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The largest thing that is wrong with the tests is that the actual questions and answers are in the public domain.
Also,
The code is in no way a hardship at 5WPM. The FCC will not give medical waivers for 5WPM because they agree that 5WPM is so easy that waiver are not required. Also the code is not dead, in fact there seems to be more hams using CW every day. Organizations like SKCC and FISTS have breathed a lot of life into it and it is showing up well on the bands.
73
George
K3UD
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 Originally Posted by [b
Quote[/b] (K3UD @ April 13 2006,05:20)]The largest thing that is wrong with the tests is that the actual questions and answers are in the public domain.
Also,
The code is in no way a hardship at 5WPM. The FCC will not give medical waivers for 5WPM because they agree that 5WPM is so easy that waiver are not required. Also the code is not dead, in fact there seems to be more hams using CW every day. Organizations like SKCC and FISTS have breathed a lot of life into it and it is showing up well on the bands.
73
George
K3UD
Lets get off the code kick there are not more users there are less and less. Even the local FIST members here in central fla say this .... with so many modes there is no intrest among the target group we need to be going after ......
The writen test is fine and the code needs to go .......
The only good CODE is a ZIP CODE
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Lets get off the "kick the code" kick here. CW is the most effective mode for working dx that has come down the pike. CW wastes a miniscule bandwidth compared to inefficient modes such as SSB, AM, FM, and some of the digital modes. CW "is" ham radio. Yesterday I made application for 7BDXCC and 5BWAZ, thanks to CW.
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I just find it funny that everyone THINKS that once code goes away, the CB influx will begin.
Why would someone want to go from the uncontrolled CB area to the controlled Ham Radio area? I think most of the reason CB is the way it is nowadays is because people don't have to worry about what they do-and they want it to stay that way. Why would they walk away from the thing they are familiar with, and with more potential for being caught or worse?
The only migration you'll see from CB will be those who don't run the illegal amps, those who use it for local communication mostly. They will go to ham for the same reasons many of us did previously-to get AWAY from that.
But those who want to continue to do what they do on CB will stay where its 'deregulated' in a sense. I don't see the invasion coming for that simple reason. Sure, there are a few that may 'invade', but I don't see the code as the kicker. If all they are doing is to come and cause trouble, I think the last thing they will do is cause it with ID every 10 minutes.....
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Originally Posted by [b
Quote[/b] (wa4dou @ April 13 2006,08:50)]Lets get off the "kick the code" kick here. CW is the most effective mode for working dx that has come down the pike. CW wastes a miniscule bandwidth compared to inefficient modes such as SSB, AM, FM, and some of the digital modes. CW "is" ham radio. Yesterday I made application for 7BDXCC and 5BWAZ, thanks to CW.
1) What part of CW is dead do you still not understand.
2) I have worked MOONBOUNCE and back in 1971 CW was the only way to do that TODAY with DSP and other noise canceling you can do it on SSB .....
3) 90% of hams who have been licensed under 10 years do not use CW and I have run PSK-31 with DSP at almost CW bandwidth ... on 20 meters so much for inefficient digital modes.
4) ICOM and others are going over to digital radios and software definded radios are not far away what new ham will even bother with CW when all of this takes place.
CW is not the ham radio of 2006 it is ham radio of 1906 ........
The only good CODE is a ZIP CODE
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Originally Posted by [b
Quote[/b] (KD6NIG @ April 13 2006,11:35)]I just find it funny that everyone THINKS that once code goes away, the CB influx will begin.
Why would someone want to go from the uncontrolled CB area to the controlled Ham Radio area? I think most of the reason CB is the way it is nowadays is because people don't have to worry about what they do-and they want it to stay that way. Why would they walk away from the thing they are familiar with, and with more potential for being caught or worse?
The only migration you'll see from CB will be those who don't run the illegal amps, those who use it for local communication mostly. They will go to ham for the same reasons many of us did previously-to get AWAY from that.
But those who want to continue to do what they do on CB will stay where its 'deregulated' in a sense. I don't see the invasion coming for that simple reason. Sure, there are a few that may 'invade', but I don't see the code as the kicker. If all they are doing is to come and cause trouble, I think the last thing they will do is cause it with ID every 10 minutes.....
I would suspect that most of the initial influx of NCTs in the 90s came from the CB ranks. While there is no way to positively put a number on it, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that indicates it.
Even as far back as the mid 70s, CBers made up about 70% of the classes we were doing at the local community college level over several year period we did them.
In the 70s and 80s there were literally millions of people who were using CB. So much so that the FCC actually gave up on CB licensing
I think, in the late 80s.
It might be that the classic CB well has run dry. If the code does go away for the General and Extra it could be that we WILL see an influx from the illegal 'Freebander" community come knocking at the door because they will want to use that big amplifier on the ham bands and not be confined to the illegal operation and frequencies that they are now using. The decision then becomes one of how do we incorporate them into the ARS and will amnisty be granted by existing ops who might not understand their previous illegal activities.
73
George
K3UD
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"It might be that the classic CB well has run dry. If the code does go away for the General and Extra it could be that we WILL see an influx from the illegal 'Freebander" community come knocking at the door because they will want to use that big amplifier on the ham bands and not be confined to the illegal operation and frequencies that they are now using. The decision then becomes one of how do we incorporate them into the ARS and will amnisty be granted by existing ops who might not understand their previous illegal activities."
NO FREEBANDER WILL WAST HIS TIME WITH HAM RADIO
The only good CODE is a ZIP CODE
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 I have been in Ham radio for the past ten years now as a no code tech, I was 16 when i got my tech now that i am getting back into ham radio again and seeing the numbers drop i do believe that the FCC has to do something, I have been studying the general theory and code, i hate to tell you the code is the only thing that is holding me back,I have been studying it for 5 months and i am just one of those that just cant get it. i stated before that they should make tech and generals no code and leave the code or even up it to 13 for the extra. I am not a "CB-er" i just want to upgrade to enjoy the hobby more and get my son into it, I am going to dayton this year and i hope to hear from the FCC about the Code, i do believe that it will help our ranks and i do not believe "cb-ers" will come onto the bands this will help
See you in Dayton
N3WRH
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Like N3WRH the code held me back for years, several months of intense study finally got me past the 5wpm test in February, upgraded to Extra 2 weeks ago and I did not memorize the answers to either written test. For the Extra it took a lot more than a study guide to learn the new areas required but I had the references at hand since I use them all the time, was somewhat dissapointed when the actual test required so little of that knowledge to pass but that doesn't mean I didn't learn it.
I'll continue to learn radio theory as I need that to experiment in the digital modes where I like to play, just because so few newer Hams build their own rigs doesn't mean they can't come up with new ideas and combine technology they know even better than radio with it to come up with something neat.
One thing I apperently won't be learning more about is code as the only way to get my speed up is practice and since nobody will talk to you on that mode unless you have a perfect fist at 20wpm it's a dead end unless I cheat and use the computer.
Dan N0TZL
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Dan,
Try calling CQ at slow speed around 7.120 MHz. This is the unofficial frequency of the SKCC, a membership group of hams who are doing a great job fostering CW for those who would rather do it at slow speed. There is usually someone around the frequency +/- 5-10kHz and I know that most of them will crank down to whatever speed you may be comfortable with. I have gone as slow as 2-3WPM.
Congratulation on the Extra!
73
George
K3UD
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