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LETTERS
This is in response to your letter of February
19, 1969, concerning the implementation of the
second phase of the incentive licensing frequency
reservations. In esta blish ing the time schedule fo r
the reserva tions of frequencies in Docket 159 28.
the Commission states that "Notwithstanding th is
schedule, the Commission inte nds care ful review
and if it is determined that there is insufficient occupancy
of any part of the reserved frequency segments.
then the effective date of the implementation
date will necessarily be stayed in whole or in
part, as ap propriate." T his sta tement has been reiterated
in a number of Commissio n actions since
the de term ina tion in Docket 159 28.
A peti tion ( RM 1393) is on file req uesting the
Commissio n to rescind that portion of Docket
15928 which would reserve additional frequencies
in th e 7 Mc /s and 14 Mc/s bands for Ex tra Class
licensees. As previously stated, the Commission will
revi ew the occupancy of the segments now reserved
and determ ine, prior to the November 22, 1969,
scheduled date fo r implementation of the second
frequency reservation, whether additional reservations
are justified.
James E. Barr
Chief, Safety and Special Radio Services Bureau
F .C.C.
Say Wayne, I just picked up 73 a nd liked very
much your thoughts on incen tive licensing. Your
positive approach to this and other matters merits
careful attention. I also, of course, note your continu
ing license study artic les. which arc by far the
best that have appeared in ha m publications. I
have been helping some hams with so me of the basics
for their lice nses (I hope) and your articles
have saved me some time of having to go into Terman
or the ARRL handbook, etc. T ha nks to yo u
and your staff for publish ing these articles and not
just questions and answers as have some of the other
magazmes.
Incidently, you mention othe r mags say ing
things about 73 ; yes, I have read these and started
adding certain things up; in fact, I went back several
years in the various ham magazines an d read about
what is and was goi ng on. You are right and they
arc wrong. Say, Wayne, do teU us all about the
IAR U, CQ, and other things that the amateurs are
anxiously waiting to hear about. Don't be too
harsh on the ARRL though, they are trying to do a
good job handling all that traffic and keeping the
nets on frequency and holding electio ns and partitioning
the fCC and stuff like that there.
Bob. W7JlU
Portland, Oregon
I consider 73 to be one of the fin est magazines
in the amateur radi o field , or indeed, in any field.
This is about the fourt h yea r I have been reading 73
regularly and I have thoroughly enjo yed each and
every Issue.
In comparison to the tcchnistic pla titude that is
QST and the artistic mediocrity that is CO, 73, like
the farmer, is outs ta nding in its field. Yo u have
132
managed to keep a sense of humor thro ughout
these times of peril for amateur rad io in gene ral.
This is certainly a relief from the com petit io n who
feel that they can be dry and serio us for 11 months
o ut of the year if they make it up with a whopping
April issue.
In summa ry, then, I think 73 is the greatest,
and I since rely ho pe it ca n stay that wa y for many
years to come. Above all, I can only hope an d pray
that your idea that ham radio is / un will have a rebirth
among the elcctronistic and scicntistic types
who've pervaded the radiophonic wo rld recently.
My amateur Ex tra Class license notwithst anding,
I'd rather chew the rag about music, gi rls, politics,
or Uf-O's than build my own self-neutralized class
AB 2 variable-prebl e am pli fi er module with limitedfidelity
sideband autonizer.
Lon J . Berman, WB21Wl/2
Open Letter
If you did not read Wayne Gree n's excellent
edi torial in March 73 Magazine, you should have!
It was timely, point ed and full of meat!
Amateur Radio grea tly needs the sho t in the
a rm that a well-conducted Public Relations program
could give-provided that the PR people are
properly "Ama teur-Radio-oriented!" ARRL desperately
needs a better image with the Radio Amateur,
with the public and most of all with the U.S.
Government, to whom we owe our very existe nceand
continuence!
Wayne mentioned certain writers and a cartoo n­
ist who could hel p. There are many qualified writers
in the field who could and would contribute
articles and mate rial to this endeavor, given the
slightest opportuni ty-and acceptance by edito rs.
The capable Ray Meyers, \V6MLZ, it has been
reported, offered to serve ARRL as its PR man.
for the customary $ 1 a year, plus normal opera ting
expenses. Ray's q ualifications need not be di scussed
here-they are completely adequate, and his
devotion to Amateur Radio is well known through
many years ofdedicated service as a writer, lecturer,
Director of ARRL, and columnist. Ray's generous
offer was spurned by AR RL. Why?
ARR L's feeble attempts at PR have been through
NON-licensed-Amateur personnel. Alt hough Don
Waters did a commendable job on his reporting of
ARRL's status - it lacked the touch of a genuine
Amateur. fighting for his own hobby.
This writer urges YOU to im mediately contact
you r AR RL Director, by telepho ne or ma il, and
demand that ARRL institu te a program of PR,
with a "man in Wash ington" (a legalized hamlobbyist)
without delay. Let there be no referral to
a committee or a "study by the Secretary to determine
the need" or other typical procedural jazz by
the ARRL Board. Dema nd that the Directors, at
this meeting, set up such a program and that they
follow through to see that it is done. As Green
says. it may already be too late, but the effort must
be made. Take ac tion now!
In reference to Wayn e Green's mention of band
7 3 MAGAZ INE