and Technology Program (ETP) Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME, and ARRL Vice President Kay Craigie, N3KN, also attended the NCVEC session. Spencer wrapped up the conference with a presentation on "The Big Project" that covered youth initiatives, instruction, motivating teachers and schools, and related ETP activities. He also displayed various project boards designed for classroom use.

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