SB QST @ ARL $ARLB017
ARLB017 FCC issues changes in Amateur Radio rules (Part 2)

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ARRL Bulletin 17  ARLB017
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  April 2, 1997
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB017
ARLB017 FCC issues changes in Amateur Radio rules (Part 2)

Responding to a petition by the National Conference of
Volunteer-Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC), the FCC said VECs could
elect to designate a session manager if they wanted to, but they
would not be required to do so.  The Commission's new rules
recognize the VE session manager function but emphasize that the
three Volunteer Examiners at a test session would still be held
''jointly and severally responsible for the proper conduct of each
examination administered.''

Another change will allow hams to include a self-assigned indicator
before, after or both before and after the assigned call sign when
identifying.  Current rules only permit using such indicators after
the station's regular call sign.  Self-assigned indicators include
those used to indicate location or type of operation, such as /KP2
when operating in the US Virgin Islands or /m when operating in a
vehicle.  They also can denote participation in an unusual event or
other atypical station operation, according to the FCC.

Citing mostly negative comments, the FCC decided against allowing
exam credit for formerly held amateur operator licenses.  The
Commission also said ''no' to the ARRL's suggestion that the operator
license be valid for the lifetime of the holder.  The FCC said
operators would still have to renew their station licenses every ten
years and that it did not want to maintain a separate database to
keep track of station license expirations.

The FCC announced all of the rules changes in a Report and Order,
FCC 97-99, adopted March 20 and issued April 1.  The amendments
become effective 30 days after the Report and Order is published in
The Federal Register.

(END OF PART 2)
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