In article k.net, "Dwight
Stewart" writes:

"N2EY" wrote:

"Dwight Stewart" writes:
And, in my humble opinion, it is not
sufficient justification - no more than
the fact that vacuum tubes or circular
analog tuning dials were once popular
justifies a requirement that they
continue to be used.

There were never any test questions on
circular analog tuning dials AFAIK. There
used to be lots of test questions on tubes
but they are almost all gone now - because
most hams' rigs don't use tubes any more.


The issue is a government requirement, not test questions.

The written tests which are made from those questions are a govenrment
requirement.

If a person has no interest in code, the
speed certainly isn't going to change that.

Apply that same logic to the written test...

Have already done so elsewhere (in a reply to Mike Coslo, I believe).

And they said reducing the emphasis on
telegraphy proficiency as a licensing
requirement would "allow the amateur
service to, as it has in the past, attract
technically inclined persons, particularly
the youth of our country, and encourage
them to learn and to prepare themselves
in the areas where the United States
needs expertise."

But that hasn't happened. Didn't happen
after 1991, nor again after 2000.

How do you know that to be a fact?

Because we have not seen any significant changes
to the technology used by hams in all that time that
came from hams who aren't code tested.

With some training in electronics,
radio, computers, and so on, I consider myself somewhat technically inclined
and I probably would have never gotten a license if the code tests remained
for all licenses. Are you so very certain I'm the only one?

Not at all.

But with all due respect, Dwight - how "technically inclined" are you?
Build any homebrew rigs? Any new modes or technologies? Any
technical articles in amateur radio publications?

Please understand, there's no requirement that you or any ham do any of those
things. But what difference does it make how "technically inclined" a ham is if

they don't do any of them?

73 de Jim, N2EY