FCC STILL WEIGHING MORSE CODE RULES

Who cares ! alot of cry babys out here.Get out of those dark shacks, and get a new hobby !

 

The battle here isn't Code vrs No Code it is class vers no class. If we do not clean up our own (75M) bands what good is it to fight over an out dated means of communication, most of the trouble makers in Ham radio are the ones with (code class) license!!!

 

KG4RYT,
Jim I have operated on 75 for the last 40 or so years and I have not heard any of the problems you seem to be having, what part of the band do you operate in ?  I admit I do usually operate in the lower part of the band, it is sort of by convention since the public service nets operate in the upper part as well as mobiles. Are you stating that the trouble makers on 75 are all those who have displayed their skills at qualifing for HF benefits and those who have Failed, never cause a problem on 75 ? I don't know about a generalized statement that all those who qualify for HF are trouble makers, but in the last few years there have been, for some reason a few instances where the men were separted from the boys, but generally that is the nature of 75/80 and 160 meters, not every one can get on those bands successfully due to space and technical restrictions, but if you operate there you know that, by the way what part of the band do you operate??
The CW filter does eliminate some misfits, but like most American products today it doesn't work perfect. Who in their right mind would want a perfect world though, think of all the dissappointment to those who are a habitual inconsonant. Be looking for you on 75 Jim.
ENJOY!! All the days on the Calendar are numbered.......73,   ORV

 

Drop the code!  IF ya want to use it, Use it.  If not you shouldn't have to.........

 

I am one of the "old" hams, receiving my novice in 1956.
I may be old, but I recognize the world changes with time. So I won't dwell on the CW controversy, but I'll add my two cents. I have never met anyone who said they liked learning the code. It was a right of passage into the Ham ranks. You really had to want to be a Ham and this was the first stumbling block to that goal.

Now having said my peace on the code, I'll get to the crux of the problem. Our society has changed. Gratifying  the average is the norm. Making any one put a lot of work to succeed anything is unpopular and harmful to their self esteem, so Ham Radio is just following the current trend. Its not right but it is the fact and I can't change it. So if the code requirement goes it goes.

 

I dont think that code should be dropped,it should be made optional for the licesee. My opinion is this if you want the privelidges of higher class licenses you will learn CW.

 

No! No! No!

Keeping the code requirement puts the USA backwards in the world. We are to be world leaders, not some backwards throwbacks.

I want the code dropped now!!!!!!

 

WHAT DOES NOT EVOLVE TO ADAPT TO ITS ENVIROMENT DIES!
Now lets think about it, Morse code is frankly,.. well for lack of a better term NOT NECCARY AND CODE TESTING NEEDS TO BE DROPPED There I said it, now I’m going to be slammed by all the old timers with the attitude that "I had to do it, therefore you do too" <really progressive mode of thinking there> and told to crawl back under my rock, well that’s not going to happen. If age is a state of mind, and you subscribe to that mode of thinking, frankly you’re a fossil.  Being in my late 20's and a ham <yes a technician class, now you say ooohhhh he doesn’t know squat well clam up and listen there sparky, you might learn something so read on> First off I'm not too lazy to learn something like morse code I do plenty of studying, I hold two degrees and will soon be working on a third.< no they are not in English and yes I realize many of you are more educated than I am and I know my grammar stinks> What I do know is that I'm much more in touch with the younger generation then most of the rest of you.  <who the fate of ham radio really rest with when the rest of you are gone> Where I live it mostly seems like ham radio is a old mans club <break out the fez hats and go-carts its time for a drunken parade> and if it stays that way ham radio will die with them. In this age if the internet, im’s, mobile messengers, direct connect phones and many other gizmos to choose from that are off the shelf ready why would many of the younger generation choose ham radio when these are cheaper and require no testing. <I’m not saying remove testing, just the CW part> 99% of people I talk with about ham radio automatically assume I know code, and many that express an interest that could be good future operators in ham radio fear the "code barrier" and that prevents them from trying. Sometimes I get responses like “with the internet and phones and everything else why do people still use ham radios?” Guess what? No try = less hams and less hams
= less spectrum. <and thats all of our loss>  Then comes the argument from the other side that cw is the cornerstone of ham radio <maybe to you but it makes my dog howl> and code gets through when most else won’t, well guess what?…..that’s right, digital modes can get through just as well as code can. You may plug in your paddle; I plug in my palm pilot.
There are sooooooo <not enough space for oo’s for the amount of emphasis I’d like to place> many pluses to eliminating the CW testing, mainly MORE HAMS!!< no not the Christmas type either> Other benefits, more experimenters = new technologies, as well as a larger radio market that should bring lower prices and more products among other benefits.<simple economics 101> More of a voice with government and the FCC. <its not the louder we yell the more they listen, its the more of us that yell the more they listen>And of course, I feel is the most important, letting your children their children and their children enjoy ham radio.
Ham radio will not become like 11m CB, we police ourselves and report violators as neccary, Its just that most of the younger crowd is not interested in CW, many of us would rather use ect. for non-voice modes.<thats all bands not just hf> Hey, keep CW testing for operation in the CW bands, if you don’t want to operate CW why should you be tested on it?<that goes for all bands not just HF I dont' see anyone being directly tested on rtty, packet, psk, sstv, fstv ect.> Test those who want to use it. Many of us just don’t have a use for it with all the other modes, and don’t want to learn something we won’t use.<we’ll just forget it like what we learned in art history>
Lets face it in the "wireless" age, if our numbers decline the unused frequencies get re-allocated to those will PAY to use them (ex. 1.25m band.)  And with wireless congestion plenty of corporations would love to have spectrum in hf vhf and uhf.
Ham radio needs to evolve, and lets face it WHAT DOES NOT EVOLVE TO ADAPT TO ITS ENVIROMENT DIES <--fact of life there… undeniable I can’t state that enough……………. (why do you think farmers use different pesticides every year?) One last thing, ask yourself the truth about why you disagreee with me, the truth now not what you use to cover it up, is it because you had to learn it therefore you feel everyone else should or because you feel you have to keep as many people from using YOUR frequencies as possible.

Ok I’ve done enough rambling but I hope my scatter-brained 2am opinion makes it’s point and makes you think. Yes I know I’m sarcastic my parents remind of that every holiday, and my girlfriend reminds me daily, but sometimes that’s the best way to get through your cranium. Maybe you found this amusing or maybe offensive, I just hope I made my point and if this offends you do us all a favor and get over yourself…right here…right now. And if I did offent you good i got your attention. We all have opinions and a right to them. I may not like yours but I will respect it so respect mine. I welcome all replies from either side to this bulletin board and my e-mail    zn706@mindspring.com   and maybe I’m even open to discussion if your willing to open your mind and see a different point of view………..73    Brad kg4foy

---minds are like parachutes, they only function when open  
not sure who said it-but it’s a valid point.

 

KG4FOY

You make a very good point.  It all boils down to, "USE IT, OR LOSE IT.

Unfortunately, everything you said will fly in one ear, and right out the other ear.  (Just like this post, because it dosen't agree with them.)  The pro coders know very well that you are correct.  But they are stuck in the same old rut. And it's killing them slowly knowing full well that they will not have it their way in the end.  So bashing no-coders is their last resort.

They have no logical argument for keeping the CW requirement, and they know it.  This has been made evident by the hundreds of post that constantly keep comparing the MODE of CW, to something that is actually necessary to know in life.  There is now 4 ongoing threads on this worn out subject that have ended a long time ago, but for the pathetic enjoyment of trolls, it just refuses to die.

10 years from now, after the HF bands have gone on as it always has, and nothing bad has happened, QRZ will celebrate it's 1 billionth redundant post in this very thread by no-code haters.  Because they don't realize the war has been over for years, and nothing that they said would happen, actually happened.

Sit tight, and get the popcorn ready. I'm about to be proven right.  Here comes more of the no-code bashing reruns. OK guys, we're ready.  Let the redundancy continue.

 

K3DAV

Well you know its impossible to teach an old dog new tricks. This is a world of us it or lose it. It just blows my mind how much people don't pay attention to what's going on around them. Dispite the numbers it really looks like the hobby is shrinking . Both of the universities (one being an engineering school) I have attended have ham radio clubs. Both schools are over 25,000 students and the size of the clubs ranged from 4 to 9 people. If you were to go back in the yearbooks you can see how at both places the ham radio clubs #'s have dropped in the past 20 years even with an increase in student population. I know thats just two schools and not a scientific study but I begin to worry when the athiest lesibans club has 4+x the members of a ham radio club at an engineering university (nothing against athiest lesibans) thats just a small picture of things to come!!!!!!!!!!I just hope the FCC does the right thing and drops the CW requirement regardless of what the old stick in the muds (code pros) want to do. If you want to use code use it, if not you shouldn't have too. I don't see the FCC directly testing on every other non voice mode out there so why should CW be any different? Somewhere I heard someone mention elitism, some of the worst elitism I have found has come many Extras in this hobby!!!!!


kg4foy

 

I was first licensed back in 1983; passing the 5wpm code test for my Novice license. In 1991, I passed the 13wpm for General. In 1999, I failed the 20wpm test three times, and was studying to take it again in 2000 when restructuring came along. So, on April 15, 2000 I did the paper upgrade to Extra.

I realize that there is a sense of nostalgia, as well as a sense of heritage when it comes to Morse Code. After all, it has been a requirement for a very long time. And I must admit, a part of me hates to see the code go the way of the dinosaur.

But, its important to realize that ham radio, like many other things in life, changes. The elimination of Morse Code is an inevitable change in our hobby that we WILL have to deal with. But looking back through the history of our hobby, we have dealt with many changes before, and we will adapt to this one as well.

 

KV5J:

That was a very well thought out statement. And thank you for such a nice statement, and not a bunch of bashing flames. That is how these debates should be. Many of the trolls should take a lesson from your attitude.

But I noticed you say that code will be removed. Remember it's the CW REQUIREMENT TO UPGRADEthat will be removed. Not CW itself.

CW is still a strong interest for many, and always will be. Just tune to any of the CW subbands, and listen. They are hopping with activity. It is so crowded, I don't know how anyone can pull out just one operator. When the CW Requirement is dropped, the CW subbands will be the only part of our spectrum that isn't affected. The no-coders will have no use for the CW subbands. Think about it. All of the people who are complaining about the CW requirement going away, are the only ones that won't be affected by the change. Just more of that irony.

I totally understand the sense of nostalgia and heritage for Morse code. And the best part is, none of that will change for anyone. The only ones who do the complaining, are the pot stirring trolls that just want to keep the flamers going for their own personal enjoyment. They get a thrill out of arguing with people. Kind of like the BIG BULLY in the school yard. They do it because they can. And no other reason.

Thanks again for the straight forward statement, without the flames. You sound like one of the TRUE good amateur operators. I hope to QSO with you some day.

Take care KV5J.

 

I see no need to drop code all togather I see a simple ending If you want to use it use it .
Just like technicain and technicain plus if ya want it test for it if ya dont want it dont test for it