Hugo Gernsback Saw Our Future

[WB6FTI]

In the too-long and much overblown debate over Morse code as a testing requirement, it might be helpful if we could ask the original radio pioneers - those who marveled and assisted in radio's development in the early 1900's - what direction we should turn to see our future. And thanks to Thomas White and his exhaustive "United States Early Radio History" site (earlyradiohistory.us), we can.

With the end of the restrictions on private citizens using radio, which had been in place during World War One, and the restoration of Amateur radio, Hugo Gernsback reactivated the Radio League of America, and wrote about the exciting advances that had taken place during the previous two years. In his June, 1919 issue of "The Electrical Experimenter" he writes glowingly of amateur radio's future:

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"> # #As soon as the newspapers published the welcome tidings on April 15th that the ban on receiving was off, hundreds of thousands of amateurs began dusting off their sets and aërials blossomed forth over night by the thousands to resume their former activities once more.
# #And wonders upon wonders! When we put our sets away two years ago we were accustomed to hear nothing but the crisp dots and dashes in flute-like, staccato sounds coming from the high power stations which we all had learned to love. But the war has changed everything--even radio, for now the radio telephone has come into its own.
# #Where formerly there was nothing but the tah-de-dah in our phones, the ether is now filled with the human voice flung far and broad over the land--nay, over the oceans--and as the months roll by the dots and dashes will grow less and less, and the human voice will come in over our aërials more and more, which is as it should be.
# #The writer has always contended that wireless telephony was the logical outcome of radio, and in years to come only the commercial high power stations will operate their dots and dashes with their high speed machines where the voice would not be as reliable. But the future of Radio Amateurism in this country is centered upon the radio telephone. While no doubt many of us will still cling to the dots and dashes, the radio telephone will probably soon be used in overwhelming numbers.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

How prophetic and instructive.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends of amateur radio, here is a voice of hope speaking from the dust. Mr. Gernsback no doubt echoed the sentiment of his day - his science fiction, which has become our science fact - that "... the future of Radio Amateurism in this country is centered upon the radio telephone ... and as the months roll by the dots and dashes will grow less and less, and the human voice will come in over our aërials more and more, which is as it should be." To those who still cling to the dots and dashes, continue if you wish; but the future of Radio Amateurism is in Gernsback's Tomorrow, not his Today.

Thank you.

[ei5ja]

One of the few men of vision in this hobby.
Ar dheis De a bfhuil a nAnam

73 Ed

[KG4VLQ]

WBGFTI,

Thanks for posting this pertinent observation by Hugo Gernsbeck. He was a great Science Fiction writer as well and many of us read everything he wrote by the time we were 12. No doubt he knew about SSB being done with the spark gap and then the great move forward done by Major Armstrong. Major Armstrong was a great man as well, in many ways too good for this world.

73
frank
KG4VLQ

Hugo is NOT in the dust. He is sitting right here beside me.

TOM K8ERV

[w1ppy]

...And from analog voice to digital voice (and of crs, data), we will go to light impulses instead of electrons. Where will it go from the on/off of digital, if the leap is as much as it was from analog to digital ? THAT, if you ask me, is the fascination of electricital/electronic/communications. I can't wait !

Just because they remove the *requirement* for CW, doesn't mean we have to STOP using it, just like the availability of SSTV, or PSK31, or SATCOM doesn't mean you HAVE TO use it, either.

Geez ~ am I sick of this debate...

Carry on.

[M3SDE]

A big thank you to all of the pioneers of our fine hobby! The discussion for morse as a legal requirement has rumbled on for decades now. The beauty of this hobby we love is that there are so many aspects of the Radio Communications that we can all enjoy at whatever level we choose whether it is using morse or phone, DX'peditions, IOTA's, building projects, antennae projects, computer / radio projects. As time goes by latest science technology adds another dimension to the phenomenon we all passionately have so many views on.
The fact is that relaxing the morse requirement has opened up the hobby to so many thousands more members of the public to our hobby. For whatever reason, whether it be lack of time to study morse or lack of interest in morse, these people are now licensed Hams and whilst we should always keep morse as a important part of our hobby, we must always remember Hugo Gernsback for his roll in the hobbies past.
I just wonder what people like Marconi and our other pioneers would have made of todays technology, Radio in space, transmissions from a space station to a school here in England a few months ago, or use of DX Clusters or how about the advances in travel to take our DXpeditioners to all corners of our globe! Do you really think they would have said "STOP" we must stay in the past! No they would have embraced the new technology not only that they would have pushed the doundaries to the limit to bring us new exciting times ahead.
So from a new Ham Radio Licence holder here in England stop burrying your heads in the sand, work together for a future for all hams with morse as important as any other aspect of our hobby.
Kindest Regards, Tim de M3SDE http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[wb8wor]

Interestingly, the same website notes that Mr. Gernsback and his Relay League of America pretty much abandoned Amateur Radio in favor of focusing on broadcast technology after the first world war.

[K3HVG]

A fine posting and quite appropos for the events that are presently unfolding. However, there is an embedded caveat in that now-historic message. The author notes that fact that morse, at times, can be more reliable than voice. This fact should not be lost in all the current dialogues. Morse should remain a worthwhile item in the radio tool-box. Although I've been licensed since 1959, I'm nonetheless a 13wpm "welfare Extra" and have taken good advantage of the lessening of Morse requirements. I guess if its going to help the overall population of Amateur Radio, current and potential, in a positive manner, well then.. press on.

[KD7YMR]

Humm. #Still the long drawling ties to the past. #Reminiscing of the "Good Ol'Days" again. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

#The Good ol'days when one stood behind a plow share looking at a horse's behind. . . #BUT, you got the REAL FEEL of Farming that way!! #Not like these sissified so-called farmers nowadays with them big city type tractors ripping up whole blocks of acreage in a single swipe! #Not like being in a heated / cooled, clean cab with surround-sound stereo, on an air flotation easy chair plowing, disking, and pack'en more land than a man could plow in a week with a mule team, and all in an hour or two! #Oh heck no! #That’s not what a REAL Man does! #A REAL Man uses the good ol' DEPENDABLE walk-behind plow share which his daddy and great grand pappy used! #Just like that good ol Dependable CW key. #Dag-nab it! #He'd have one of them good ol' Spark-Gap transmitters too, if'en they had'ent out-law'd'em earlier! #Aaaah yas! #That was a Real Man's Radio if there ever was one!
#http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

#By the way Clem. . . #It's hunting season! #Didg'a bring your club or your favorite rock? #Lets hurry an go get us one of them Harry Elephants before the Jones’s get'em all with that new fangled pointy stick thing they came up with last year!!! #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

#All joking aside now, I'm proud to say that I'm living in a time in which Mr. Gernsback's imagination had not the ability to foresee. #We have surpassed his wildest dreams! #Technology should Never be governed or limited by the cranky, near sighted or sightless few; but should always be left in the hands of our energetic and bright children, for it is they who build the road into the future! #And, they need all the technology they can lay their hands on! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

#73's and all that good rot!
# # # KD7YMR

[w4nti]

Yep...this morse code stuff is out of date, useless, too much old technology in a hi tech world.

I guess that means I have to stop using it to work Aurora on six meters with 60 watts into 3 elements from CENTRAL ALABAMA, like I did last night and last month, right?

Sorry Im just too ignorant to understand. I'll do it on phone next month when sol runs the spots around again. Oh excuse me, I already tried that...it didn't work on SSB.

You no code, no want code. Too lazy to bother types just don't know what your missing.

Dan/W4NTI

[N5USN]

And the winner is.......W4NTI!
For turning an interesting article into a code, no-code bashing party! Do you search the internet for places to post your pro-code remarks. Being sure to call all the no-coders LAZY. Code or no-code.....who cares. The article was interesting in the fact that radio after WW2 changed. Is it the CHANGE part that scares you into bashing?

Perry
N5USN

[n5tjd]

This is one of the best threads dealing with cw that I've seen on the boards in a while. CW is truely a great mode of operation, don't get me wrong at all, I learned it and got to about a 7/10wpm in head copy before I stopped (though I never took the test.. at least, not yet.)

Its not always a lazy issue. Some are truely gimme gimme types, but I like to beleive they are the minority. So please don't call us all lazy, cause we aren't. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[K3DAV]

I was born in 1954. #When I was 8 years old, we had a beautiful 4 foot tall, floor model AM radio. It covered from 300 Khz to 11 MHz. Nice sturdy wood cabinet. #Big 12 inch speaker. #That radio sounded great. #But it only got local broadcast's, and I didn't understand what all of that radio could do.

I was watching an old B&W movie that had people gathered around a radio like ours, listening to radio stations from all over the country. #The actor was explaining to his friend that, he had just put up a 100 feet of copper wire outside, and now he could hear stations from New York and Chicago. #My eyes lit up and I just had to do this. #

I found some wire, and strung it out in the yard, from a tree to the house. #Down through a window, and connected it to the little screws on the back of that monster radio. #When that old radio got fired up, there were so many stations, I was completely amazed. #My Dad was stunned that his 8 year old kid did this on his own, and it worked so well. #I was in my glory with dozens of AM broadcasters from around the country, and short wave radio stations from around the world. Later on, after my Dad saw how well it worked, we got a longer and better grade of wire, and put it up in a tree. Boy oh boy was that a night and day difference. I had the power of world radio at my finger tips. What a feeling.

From that point on, I was hooked on radio. #I have always had a true love for radio, and I doubt that will ever change. #My years, and tons of radios, have made me appreciate and respect radio. #I had CB back when it was a well run band, and have moved up to amateur radio.

These are the things that make a good radio operator. #Nothing will ever take that away from me. #Differences of opinions. pro vs con. #Code vs No code. #None of it matters. #It's all radio, and we are all operators. #That's the bottom line.

This is a great thread for a change. Let's keep it going this way. It nice to talk about radio in a mutual light.

[KC9DKM]

I am really tired of this debate.

Personally, I am still learning the code. As far as I am concerned, "knowledge is power". If I learn the code (whether it's required or not), I have gained another tool in my radio operator's arsenal.

If there is an emergency, and I have to operate on low power, at least I will have the ability to use CW. And hopefully, there is someone else out there who can read it.

I am not afraid of change. I love new technology. That's why I am working on an engineering degree; I want to be part of that new technology. But I also think that there is plenty of room in my toolbox for some of the old technology.

Code is simple and very effective. Newer technology tends to be less simple, although highly effective. In a world where we rely so heavily on our high-tech, high-powered "stuff", CW is still there to be used when the power goes out. You can run a simple code oscillator circuit on a 9V battery. Your $1000 base station can't do that.

Whether it's required or not, I will finish learning CW. I will be taking the test either in December or January (schedule permitting). Hopefully it will still be a requirement untill then, because I see passing the test as a matter of pride. It's an accomplishment.

OK, I'll get off of my soapbox now.

--... ...-- (73)
.--. .- -- (Pat)
KC9DKM

[K6QEB]

Any old time reader of Hugo Gernsback (Editor of radio News In the 40's) should remember his great sense of humor. # Every April 1st Issue had a story. # One of the best was the story about the "Repenter". # It had an output for Gray Gloom. # When turned on, the first thing it did was to make you repent for getting it in the first place...

[AB8RU]

I copied a M instead of a T !

keep on working on it you'll get it Old Boy !

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

and I haven't got my VE card back DE ARRL yet !

[kn6z]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (w4nti @ Nov. 21 2003,18:37)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I guess that means I have to stop using it to work Aurora on six meters with 60 watts into 3 elements from CENTRAL ALABAMA, like I did last night and last month, right?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I don't think anybody in the code debate ever suggested this.

[kn6z]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (w1ppy @ Nov. 18 2003,06:58)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">we will go to light impulses instead of electrons.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Huh?

[N7AAO]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (w4nti @ Nov. 21 2003,18:37)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I guess that means I have to stop using it to work Aurora on six meters with 60 watts into 3 elements from CENTRAL ALABAMA, like I did last night and last month, #right?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Yup... immediately after the FCC stops Morse testing, there will come several large men wearing hob-nailed boots to your door to confiscate all your Morse keys. Even now they are training dogs to sniff out the metals used in keys. Possession of a key will be punished by severing the right hand (or left hand in the case of southpaws) so that they will be seriously hampered in attempting to transmit Morse again.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, those that want to use Morse will continue to do so, test or no test, and those who do not wish to use Morse will continue not to, test or no test.

My advice to you, Dan, all kidding aside, is to GET A LIFE and stop acting like the Fate of the Free World hangs on whether or not there is a Morse code test required for an Amateur Radio license.

[K3DAV]

Very well put David. #The paddle sniffing dogs were the highlight for me. LMAO. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Happy Thanksgiving to ALL of our brothers and sisters of amateur radio. May your DX be clean and abundant.

[KC9DKM]

--- --- .--. ...,

--... ...--,

.--. .- -

[ko7r]

Bah! Humbug! A pox on all you Gernsbach fantasizers. #So we are living his fantasy. #So what? #We are also living a lot of other VERY scary fantasies, too numerous to mention, not the least of which is the ever increasing intrusion into our lives by government(s), aided by all kinds of fabulous technogimmicks available today. #While all you MorseCodeaphobes are happily patting yourselves on the back and destroying the ham bands with ridiculous contests on weekends with your rudeness and radiotelephones, there are plotters and schemers afoot planning ever newer and more imaginative ways to control you (including taking away more spectrum space). #Meanwhile, there are still more than a few hams out here who have a broader appreciation for the hobby, including the nostalgia, the history, and the joy of doing something simply and effectively, like communicating via Morse code (still reliable, and using the LEAST bandwidth), building something more complicated than a 2 meter J pole, and restoring and operating vintage radio equipment of yesteryear. #When you get tired of chasing senseless numbers in contests and engaging in inane chatter about nothing, you might dip into some real history, as it happened, not as Gernsbach imagined it. #Be a real ham. #Learn the code and use it. #

Dan Metcalf
KO7R

[N7AAO]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (ko7r @ Nov. 30 2003,13:08)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Bah! Humbug! A pox on all you Gernsbach fantasizers. #So we are living his fantasy. #So what? #We are also living a lot of other VERY scary fantasies, too numerous to mention, not the least of which is the ever increasing intrusion into our lives by government(s), aided by all kinds of fabulous technogimmicks available today. #While all you MorseCodeaphobes are happily patting yourselves on the back and destroying the ham bands with ridiculous contests on weekends with your rudeness and radiotelephones, there are plotters and schemers afoot planning ever newer and more imaginative ways to control you (including taking away more spectrum space). #Meanwhile, there are still more than a few hams out here who have a broader appreciation for the hobby, including the nostalgia, the history, and the joy of doing something simply and effectively, like communicating via Morse code (still reliable, and using the LEAST bandwidth), building something more complicated than a 2 meter J pole, and restoring and operating vintage radio equipment of yesteryear. #When you get tired of chasing senseless numbers in contests and engaging in inane chatter about nothing, you might dip into some real history, as it happened, not as Gernsbach imagined it. #Be a real ham. #Learn the code and use it. #

Dan Metcalf
KO7R[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Let's see... REMOVING a testing element equals ever-INCREASING government intrusion? I think you need to go back to your pot cigarette and (as I have said before) quit thinking that the Fate of the Free World hangs on whether or not the FCC tests for code.

I must admit... it is true that CW takes up less spectrum space. But what spectrum we lose is lost primarily because of UNDER-utilization... so if we dump CW and go to SSB, we will be using more spectrum, which should keep the FCC from taking it away.

Oh, while we are on the subject... I was agnostic about CW till I heard some of the rants from the pro-CW "community." Now I am strongly in favor of removing that test element.

Oh, did you see that story on ARRL.org where the FCC is considering revoking a ham's license because he was convicted of murder? (Using the "character qualifications" clause, I believe.) He was an ADVANCED-class holder... meaning he passed a 13-WPM Morse Code test! Tell me again how code testing keeps those that would break the rules out. (Here's the story: FCC Threatens Convicted Killer's Amateur License on "Character Qualifications" (http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/11/26/101/?nc=1)

[K3DAV]

Oh well!! This started out to be a nice thread. It was only a matter of time before some idiot troll had to turn it into his private little code / no-code ego trip.

I have come to the conclusion that you pro code trolls just don't want anyone to have a little fun. You think you are the masters and gods of ham radio. You're just wanna-be ham radio dictators If things don't look like they will be going your way, you pull out all the stops, and just bash the hell out of anyone who disagrees with you.

If you gus are what ham radio is becoming, then I have to agree with you 100%. Ham radio IS going to hell. You trolls are exactly what a ham operator should NOT be. Egotistical fools who are lower than the CB'ers who think they own the whole damned band. You give ham radio a black eye. And you have the audacity to accuse no-coders of turning ham into CB. You are the epitomy of the CB jerks everywhere. The only difference between you and a know-it-all CB idiot, is you have a license. You have been in ham radio so long, you've forgotten what it means to BE an amateur operator.

Stick your HF bands where the sun doesn't shine. I used to think BPL was an important issue to tackle. You have changed my mind. I will laugh my buns off when BPL wipes you out. You deserve BPL and all of it's noise.

Welcome all newbies to the new CB/Ham HF radio bands. Brought to you by pro-code trolls everywhere.

[ko7r]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (K3DAV @ Dec. 01 2003,00:51)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Oh well!! #This started out to be a nice thread. #It was only a matter of time before some idiot troll had to turn it into his private little code / no-code ego trip.

I have come to the conclusion that you pro code trolls just don't want anyone to have a little fun. #You think you are the masters and gods of ham radio. You're just wanna-be ham radio dictators #If things don't look like they will be going your way, you pull out all the stops, and just bash the hell out of anyone who disagrees with you.

If you gus are what ham radio is becoming, then I have to agree with you 100%. #Ham radio IS going to hell. You trolls are exactly what a ham operator should NOT be. Egotistical fools who are lower than the CB'ers who think they own the whole damned band. You give ham radio a black eye. And you have the audacity to accuse no-coders of turning ham into CB. #You are the epitomy of the CB jerks everywhere. #The only difference between you and a know-it-all CB idiot, is you have a license. #You have been in ham radio so long, you've forgotten what it means to BE an amateur operator.

Stick your HF bands where the sun doesn't shine. #I used to think BPL was an important issue to tackle. #You have changed my mind. I will laugh my buns off when BPL wipes you out. You deserve BPL and all of it's noise.

Welcome all newbies to the new CB/Ham HF radio bands. #Brought to you by pro-code trolls everywhere.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
David, David, David......

Try to remain calm. Your profanity-laced outburst is very unbecoming an upstanding member of your dream-world of codeless ham radio. We don't have to curse to get our point across (as a sideline, most CW ops never curse, takes up too much time and space).

Just remember this, which no honest, knowledgeable ham can deny, regardless of his/her age:

The main thing that has always separated amateur radio from other forms of radio is (was) Morse code communications. A secondary distinguishing factor was that of home-building of equipment and experimenting. From your proud announcement of your IC706MKWhatever and your zippy modern mobile rig, I would guess that those two things aren't being done much at your QTH. When we drop the Code (and it's a really short trip from where it is hanging now, to the floor), we drop a huge portion of the essence and personality of the hobby. Exit Ham Radio, enter CB, appliance operators, contests ad nauseum, rudeness, ignorance, profanity, anarchy, etc....

But David, it's not too late. You can pull your head out of that place you want us to put the HF bands, get a life, learn the code, build something, and start having fun with your hobby. You also should get some counseling on Anger Management.

73,

Dan the Old Troll
KO7R

[K3DAV]

As I expected from a hardline pro-coder, you have totally missed the point of my rant.

This thread started out as a nice thread, with unbiased post's, talking about a mans vision of what ham radio was , and possibly become. What a breath of fresh air for a change.

But oh no. We can't have that. Some troll had to turn this nice thread into yet another unending burnt out code / no-code argument. It is no longer possible to have a nice discussion on here without an idiot turning it into their own personal code / no-code BS.

You guys complain about the CB'ers who are know-it-alls, think they own the bands, can't be taught how to be fair operators....... Yet you act just like them. You think your way is the only right way. You act like the bands belong to just you. And if we don't agree with your way of thought, we are just dumb little CB'ers and lower than you. You can't even consider the possibility that you just might be wrong. This is how those same CB'ers that you THINK will be invading HF bands, act.

Just listen to your own words.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">From your proud announcement of your IC706MKWhatever and your zippy modern mobile rig, I would guess that those two things aren't being done much at your QTH. [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

You make it sound like you are sitting in a golden throne, and us low life Tech classes only have kitchen chairs. And I have no idea what you mean about me having a "Zippy modern mobile rig". It's an old Icom from the early 80's. Nothing modern or zippy about it.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Exit Ham Radio, enter CB, appliance operators, contests ad nauseum, rudeness, ignorance, profanity, anarchy, etc....
[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Well that has been going on for many years now, by people who learned CW. So that won't ever change. I seriously hope that you are not implying that, people who don't know CW, and don't build their own radios, can't possibly be amateur operators. And you say my head is up the lower orifice. There goes more of that irony.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Dan the Old Troll
KO7R[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

The first correct point you've made.

[n0wcj]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (WB6FTI @ Nov. 13 2003,12:26)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">In the too-long and much overblown debate over Morse code as a testing requirement, it might be helpful if we could ask the original radio pioneers - those who marveled and assisted in radio's development in the early 1900's - what direction we should turn to see our future. And thanks to Thomas White and his exhaustive "United States Early Radio History" site (earlyradiohistory.us), we can.

With the end of the restrictions on private citizens using radio, which had been in place during World War One, and the restoration of Amateur radio, Hugo Gernsback reactivated the Radio League of America, and wrote about the exciting advances that had taken place during the previous two years. In his June, 1919 issue of "The Electrical Experimenter" he writes glowingly of amateur radio's future:

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"> # #As soon as the newspapers published the welcome tidings on April 15th that the ban on receiving was off, hundreds of thousands of amateurs began dusting off their sets and aërials blossomed forth over night by the thousands to resume their former activities once more.
# #And wonders upon wonders! When we put our sets away two years ago we were accustomed to hear nothing but the crisp dots and dashes in flute-like, staccato sounds coming from the high power stations which we all had learned to love. But the war has changed everything--even radio, for now the radio telephone has come into its own.
# #Where formerly there was nothing but the tah-de-dah in our phones, the ether is now filled with the human voice flung far and broad over the land--nay, over the oceans--and as the months roll by the dots and dashes will grow less and less, and the human voice will come in over our aërials more and more, which is as it should be.
# #The writer has always contended that wireless telephony was the logical outcome of radio, and in years to come only the commercial high power stations will operate their dots and dashes with their high speed machines where the voice would not be as reliable. But the future of Radio Amateurism in this country is centered upon the radio telephone. While no doubt many of us will still cling to the dots and dashes, the radio telephone will probably soon be used in overwhelming numbers.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

How prophetic and instructive.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends of amateur radio, here is a voice of hope speaking from the dust. Mr. Gernsback no doubt echoed the sentiment of his day - his science fiction, which has become our science fact - that "... the future of Radio Amateurism in this country is centered upon the radio telephone ... and as the months roll by the dots and dashes will grow less and less, and the human voice will come in over our aërials more and more, which is as it should be." To those who still cling to the dots and dashes, continue if you wish; but the future of Radio Amateurism is in Gernsback's Tomorrow, not his Today.

Thank you.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
WB6FTI, thank you so much for this little history lesson. Having heard so much about the origins of morse, spark-gap and other parts of our rich Ham history, I was interested in hearing such a forward looking person as Hugo Gernsback. It was like a breath of fresh air.

Unfortunately, we always degrade the discussion into the pro/con code arguement. The only thing I would say to that is...it's a hobby folks, so get over it. Personally, I don't think the code should be a requirement, though I did take the 5 wpm to get my General. I don't feel like I'm missing anything by not having to do 13 or 20 wpm. I would rather do packet or PSK-31 or any other mode with a computer as that is where I have the most fun...and isn't that what it's REALLY about?

So...if anyone else wants to work Aurora, moonbounce, Low Power or whatever and you enjoy it...DO IT! Just don't belittle people coming into the hobby as we have dwindling ranks as it is...the last thing we need to do in Amateur Radio is chase people away or make it like some "Old Boys Club" with the secret handshake and all.

In closing, I don't want to hear anyone giving me any grief about "not building" any projects or that kind of thing. I handle more antennas in a day than most Hams do in a year or even a lifetime...and some of my antennas are floating around the globe as we speak...some are sitting on Mars, some are helping our troops,...ad naseum.

Embrace our differences and Enjoy our hobby!

[w0dz]

When I got into ham radio in 1965, learning code was part of the deal. There was no 2M FM (realistically), 440, satellite or any other reason to do VHF unless you really wanted to experiment with the state of the art. So it was HF or bust. I learned CW because I had to and then discovered that I preferred it over talking! Been an avid CW fan ever since.

If the rules are changed to allow entry into ham radio without CW, I think that's just fine provided those who join our ranks as a result do so for the right reason -- namely, that they are interested in radio! Too many have become hams as a way of having a way to talk to their family across town (CB without the interference and foul language) with no desire to do the things the service was defined to do in Part 97: emergency service, electronics, improving the state of the radio art, international goodwill, and to have a pool of trained operators. While such people buy transceivers and do not really cause problems, they also aren't really contributing to the ham radio art, service or hobby. Of our 600K+ ranks, I bet only about 200K of us fit into the definition of "true ham" as espoused above.

Remove the CW requirement? Sure, fine, whatever. Just don't remove the CW band segments for those of us who love it, and be sure to keep the riff-raff out of the service/hobby/art; something the CW test does do.

[n0wcj]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (w0dz @ Dec. 04 2003,14:15)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">If the rules are changed to allow entry into ham radio without CW, I think that's just fine provided those who join our ranks as a result do so for the right reason -- namely, that they are interested in radio! Too many have become hams as a way of having a way to talk to their family across town (CB without the interference and foul language) with no desire to do the things the service was defined to do in Part 97: emergency service, electronics, improving the state of the radio art, international goodwill, and to have a pool of trained operators. While such people buy transceivers and do not really cause problems, they also aren't really contributing to the ham radio art, service or hobby. Of our 600K+ ranks, I bet only about 200K of us fit into the definition of "true ham" as espoused above.

Remove the CW requirement? Sure, fine, whatever. Just don't remove the CW band segments for those of us who love it, and be sure to keep the riff-raff out of the service/hobby/art; something the CW test does do.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I wasn't suggesting removing the CW bands for those that want to use them...if anything, expand them a bit to give some breathing room for those that want to work those tough ones.

I don't know if you can pin someone down to say, you can join the ham ranks only if you contribute. Sometimes it takes people a while to warm up to the hobby. I know one friend of ours N0QCX, Ellie, who is only a Technician, who with her husband Rip NV0M are bringing up the youngsters with one of the best youth programs in the nation BARC Jr's. (Boulder Amateur Radio Club Juniors). I'm not sure how she got into radio...it may have only been because of her husband, but she is one of the most dedicated people I've seen to mentor young Hams.

As far as keeping "the riff-raff out of the service/hobby/art; something the CW test does do.", I would challenge that. Most of the violators that I've ever read about were General Class or higher. Maybe I've only seen a small portion and don't have all the statistics, but from what I've seen the real troublemakers have been guys that have done the 13/20 wpm code...so I would lean on that statement too heavily. Don't even get me started about the guys I've heard hammering on new Generals/Extras on the Bands...and I'm talking about older Hams doing this, not newbies. In all, I would say that these types are the exception rather than the rule, but it's up to us (and the FCC) to help police our servie/hobby/art.

[K3DAV]

W0ZD:

I admire your forward thinking, and dedication to our hobby. Unfortunately, it is something that is rearely found amongst Extra class license holders, these days.

If more General's and Extra's, had your wisdom to see the positive side, this burnt out code ~vs~ no-code debate, and amateur bashing amateur reactions, would most likely never had taken place in the first place. You disagree with dropping the CW requirement, but you have excepted the fact that it will happen, and are ready to move on.

This debate was old news a long time ago. Those who are continuing to post on the subject (Including myself), have had their say of opinion, and still do not want to see the other side. It has divided amateurs into taking sides. Our hobby is exactly that. OUR HOBBY Whether you have been in it for 50 days, or 50 years. We are all in it together.

There is one thing about time that will never change. And that is that it never stops changing. Time changes, people change, attitudes change, and the rules have to change too. It's just a fact of life.

Take care W0ZD, we may disagree a little, but I respect your honesty and wisdom. More General's and Extra's should be like you.

It was nice to read about Hugo Gernsback. #He was a cousin of mine on my mother's side of the family. #He came to New Orleans to vist me a few years before he passed away. #He was the editor of a magazine of the future. #I forgot the name of the magazine. (TOO BAD).
Anyway he surely looked into the future and many of his predictions came to pass. Such as the two way portable radio. Putting a man on the moon, etc. His real name was Hugo Gernsbacher. #The family was from Germany.

Mike - W5ZPA