CANADA REPORTS AGREEMENT TO DROP MORSE

More mature, eh?  Like the maturity of redefining marriage to include things recognized as abominations for forty centuries?  I'd rather do without that kind of maturity, thank you.

 

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I was a licensed CBer in 1966 when you had to pay $20 for 4 years (KQP-4610). I then become licensed as a WA4 but let it expire when I divorced my nightmare and had to sell equipment to finance that move.

I had to start over as a novice (KB4YKJ) in the mid 80s but shortly after suffered 5 heart attacks, a stroke, diabetes and a blood clot in the brain. It has left me with memory problems, panic attacks, etc.

It took almost 2 years of serious trying to upgrade from Novice to Tech just getting tech 3 weeks ago. I am a serious respectful operator and do not feel I should be penalized from operating the General bands because a bunch of bitter old men want to sing "the way we were" song. I also agree, I hear more profanity and rudeness on the code required HF bands than I do on 2 meters. It's time to revamp the requirements.

 

Wow,

I normally don't reply to nonsense like this but I feel the need to.

To our neighbors to the north, sorry that some of my countrymen are of primative intellect and can't seem to express their feelings without attacking you on some level.

Personally I think that Canada is a great country, it gave me the two things that I love the most..  Molson Ice, and Ice Hockey!

Back on thread, it seems to me that this is a long dead issue. The FCC will do what it will do. Comments have been submitted and with Powell Jr. gone maybe we'll get something done.

Since their are those out there who will ask I'll give you some background, I was first licensed in Oct of 1991 as a no code tech. Never dreamed I'd go any further, I wanted to operate on satellites and this is all the license I needed. Worked all the DX that I wanted, it was great. But here in the Detroit area I had hams around me that did more the just attack me personally because I was a "Cordless Tech" they encouraged me to upgrade. They got me involved in field day, guest operating during sweeps etc..

I became a General in September 2002, took my 5 wpm element 1 and the General element theory in the same setting. The next month, October 2002 I passed my Extra theory and am a full fledged Extra class. Does this make me better then anyone else, no way!

To those of you who say different, the FCC printed these words on my license "Amateur Extra" under operating privileges. I am not an "Extra Light" I"m an Extra Class Licensee peroid. You all need to get over that!

For what it's worth, I had no intention of ever operating CW. But a funny thing happend, again with the help of great hams who where more interested in elmering then being unsufferable s*&theads! I was meeting with some club members in the 40 meter novice portion of the band twice a week for a CW sched. I now can be found anywhere between 160 and 10 meters in SSB or CW. As a matter of fact I have almost as many CW QSO's in my log as I do SSB. My average code speed is somewhere around 15 Wpm..

So my point is simple, don't act the way some of you do. We CB'ers can be fine operators if given the chance. I have a lot of paper hanging on my wall DXCC etc.. but the one I'm most fond of is my A-1 Operator Club certificate. Evidentally someone thought I was a good op.

Lastly, a simple saying. "CW does not make the operator, the operator makes the CW."

Now go ahead, flame me... and for God's sake can't we all just get along!

 

Who really cares. Radio as we know it is and will continue to radically change. Having a knowledge of CW will not change it's path.

sign me disgruntled.

 

Hello,
I passed the morse code and I'm a c.b'er.I am active in 2meters and h.f.and frankly I'm a little sick of some of you guys who look down on these people.As with the c.b. I have heard some crude things that had no place on the air,but there are some of us who know how to use it responsibly!!
K

 

N4OKL:0 BLAH! BLAH! BLAH! It sure looks like to me that the one's that preach their "Holier Than Thou" pompous, self rightous, pitiful, narrow minded whining about CBer's entering the Hobby need to look around...you're surrounded with good, resposible,deciplined, talented People that came from the CB ranks. I would say that more than fifty percent of the current Ham operators got here because of CB radio. I have seen many that used all the terms that have been mentiond in this thread, change their mode of operation and conform very well with accepted "Ham" protocol, and it will be the very same when the code requirements are finally relaxed. There are many good radio operators that will never make the first "dit" on a CW key, that will be excellent Amateur Radio Enthusiasts. We all want to be accepted by the people we talk to, and that will hold true to those that never have to do a code test. Those that enter or upgrade within The Hobby without the code requirement will conform by association and they'll learn by osmosis what they need to know and how they need to operate, as so many have done in the past that choose not to use CW. It seems kinda funny to me that the ones that "belly ache" and gripe the most about the relaxation of the code requiements are the one's that know all the teminology that's usually associated with CB the most. There must be some CB "blood" there somewhere. Ha! ha! If anyone comes on to any frequency with the usuak CB lingo, they find out very quicly that in order to stay, you have to "do as the Romans do". CW is good for those that call it good. For those that don't...it just simply is not. The barrier for upgrding to a higher class needs very badly to be removed. There's plenty of good Radio Operators waiting in the wings. If they choose to follow CW, so be it. Nothing stopping them. With the realxation of the Code requirment, the Hobby will remain one of the greatest Hobbies on earth.

 

Code is too hard for the handicapped and the whiners. I agree that dropping code will open the HF flood gates to a lowly riffraff.But, on a lager scale, it is simply a reflection of the vulgar generation that we have now, and frankly guys, it is inevitable. This is now a nation of vulgar people that speak just like Hollywood has wanted them to. Look at the TV shows this base born lot watches (gag!).
My generation failed to produce a good generation to follow. The norm now is out of wedlock babies, drugs, vulgar language and lower expectations (in my area, half the HS grads cannot read at all): all just a part of the new US. The left has won, and I am very glad that I am getting old and won't have to be here when the wreckage is complete.
Dropping code is a lot more than gettng rid of an obsolete system; it is representative of all things to come. And very sad.

 

The Canadians have come to recognize the Morse Code requirement for what it really is...A hazing ritual associated with the "Good Ol' Boys" network and totally unrelated to the issues of proper radio etiquette or maintaining high standards of operation. It is most unfortunate that our friends to the north appear to be more prepared than we are to deal with this reality.

 

In 1985 I tried to obtain my novice license but was unable to pass the morse test.  Sure, if I'd studied a little more I'm sure I would have gotten it down.  But since I had a new family my priorities were with them so I lay down the dream of becoming a ham operator.  In Dec 2003 I got the radio bug again.  I went out and bought a "CB" like the one I had owned many years ago.  Yes, you read right, "CB".  I worked 27.385 LSB religiously and enjoyed it.  I began having trouble with my power supply so I went to a local electronic shop to pick up some new caps and voltage regulator.  The shop owner just happened to be an Extra class VEC and informed me that a restructering was in the works and told me now was the time to get back in.  This EXTRA CLASS VEC told me about the grandfathering to General that was in the works.  This EXTRA CLASS VEC also told me that it was going to be easier than ever to get into HF and now was the time to get onboard.  So I did.  Having a military background in avionics, the element 2 and 3 were no challenge.  I am currently working on my code so that I may advance to Extra because I believe even with the changes coming that code will be retained for Extra testing.  Now, I said all that to say this.  Since I've reentered the ham community I've found some of the rudist, most vile people you'd ever want to meet.  Mostly holding "GENERAL and EXTRA" class license.  Just go to 80m and you'll see the fine class of operators that talk about running above legal limit amps and knowingly causing TVI to irritate a neighbor.  They will talk for hours and never identify their station and swear repeatedly.  I've even heard these top class operators needlessly run people off their so called ragchew nets because they felt like they were invading their space.  And all the other operator wanted to do is just break in and say hello.  Get on QRZ and read the slamming and backbiting that goes on amoung operators when a civil debate turns ugly.  There are a few that still maintain manners while on the air or while debating a topic on QRZ but I have to say that the overall community is half and half.  Now, I'm not endorsing CB operation but when when it comes to you running down a CB operator it is sort of like the pot calling the kettle black.  I'd also like to wrap up my sermon by saying, I don't consider myself a no-code banner waver but I do hope they do away with code for testing. Well, it doesn't matter what I hope for really. It's already a done deal. And it really it has nothing to do with Know-Coders or No-Coders. It's all about money. Do your homework and you'll see what I mean. All the changes that are in the works means a ton of money for every agency and organization involved. "More money, more money, more money!" It's the American way.
73's

 

Greetings All!

Ahhh, yes...the proverbial Code vs. No Code argument again reigns supreme.    

Personally, I'm still waiting for the FCC (and Industry Canada) to now make it mandatory to copy Packet chirps by ear in order to get a Ham license.

Seriously, though, what's FAR more interesting to many of us here in Canada is that it also appears the REST of the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) proposals in this filing went over like a lead balloon.  

That's because, on the one hand, RAC makes a very good case that proficiency in the Morse Code can no longer be justified as a requirement for a license because it has little to do with technical knowledge and "good amateur practice" on the air.  

However, in the same breath, RAC then attempts to justify dropping the Code requirement by also recommending that the pass marks on various written tests be increased for HF operators so as..."to improve their qualifications in order to operate on the HF bands."  Specifically, RAC wants Industry Canada to increase the passing mark on written tests from the current 60 percent to upwards of 70 or 80 percent in some cases.

What's so absurd in all this is that the written test for a Basic "no code" Ham license in Canada is IDENTICAL to that required for HF operation!  The only difference is that, for HF operation, you have to simply take and pass a 5 wpm Code test!

These proposals, if adopted by Industry Canada in their current form, would also require that a number of current "No Code" licensees would then have to take the very same tests they took (and many passed with high marks) all over again in order to now get HF privileges.  

Sadly, beyond dropping the Morse requirement, the latest RAC proposals look very much like the "incentive licensing" mess that was foisted on Amateur Radio in the USA back in the late 50's (or was it the early 60's?) by the ARRL.

Fortunately, our Canadian friends aren't buying any of it this time around as evidenced by their overwhelmingly negative comments expressed to Industry Canada on the rest of RAC's "no code" proposals.

Personally, I doubt seriously whether Industry Canada will do ANYTHING about dropping the Morse requirement here in Canada unless and until the FCC does something similar in the States.

73,

Keith

VA3KSF / KB1SF

 

This statement is ludicrous...

It's equivalent to me saying I don't use RTTY so questions about it shouldn't be included on the written test.

Learning CW isn't about a hazing ritual or good ole boys network. It is about learning Amateur Radio.

Amateur Radio includes SSB, CW, RTTY, VHF, Repeaters, propagation and the list goes on. If you don't want to learn it all, then don't get a license. It is that simple.

I wanted an extra class license in order to work DX in the lower 25kHz of each band segment and as a seasoned CW operator it was a snap to pass the 20WPM requirement, however, I had to study for hours to learn about satellites, ?UHF and other technologies for which I has, and still have, no interest whatsoever.

I didn't whine about it either.

You whiners complaining about learning code remind me of children. A bunch of freaking crybabies!

GET LOST...we don't need you on HF!

David ~ KY1V

PS: I find it interesting that the majority of the people that support removing the code requirement are those that haven't yet passed it. If you want something for free, get a Cracker Jacks box!

 

(The great GIVE AWAY has already started up north & is marching it's way south. Amateur radio will surely be great here in the USA when we have a bunch of 2 meter repeater op's on HF.)


Tom kcØw




Well, now you know why I was in no hurry to upgrade. Who wants to make contact with people like this! 73 till then, Charlie KE6OUD

 

This is the sort of thing I spoke of in my last thread. Real classy operator, this guy. Is this what I'm striving to become?

 

I support the removal of the code requirement and I passed the 20 wpm to get my Extra class license.

By the way, KY1V, I did get some Cracker Jacks and the prize inside was you ... which really isn't much of a prize at all.

Chuck, AA1MN