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FCC Proposes Abolishing Morse Code Requirement
TaxSlave writes "According to this ARRL article, the Federal Communications Commission has finally decided which path it wants to take with the Morse Code requirement for an amateur radio license. International requirements for Morse Code were done away with some time back, and several countries quickly abolished the requirement. Now, the FCC has proposed doing the same thing. Next step, months of comments, discussion, and navel-gazing."
The entry-level ticket, Technician, is just a written test, no morse. You also have no HF privileges (VHF and up only). However, as a Technician you can take a morse test and become a Technician Plus, and gain a limited set of HF privileges.
:-P
If you take a second written test, and pass the morse test, now you are a General with most HF privileges.
Take a third written test (no more morse test, you already passed that) and now you're an Extra, with all privileges.
Yeah, I'm a no-code Technician. Don't plan to learn code, either. I hope the FCC votes to remove the code requirement for HF, but I also hope that a portion of each band is reserved only for those who do pass a code test. That way, they can go there to get away from us no-code schmucks who are cluttering up the rest of the frequencies.
DRM 'manages access' in the same way that a prison 'manages freedom'
This stupid code requirement has kept me from ham radio for 30 years. Had a FCC 1st class at 16. Went to military comm school, after a extra month in class learned to type (5 letter code groups perfect) but could not learn morse. (dyslexia)
Drop it TODAY!
In GOD we trust, all others we monitor.
A more profound question is the following. What is the point of amateur radio when the Internet has connected most of the globe?
Can you do it without infrastructure? Didn't think so.
For me the point is the electronics. I really enjoy building something from scratch than can communicate around the globe and only spending a couple of dollars to do it. Radio propagation is also quite amazing.
You are right though, the draw is not to be able to talk to people around the globe, the internet serves that purpose just fine. It is the hobby aspect that I enjoy.
Well, and the civic service part too. Providing communications in cases of emergency is a noble goal. As a past commander of a search and rescue team I have seen amateur radio used in this capacity as well.
What I don't understand is how some computer geeks seem to have this major hatred toward amateur radio (and vice versa, but not as much). If you don't like it, don't do it.
Finkployd
I'm a "lowly" no-code tech ticket holder. As my more 'estemed' HF brothern might call me, a 'tech-lite' operator.
Still, who is it these 'extra class' operators go to when their windows 98 PCs can no longer retrieve their email over their dial up AOL connections due to SAM ware infestation.
Who do they call when they decide to try DSL but can't figure out where on their PC to connect the ethernet cable.
Who do they go to when they receive some e-mail attachement and can't open it (often because their pirated copy of MS Office gorked) - or do manage to get it opened and gomer their system with the worm de jour.
Who is it they go to when they *finaly* decide to try and do something other than whine about hemeroids and the good old days on 20m SSB and connect something like a TNC to their radios, but just can't seem to figure out the lines of an RS-232 link - let alone the pins of a DB-9 (don't ever show 'em a DB-25, they'll stroke out!).
Who is it they call up when they need someone to climb their tower, install a new rotor, replace cable or other maintenance.
(I've got dozens more, but I'm trying to be reasonable here)
And yet - who is it that's not allowed to use HF simply because I refuse to learn an out-dated mode championed by these same 'Technical Leaders'.
I've passed the General written 3 times waiting for this stupid rule to be changed. FINALLY some sense!!
If you love CW, cool - keep on using it. There's NOTHING that says or will say it can't be used. And there'll be many that choose to learn it and continue to operate CW, if for nothing else, the novilty. Enjoy it. But for crying out loud - increase the difficulty of the question pool, tighten the passing score, up the number of questions, make the questions more technical, don't make the question pool public - something applicable to today. Don't rely on a CW test to be your LID filter! Checked 20m lately? It didn't work.
Using CW as a 'barrier' to HF access is about like saying you can't use email unless you can hand code a TCP/IP frame. Or you can't drive a car unless you can cast and machine your own piston rings.
Some of these guys were the gurus of the hollow state erra. But dammit - if you're going to be in a technical hobby, at least TRY and stay current to the last decade's tech! It's about time the license exams became pertinant.
You know - what's worse is what I anticipate happening when the first batch of codeless Generals hit the air. These old hams will use the same tricks of the CBers to try and discourage their new neighbors from using *their* spectrum. Insults, language, over driven amplifiers, intentional interfearance, dare I say - echo mikes...
Instead of a CW exam, every hf operator should be forced to pass an operational review - every freak'n year! Where're the OOs? Where's the log review? Where's the 'self policing' of the hobby? Oh - that's right - you've had a CW exam to take care of that.....
Yea, I posted Anonymously - if some of these HF rag-chewers ever found out who I was, they'd never call for help next time they get phished, gorked a drive, accidentaly deleted their system directory, tried to make a wireless keyboard work, had to install a VOX chip into their new rig, couldn't remember how to program their HT, wanted to update the club's web site.....