On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 00:57:36 +0000, ZZZPK wrote:

"Matt" wrote:

: Ahhhhhh, yes of course and the retention of CW will keep the riff raff out
: won't it!!
yes it has ..and WILL continue to do so..

it requires effort to pass.

Hmmm. Australia dropped the morse requirement on Jan 1 2004 and the hordes
of "riff raff" never arrived! On-air behaviour is as always, with good or
bad not being tied to whether someone "did the test".



and once you put the effort in,, you will value the licence more.


Agree completely.

those who lose hf access have further to fall (more to lose)

Not sure where this is comming from. However my take on the whole issue is
that testing should be relevant to operator privilege. So, and this is by
way of EXAMPLE ONLY....

A basic test for all amateurs that gives basic privileges on some bands,
with limited power and type approved equipment.

Then you go for extra things, like

Higher power.
More bands.
Certification to use homebuilt/modified transmitters
etc, etc.

This would mean
1. Attaining "full" privilages would actually be HARDER than now.
2. Testing is RELEVANT to what the operator wants to do and is
demonstrably technically able to do.

....AND....
in the spirit of the above, you COULD have a morse test to use certain
parts of the spectrum for morse (and would of course be expected to
operate there according to an agreed minimum standard). Mind you, I think
this would be opening Pandora's Box whereby there might be a stampede to
grab slices of spectrum exclusively for EVERY MODE POSSIBLE!!!!


Bottom line. There's enough room for everyone to do their thing. Testing
should demonstrate that they are capable of doing it competently.

--
Stephen Quigg
VK2TUM