FINALLY!!!!!!

What a maroon.

 

Yep. Proudly. I was with the 1st Maroons when we stormed the bands and overran the hf no-coders at CW Ridge. We strung'em up with their own dipoles. Left'em to listen to the white noise of the dead band for several days.
Then I was there when the Maroons jumped right into the pileup at Newingham. It was hard fought but we finally beat back the evil league and took back ham radio.
Yes. I am proud to be a Maroon. And I like Deep Purple also! Highway Star! Rock on Dude!
 
And in keeping with my helpful hand out to ham radio, please watch for my new book: "Ham Radio for Those Dumber than a load of Bricks". I see a great need for it in the coming days.

 Maroons! oooorah!

KL7FZ

 

Wow, what a hero!

My time in the cav just pales in comparison. I hope that the maroons have a better medical program than the VA. With all that combat experience he's probably more shot up than me.

 

No. I'm an NCT and am working furiously to be able to pass the code test at the last session in my area that will give it, in February. I don't have to obviously; I want to, and it's proving difficult. I will complete the task however.

Much to the contrary of all the OF's who continue to call me every name in the book because of a decision I had absolutely no input on.

As an aside, I'm far enough along with it that I'm beginning to understand those who say some intelligent people just don't have the ear for it. I'm beginning to understand their point.

I strongly disagree that 10M will become like 11M. I understand the concern, but don't believe for a second that it will happen.

Like you, much of my strong desire to learn code and be able to say I passed the test is out of respect for those who came before me. I find it ironic that many of those whom I thought deserved my respect, have demonstrated that the opposite is true. It's disappointing.

 

Go for it Mike ... we wish you the best..! When you have learned CW, and are on the low ends of the bands working DX and having a ball ... YOU are the one who can smile and say ... I did it..! (as you collect those DX cards!).

Hearing disorders are among the problem issues that Handi-Hams is all about. I guess some people don't care. They do..!

Bill, W0LPQ/9

 

Thank you Bill, and I hope to receive one of YOUR QSL's one day...

 

Well I'll tell you, I couldn't be prouder of you if you were my own son.
If I didn't upgrade yet, I would be in a hill fired hurry doing the same thing. Cramming the code. It's an honor to be associated with you, a man that has some pride and principals. And I would also do it out of respect of people that came before me. Don't listen to these so called people.

 

Thank you Steve!

 

wil not quite in the box.
I dont see how it will hurt hams in anyway.
The test still take effort to pass and the effort is enough to keep it from becoming a old "CB" like mess..
God bless bob

 

For those of you struggling to pass the test before it goes away, I suggest a greater challenge.

How about learning the code and getting good enough at it to earn some kind of recognition on the air?

There are lots of ways to do that. ARRL has their Code Proficiency program. It's much harder to get one of those certificates, because you have to actually get solid copy of the material over the air.

Another way would be to earn an award like WAS or DxCC all on CW.

There are dozens of contests each year. I've won the ARRL Sweepstakes for my section twice on CW - lots of fun!

The point is - you don't have to kill yourself to pass a soon-to-be defunct test in order to demonstrate your skill. It would be more fun for everybody if you looked past the test to what you can really do with it.

And, if anybody ever asks you if you passed a code test, ask them what they did with it after they passed theirs.

 

Good point. The test means little, a CW QRP WAS will mean something. Or DXCC or any other award for CW operation.

Joe

 

I agree with that point, and fully intend to do those things as well. I'm fearful that this effort may foster a tendency to never want to see code again once the test is over hihi. But the fact that I'm cognizant of that is why it won't happen.

I just want to be able to say I took the test and passed it. For crying out loud, it's only 5wpm. Hard, to be SURE - but nothing compared to what a whole bunch of folks before me had to do.

 

The Horse is Dead, stop beating it or I will have to rat you all out to GW Bush.

 

It's not dead yet,we still have written tests to get rid of.

 

Yeah, after Element 1 is dead we are going for all the other ones. Then well will push for just a mail-in box-top license. After that, it will be a short jump to CB-style no-license hams.

MUH-HAA-HAA-HAA-HAA!



Get over yourself Henny-Penny.