verdesard0g
Adventurist
No test for a gmrs license. Just cold hard cash.
To be honest, I'm just NOT a big fan of ARLL and how they run their archaic, ham nerd mafia.
It's ridiculous in this day and age to have to seek out some random old codger on a local level for a pencil and paper exam given every 90 days at the local Feed and Seed... total rubbish.
But, that's the game so I like you will have to "kiss the ring" to be legal and get a call sign for simple trail comms. That's literally how far my interest extends, and why it's taken me so long. Their system of licensing and testing is arcane and elitist for no good reason IMHO.
It's the 21st century; the test should be available online.
Easily something that could be done at a Rendezvous.
The testing was setup that way to make the entrance into the hobby a bit tougher, or at least a bit more inconvenient, in an attempt to prevent CB users from flooding into frequencies and more powerful equipment where they could cause significant interference and problems. I will agree that this stems from a time when CB radio communication was much more popular, long before cell phones and the internet. It was also a time where your local HAM could knock out over the air TV signals for an entire neighborhood...generally not a concern anymore in many places. The more recent interferences I've seen noted are individuals operating HAM equipment interfering with prison radio systems, interfering with USCG operations and high jacking popular amateur frequencies purely to annoy other users and prevent legitimate communication. Removal of the code requirement portion of the exam opened up the hobby to many folks who wouldn't consider it before. When I was a teenager you still had to learn and be able to demonstrate the ability to send/receive Morse code in order to get a license. More recently the FCC has opened up the ability to get your certification online through some of the larger clubs out there, the Greater Los Angeles Amateur Radio Group for example: LINK
Folks using Amateur frequencies illegally and licensed HAMs operating outside of their class restrictions could be equated to people driving off road while not observing TREAD lightly guidelines, with the removal or restriction of frequencies being similar to the closing of trails and natural areas.
Ham Mafia just doesn't instill fear, but I'm totally getting a Doris from the DMV vibe from your description of them that seems pretty on point.
All of that is why I'm still using GMRS. Well that and you can just toss a newbie without trail comms an FRS radio and be up and running.
LOL, and that's why I'm doing both
OK time to spill the beans...
How do you keep your Glad so clean after driving it more than 50 feet off-road? Is there a Mobil detailing truck that follows you around? ;-)