At this point, the Certification Program only exists as a concept, with the details to be worked out. The first step in putting the program in place will be to solicit the ideas of ARRL members, via a Web-based message board, on appropriate topics to be included in the initial rollout. Whether or not you agree, it's certainly true that those of us who took our FCC exams years ago have never had to demonstrate an understanding of current technology. We could use a new challenge. The new Certification Program will offer participants an opportunity to earn credentials at various levels of depth and difficulty in different courses of study-perhaps in such areas as ionospheric propagation, receiver design, and Morse code proficiency.
Morse code continues to be a valuable and enjoyable skill for any radio amateur to possess.
He observed that the standards for ARRL certification could be more stringent and more uniform than those used for FCC exams. The Certification Program will be dedicated to her memory. During her lifetime, she financed the Exceptional Merit Stipend anonymously, although the funds initials also were her own. Sumner says a Web-based message board will be set up to gather input from members in terms of specific programs and areas of study or skills development they would like to see become part of the voluntary certification program. As he explained to the Board, the most difficult part of developing the program will be to determine the appropriate level of knowledge a participant must demonstrate to be ARRLcertified.