FCC Noncommital on Code Changes

So true. I passed 20 wpm in 1993, and have never connected a key to a rig. Never intended to from day one.

 

I don't care one way or the other if the FCC drops it, I just know if the FCC drops it I will not go on the radio for a while ( 3 to 6 months ), while the people that HATE us no coders get their anger problems worked out.

I right now avoid one ham on the air because he always gets on my case about code, and for a while ( 6 months ) I did not go on the air because of him.

I did once consider getting CW, but the problem with it at the time was I was only studying it because I felt force to by other hams, I hated it, I was not going to use it, I was not going to go for a General or higher license, I did not what it, I had no use for it, I was not going to us it, heck I was not going to upgrade. So I stopped studying it, and that is when that one ham I talked about above started to make my time on the air unpleasant, now if he is on the freq, I will not go on, and if he gets on when I am on, I will sign off.

 

Having just returned to amateur radio after half a lifetime of absense, the vitriol that is being spread around about cw is at the heart of why I left all those years ago. Artificial, self-serving, differences among the members of the fraternity is what has caused the decline of interest. True, pride of accomplishment in achieving Extra or the old Advanced licenses is a valid goal in addition to the minimal extra band privileges. Egoistic slamming of neophytes and tales of walking uphill to school in a blizzard (in June and both ways) only make your chest hurt by all that beating of the sternum. I, for one, am actively practicing my code ( 19 wpm and counting) until I can set a date to achieve my /AG. For the Old Timers, and Old, Old Timers, get off your ego-based soap box and become a positive image elmer for the majority of newcomers who really do want to learn. Wear your thousand word a minute extra patch and lose the snotty attitude and our Amateur Radio Service may yet achieve a restoration of growth. I've been fortunate. I have several elmers who help my skills and that's why I'm back and learning each day. This "Less Filling - Tastes Great" argument has gone nowhere, is going nowhere,and will only hurt us further. Climb down off Mount Olympus, remove the laurel leaves from your eyes and make a difference in the life of young operators who are the future when us old farts become silent keys. An interest and use of CW requires practice and guidance. When you're done praising yourself, step up to the plate and lend a hand.

 

Well, we did it! We put a transmitter in a rusty '52 Chevy and pushed it off of the edge of the Rio Grand Canyon near Taos. It transmitted, in Morse code, the barometric pressure and temperature all the way down. We used 11 meters, because we figured more CB'ers were likely to know code than today's hams.
Oddly, the car took two minutes to reach the bottom. Chevy's of that vintage never were very fast, but we are still looking for the reasons for the lost time. Our imbedded physics student thinks it may be the result of using 11 meters. I have my doubts. Those folks are slow, but..........
But what the hey! Another successful Ham radio experiment to show other nations the way! Let's see the Russians top that one.

 

Well here goes,
Just like alot of others I went to Kansas City FCC office to take my Tech and Gen.test,, We had to then !
With the FCC standing over us,, Wow
I passed the 13 WPM and then studyed for my 20 WPM,,
Is all this impressing you ?? HA HA
We had to study and do all the math and theroy !
I am glad too have done it all.

Now from here foreward I don't care if they do away with the code, as long as they can add the people to inforce the rules and reg..
I would like to see them keep it for the extra class Lic. for the simple reason that if we ever have a war where nukes are used and it knocks out the Computers, then at leased we will have some way of helping when the phone bands can't get through.
I joke with my Grandson and Grand daughter that when I get done teaching them code, they will have a way to talk with very little of the ham radio operators able to know what it is they are talking about., there own private language.
This is not meant to upset anyone, just my own insight.

So do away with it for all code but Extra Class and leave the CW portion of the bands alone and all will be well!! And most of all have the people to in force the rules.
I hear alot of operators from AZ and CA. that are on the air on 40 meters that when you call them the first thing they say is,, so what do you want a signal report or are you one of those sh--ty people that is going to tell me I can't talk anyway I want on the radio. ( Not saying it is just CA- AZ.)
As long as we keep it clean and help each other and the public, we will maintain a good image with people world wide as HAMS not cber's and a people they can count on for help, regardless of the code or no code.
So let's mend the fence's let them do away with the code for the gen. and if anything bring back the advanced class as a 5 WPM code with the Gen test and then the extra test as just the test.

Just my view and not meant to upset anyone, just maybe a way to get along.

 

Whenever morse code comes up, two things are sure to follow: 1) CB radio, 2) Nazi Germany.

When this occurs, you may consider the conversation finished.

 

To the no code radio operators. I think I can speak for the majority when I say I have no problem with no code operators. It's not the fact I had to learn the code to get my novice and you don't/didn't.

The whole point is (Maybe because I consider myself old school) Amateur Radio has a certain prestige to it and it used to be before you got your license you "had" to know "something" about it besides just keying the mike and talking. (read my previous post about these two guy's that got their license and have no idea their radio could transmit or where to find 40,20,15 meters and admit they have no idea what they read)

The code part weather you use it or not (in my mind) is just to keep it honest. If someone want's to have these privileges go the extra mile and earn it. I feel anyone that does, has earned the right to have a license. (Let's face it 5 WPM code take's little effort to learn, but it's something you "have" to learn and study a little for. Not just memorize Q's & A's)

This studying for two week's just memorizing question's and answer's is not earning the privileges. Might as well just go back to what I did to get my CB license in 1968. Just fill out a forum and send it in. Because that's all this is.

For those no coder's that have a license and know something about the hobby and truly enjoy the hobby, I for sure welcome you and think no less of you. The point is to weed out the folk's that don't give a crap about the hobby and just hand them 1500 watt's of power. These guy's have no idea how to stop/advoid simple TVI problems with their CB set's..

Might be beating a dead bush here. But this is how this Ham operator feel's.

Very 73
Lenny
W2JLW

 

I disagree with some of that.  Back in the old days, CW was necessary for many communications.  But with today's technology, today's hams see CW as a mode of transmission.  You say we just don't want to do it.  Well even if that is true, it is just a choice of mode that we making.  If you don't like SSB, then you don't have to use it.  If you don't like AM, then you don't have to use that either.  But you didn't have to prove to the FCC at your license exam that you knew how to use SSB by actually tuning in an SSB transmission perfectly.

CW may have been necessary at one time, but it isn't now.  Now it is one of your many choices of TX mode to use.  If the CW test was any kind of filter to keep out the unwanted, then 80 meters wouldn't be the second CB band dump it is now.

Dozens of countries have dropped the CW requirement 2 years ago now.  None of them are having any problems with it.  The new no-code guys on HF are welcomed by the old timers, and everyone goes about their business like they always have.  Their skies haven't fallen.  Their bands are not overrun with CB'ers.  They don't consider themselves as "Dumbed-down".  If anything, they are having a ball with our wonderful hobby. As it was intended to be. How come they can handle it and we can't?

Only in America could we make such a huge problem with such a simple change.  Too many egos getting bruised, Too many people wanting to keep the HF bands all to themselves.  Too many people not wanting to realize that we have moved into a new century. And YES!! Most of the arguments are, "I had to do it, so should you".  That is exactly what it comes down to, because all of the other arguments have been proven 100% wrong several times over around the world. The only legitimate argument left is, "My ego is bruised and I want it to stay the way I want it to be".

America used to lead by example.  Now we follow by our egos when it suits us.  Are we going to let the rest of the world show us how to get along with change and be friends, or must we continue this pathetic petty argument, and make Americans look like the idiots we are proving ourselves to be?  Come on guys.  It's a new century, and we are all in this hobby for the same reason.  To experiment, have fun and talk to each other.  How abaout it?

 

I REALLY DO HOPE YOU GET A RELAXATION IN YOUR LICENCE REQUIREMENTS.  HERE IN UK THE NEW RULES WILL COME INTO EFFECT ALLOWING US TO HAVE A LICENCE FOR LIFE IN ADDITION TO THE ALREADY 'NO MORSE REQUIRED'.  DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE MORSE SLIPPING AWAY.  MANY HAMS IN UK STILL WANT TO USE IT AND LONG MAY THAT BE THE CASE.  AS THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT FOR CW, THIS HAS ENCOURAGED MORE TO ASK CLUBS AND SOCIETIES TO GIVE INSTRUCTION AND PROFICIENCY CERTIFICATES.

KEEP SMILING AND GET THE FCC TO GO THE SAME WAY.

M1 NTO  HUGH (MANCHSTER UK)

 

David, I don't think ego plays a part in it at all. The arguement you advanced works equally well as regards the technical side of amateur radio and the pages of this reflector and another reveal a growing faction that embraces that viewpoint. Its all part of an across the board standards reduction going on throughout society. The road to hell is said to be paved with good intentions. This is but one of many steps.

 

Yep, the UK IS "leading" the race and on the "cutting
edge" of the "new" ham radio system for the twenty
first century.--If you believe that, I will sell you the
brooklyn bridge, and throw in "oceanfront" property in
Arizona.

As far as doing away with cw and encouraging more
clubs,--yep,--there will be more clubs,--like CB clubs
of years ago, with pizza and soda, and a "talker of
the month", who talks about how to solder a PL-259
onto a piece of coaxial cable.

And of course,--there will be "certificates of completion"
given out after successfully soldering a PL-259 onto
a piece of coaxial cable,(issued by the ARRL) of course.

And last but not least,--People will "go away smiling"
after "a job well done".

                          73, K1MVP

Gee,--I wonder if the British during WW II were able
to issue "diplomas" in their "tech" schools for completing
such a task?
No wonder the British needed our  help to win the war
against Germany.

 

Good help is always hard to find.  I still wonder what the "exit strategy" is for our troops in Germany though...

 

Why "dumb down" the standards and drop the code?
Follow the money, bubba.

If we drop the code and "dumb down" the standards, who profits? arrl will swim in mountains of money $$$ from a flood of new CBer memberships and sales of over-priced, recycled publications. Its that simple. ARRL WINS, YOU LOOSE.

Roger that.........BEEP!
W9WHE

 

No coders have nearly succeeded in convincing FCC to give them HF priveleges for nothing. Whine long enough, and assert the "entitlement" mentality enough times, and you get what you want.

WELL, I WANT MY OWN FREQUENCY. So, here goes, I'm going to use the no-coder technique:


WHAAAAA...... I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA
WHAAAAA...... I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA
WHAAAAA.......I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA
WHAAAAA...... I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA
WHAAAAA...... I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA
WHAAAAA...... I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA
WHAAAAA.......I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA
WHAAAAA...... I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA


AND I'M NOT GOING TO STOP UNTIL I GET IT:

WHAAAAA...... I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA
WHAAAAA...... I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA
WHAAAAA.......I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA
WHAAAAA...... I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA
WHAAAAA...... I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA
WHAAAAA...... I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA
WHAAAAA.......I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA
WHAAAAA...... I want my own frequency....WHAAAAAA

W9WHE

 

WOW

So it sure sounds to me like you -
WANT YOUR OWN FREQUENCY
AND YOU NOT GOING TO STOP UNTIL YOU GET IT!