For the straight word on ham licensing and requirements -- see URL;
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/classes.html
General and Extra currently require a 5 wpm code test.

Once licensed to General or Extra, a used $350 HF transceiver will get you
on the air (100+ Watts) and if you make your own antenna -- add $3 or $4.

If and when the code requirement is deleted, the use of Morse code will
continue - as it is just another mode of operation, many will continue to
use it and newbies will find the advantages of it, so MORSE WILL live on.

The lower bands -- 160M, 80M, and 40M are not dependent on the "skip cycle".
30m will do well also in the off years but it is a CW and data mode only.

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Someone wrote
I just want to get to the general level for now. I want to learn the code,
is it
5 wpm only know? I thought you needed 13 wpm for general? I have no desire
to
use code, but will do so for the test. The only thing is that by the time
I can
save up enough for a $1,500 HF all band tranceiver, code will be gone
anyway. I
hope to have one by the next skip cycle in a few years.

Vinnie S.