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ARRL Bulletin on Morse Code Elimination

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by AA7BQ, Dec 16, 2006.

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AA7BQ QRZ Founder QRZ HQ Staff QRZ Page

QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 30 ARLB030
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT December 16, 2006
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB030
ARLB030 FCC to Drop Morse Testing for All Amateur License Classes

In an historic move, the FCC has acted to drop the Morse code
requirement for all Amateur Radio license classes. The Commission
today adopted a Report and Order (R&O) in WT Docket 05-235. In a
break from typical practice, the FCC only issued a public notice at
or about the close of business and not the actual Report and Order,
so some details -- including the effective date of the R&O -- remain
uncertain. The public notice is located at,
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-269012A1.pdf.

Also today, the FCC also adopted an Order on Reconsideration, in WT
Docket 04-140 -- the "omnibus" proceeding -- agreeing to modify the
Amateur Radio rules in response to an ARRL request to accommodate
automatically controlled narrowband digital stations on 80 meters in
the wake of rule changes that became effective today at 12:01 AM
Eastern Time. The Commission said it will carve out the 3585 to 3600
kHz frequency segment for such operations. Prior to the long-awaited
action on the Morse code issue, Amateur Radio applicants for General
and higher class licenses had to pass a 5 WPM Morse code test to
operate on HF. The Commission said today's R&O eliminates that
requirement for General and Amateur Extra applicants.

"This change eliminates an unnecessary regulatory burden that may
discourage current Amateur Radio operators from advancing their
skills and participating more fully in the benefits of Amateur
Radio," the FCC said. The ARRL had asked the FCC to retain the 5 WPM
for Amateur Extra class applicants only. The FCC proposed earlier to
drop the requirement across the board, however, and it held to that
decision in today's R&O.

Perhaps more important, the FCC's action in WT Docket 05-235 appears
to put all Technician licensees on an equal footing: Once the R&O
goes into effect, holders of Technician class licenses will have
equivalent HF privileges, whether or not they've passed the 5 WPM
Element 1 Morse examination. The FCC said the R&O in the Morse code
docket would eliminate a disparity in the operating privileges for
the Technician and Technician Plus class licensees. Technician
licensees without Element 1 credit (ie, Tech Plus licensees)
currently have operating privileges on all amateur frequencies above
30 MHz.

"With today's elimination of the Morse code exam requirements, the
FCC concluded that the disparity between the operating privileges of
Technician Class licensees and Technician Plus Class licensees
should not be retained," the FCC said in its public notice.
"Therefore, the FCC, in today's action, afforded Technician and
Technician Plus licensees identical operating privileges."

The wholesale elimination of a Morse code requirement for all
license classes ends a longstanding national and international
regulatory tradition in the requirements to gain access to Amateur
Radio frequencies below 30 MHz. The first no-code license in the US
was the Technician ticket, instituted in 1991. The question of
whether or not to drop the Morse requirement altogether has been the
subject of often-heated debate over the past several years, but the
handwriting has been on the wall. A number of countries, including
Canada, no longer require applicants for an Amateur Radio license to
pass a Morse code test to gain HF operating privileges. The list has
been increasing regularly.

The FCC said today's R&O in WT Docket 05-235 comports with revisions
to the international Radio Regulations resulting from the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radiocommunication
Conference 2003 (WRC-03). At that gathering, delegates agreed to
authorize each country to determine whether or not to require that
applicants demonstrate Morse code proficiency in order to qualify
for an Amateur Radio license with privileges on frequencies below 30
MHz.

Typically, the effective date of an FCC Order is 30 days after it
appears in the Federal Register. That would mean the Morse
requirement and the revised 80-meter segment for automatically
controlled digital stations would likely not go into effect until
late January 2007.

The ARRL will provide any additional information on these important
Part 97 rule revisions as it becomes available.
NNNN
/EX

AA7BQ, Dec 16, 2006

#1
WC5B Ham Member QRZ Page

Wow, no comments?? Well, its about time for it. I'm tired of the debate, arguments, name calling, and feelings getting hurt. Its time to get it over with and move on. Hope to see you on HF really soon. And for all the Techs, I will keep an ear open on 28.400 more often. Lets roll!

WC5B, Dec 16, 2006

#2
K3EKO Ham Member QRZ Page

It was going to happen sooner or later...Just a matter of when.

73

Frank K3EKO

K3EKO, Dec 16, 2006

#3
KW0U Ham Member QRZ Page

Imagine the next step will be to change the subbands. Personally I'd like to see 20 phone go down a few kHz. Sure that will get some comments too!

KW0U, Dec 16, 2006

#4
K4LD Ham Member QRZ Page

Well I guess this will put alot on manufactures who only make code learning products out of business. Sure you will have a few people who learn code and use it, but for the most part, there are going to be tons more people to add to the pile ups on HF bands. Too bad they could not keep the code for extra.

K4LD, Dec 16, 2006

#5
K8WVU Ham Member QRZ Page

K8WVU, Dec 16, 2006

#6
WE3Y Ham Member QRZ Page

For all those who love Morse code please forgive me, while I dance a jig to its demise.

Hooah

WE3Y, Dec 16, 2006

#7
N3OX Ham Member QRZ Page

I think it's worth noting that under the new rules, all Technican operators, Element 1 or no, get the Novice/Tech HF privileges, which have, as of Friday, been expanded to General-level on 80m, 40m, 15m, and 10m.

That means there are four very exciting and useful allocations to Technican operators, incoming and existing, and almost all of the spectrum available, and that which is most useful right now in the sunspot cycle, is ****CW ONLY****

The FCC has made a good decision, given that Morse testing was going to go away. The entry level license has substantial incentive to learn and use Morse Code, but Morse won't keep people off of HF anymore.

73, welcome to HF everyone!
Dan

N3OX, Dec 16, 2006

#8
WA3VJB Platinum Subscriber Platinum Subscriber QRZ Page

What a disingenuous (deceptive also fits) write up. The group in Newington did not request that the FCC "carve out" any portion of the band to accomodate digital, automated systems that use ham radio for email from the internet.

The ARRL in reality filed a formal challenge against the FCC's decision NOT to provide such a segment within the newly enacted phone band. There was no public spirit of cooperation displayed in the League's document filed at the last minute before the new phone band was enacted on Friday.

The FCC later that day rejected the League's challenge, and Ordered that the remaining reserved space for morse code also be the location for automatic and other digital activity being promoted by the group in Newington. This forces the operators to relocate, in a clear failure for the ARRL whose attorney struggled to argue that they should stay put.

Also,regarding the two Technician Class licenses, it is not at all clear whether the FCC intends to merge them into one class with the HIGHER of the two privileges, or reduce the superior of the two down to the operating areas allowed for no-code, post- 1991 Techs.

It could certainly go either way, if the FCC wishes to provide some incentive to get the remaining Technician licensees into upperclass tickets.

Paul/VJB

WA3VJB, Dec 16, 2006

#9
N3OX Ham Member QRZ Page

Paul, I read arrl.org directly as of this morning... they revised it on their site.

No-Code Techs will have HF privileges on 80,40,15, and 10 when the R&O goes into effect, general-level CW only on 80,40,15, general-level CW&DATA and .300-.500 Voice on 10m

Dan

N3OX, Dec 16, 2006

#10
WC5B Ham Member QRZ Page

[b said:

Quote[/b] (w4mja @ Dec. 16 2006,09:59)]Well I guess this will put alot on manufactures who only make code learning products out of business. Sure you will have a few people who learn code and use it, but for the most part, there are going to be tons more people to add to the pile ups on HF bands. Too bad they could not keep the code for extra.
Click to expand...

I think they were dieing anyways. (Code practice kits and such) Seems that everyone was turning to technology to send and receive more and more already. Every contest station on the air already was automated. I can barley read code, but in a contest, I am at 32 WPM just like everyone else.

WC5B, Dec 16, 2006

#11
KR8MER Ham Member QRZ Page

Heh, No Code Extra, here I come!!!!!

KR8MER, Dec 16, 2006

#12
WA3VJB Platinum Subscriber Platinum Subscriber QRZ Page

Well thanks Dan, that will be good if true. I have read the FCC's announcement from Friday to get the most accurate, and least speculative version of what the agency has said thus far.

FCC's Version Here

As noted, the people in Newington are doing all they possibly can to avoid being tagged with yet another set of failures and to squirm away from yet another declaration of "loser" in their inside agenda they press against the FCC and against the greater Amateur community.

WA3VJB, Dec 16, 2006

#13
K9FV Ham Member QRZ Page

>With today’s elimination of the Morse code exam requirements, the FCC concluded that the disparity between the operating privileges of Technician Class licensees and Technician Plus Class licensees should not be retained. Therefore, the FCC, in today’s action, afforded Technician and Technician Plus licensees identical operating privileges>"

Paul, you are correct, in re-reading the above (direct from the FCC pdf file), it just says they will be the same, not "which" will be used. I "think" it will be the Tech Plus that will be retained, but who knows.

73 de Ken H>

K9FV, Dec 16, 2006

#14
WC5B Ham Member QRZ Page

The League could not get a win in this if they tried. If they supported the change, they would alienate a large segment of there life time members. If they fight it, they would alienate many newcomers and possible new members. You have to feel for them in this one no matter how you feel on this one. Its a no win situation.

Tom

WC5B, Dec 16, 2006

#15

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