Congratulations on passing. I also have to practice to get my next license. Do you have a good text? 73 JF1IRQ
Check out the keys sold by the UK dealer Martin Lynch & Sons. They have lots of 3D printed keys, both straight keys and single lever & double lever paddle keys that range in price between ₤19.95 and ₤93.95. See https://www.hamradio.co.uk/search.p...rodId=&dispSearchVal=&selSpanId=0&cntSpanId=0 I hope to work your station sometime Rod! You can always pick you up a more expensive key later on if you want to. I bought a Begali Camelback straight key from I2RTF Piero Begali in Italy and it was a very heavy key so sit perfectly still, but I later ended up selling it after my friend W4CUX, now a silent key, made me a heavy steel base in 2011 for my J.H. Bunnell CJB-26003A Navy Flameproof straight key because I liked it better than the Begali! The heavy custom made steel base made all the difference in the world in how the Navy Flameproof key worked and felt when sending with it! Look around on Ebay too. You can sometimes find some really great deals on telegraph keys on Ebay! Good luck to you Rod and very 73 de Cliff, KU4GW You can see photos of all my keys on my QRZ profile at https://www.qrz.com/db/KU4GW
That's funny, because that's not what the FCC puts on the license. Let me ask the people that like to use the term "Extra Lite" something, is that the kind of welcome you want to give to a newly licensed young lady or gentleman? "Nice job on getting your Extra Lite." What do you expect anyone licensed in the last 20 years to do about this? Go back in time? This would likely be before they were born by the way. What do you want them to do? I'm reminded of someone on a forum like this talking about having got their "Extra Lite" license years ago and just starting to talk on HF phone. This young man was talking to another licensed ham that would ID, again while being able to talk clearly to the other, by Morse code using his key and tone generator. Every time the young man asked for an ID the other ham would ID by Morse code. The young man explained he didn't know Morse code but would like the man's call sign for his log. The reply was that he had identified himself per FCC regulations and the young man's inability to understand Morse code was not his problem. The Morse code testing was reduced to 5 WPM 20 years ago, and gone completely 13 years ago, just how much longer is this BS supposed to go on? The Morse code testing is not likely coming back. It's definitely not coming back unless someone petitions the FCC for it, or writes to their congresscritters, or do something. So, stop this BS or go do something about it. If it's that important to enough people then the FCC will bring back the Morse code testing. But you already know that you are in the minority, so how's the bitching and moaning about this helping anyone?
I was 46 when I got my tech plus but waited in until I pass the General Theory and 13wpm so I could get on HF. I spent hours a day learning it because I could see the progress I was making daily. I am glad to have learned it. It has become a second language for me! Why not give it a try and learn it too. Congrats Ryan! I hope to hear you on the air! 73!
For a brain that young it was probably how shall we put it childs play they absorb that sort of thing so much better at that sort of age but nice to hear all the same i have to admit to an aversion to morse code these days Pete
Neil Rapp, passed the Novice 5 WPM test at age 5 in 1976 as WN9VPG. He's now WB9VPG. I graduated from high school that year and recall the news! He could well be the youngest so far! http://www.qrz.com/db/wb9vpg
Did you petition the FCC on doing that? Are you currently writing such a proposal? If you did write such a proposal and submit it to the FCC then how did that go? It's been 13 years since the Morse code testing requirements went away. It's not coming back. It's certainly not going to come back unless someone writes to the FCC, Congress, or someone in the government on it. Complaining isn't helping, that is unless your comment is how you think you are gaining support for your petition. Here's a question for you, has any nation in the world dropped their Morse code testing requirement for any Amateur radio license only to reverse the decision later? Then comes some practical questions. If the testing is restored then are all the people with a license that have not taking the Morse code test supposed to lose their license unless they pass? Or, would they be grandfathered in? Who would perform this testing? It's been more than a decade since anyone did such testing, and given the demographics of those licensed just how many of them would still be able to perform the testing now? Here's an idea, let's have someone start a separate thread on the restoring of Morse code testing in the USA for Amateur radio licensing. Let's have that debate there, not here.
I am amazed how many hams tell me they can not learn the code. They give up before even trying. Great job Ryan! Consistent practice time is a big key to learning code...or anything!
