RadioBanter - View Single Post - U.S. Morse Code Solution-Maybe?

February 27th 05, 02:17 AM

wrote in news:1109453914.521433.288070
@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:

From: "Alun L. Palmer" on Sat, Feb 26 2005 6:48 pm
Buck wrote in
m:
On Sat, 26 Feb 2005 04:11:18 GMT, robert casey
wrote:

I haven't made the proposal and if I did I suspect it would fall on
deaf ears. regardless, it was/is nothing more than my opinion about
something I would think is fair for Amateur Radio with incentive
licensing. without incentive licensing, take one general class exam
and become extra without code.

I didn't file my proposal either. I did have a petition ready to go,
but I wa stalked out of filing it by NCI, as they thought they could
get Elemnt 1 abolished without going through this whole NPRM cycle. We
all know what happened to that idea. BTW, where is Carl anyway?

Carl Stevenson has been very busy working with the IEEE 802
groups on wireless standards (among other things).

Please fill us in, Alun, what happened with that NPRM cycle?
Last I saw, NO NPRM had been released yet concerning test
element 1. The only one released was a general "housekeeping"
update of amateur radio regulations.

That's the thing, we are in that cycle, but still waiting for the NPRM to
be issued. NCI hoped to short circuit this process, but failed.

When it comes to the code/no code debate, my response has been
changed. Lately when someone tries to argue it my response has been
"Do away with all code,not for the good of amateur radio, but so this
25 year argument will finally come to an end.

Actually it's been going on for at least 82 years that I know of, but
WTH!

That would be since 1913.

Actually, both of us have the maths wrong. I meant 1927, but that's only 78
years. 1913 would be 92 years. 1927 was the year that the ITU made the
international requirement for the code test.

I don't think so. In 1913 amateur
radio was ALL about morse code. ARRL had its "president for
life" (H.P.Maxim) set to go but wasn't fully formed yet as an
actual local New England amateur radio club organization.
[ARRL was incorporated in 1914, two years after the first
U.S. radio regulating agency was created]

Not so. Not in 1927 anyway. There were a lot of people using phone back
then. AM, of course.

The no-code-test amateur radio license advocacy began in
the late 1970s. That grew until the FCC (in copying other
countries' license classes) released FCC 90-53, the NPRM
for creation of the no-code-test Technician class. That was
in 1990 (first two digits indicate the year) and the Report &
Order granting the sixth license class was released in 1991.

The big argument began in 1927. The code test was proposed by the US
delegation to the ITU as a quid pro quo for the recognition of ham radio as
a service, and their motion was carried. The US had already had a code test
since at least 1916 that I know of, so it wasn't much of a concession for
them. Other countries did not. The UK had no code test before 1927, and
between then and the war had an 'artificial antenna' licence, whereby you
could get a licence by practicing into a dummy load for six months to still
avoid the code test.

The various ITU conferences gradually rolled back the code requirement to
below 1GHz in 1937, 420MHz in 1947, 144MHz in 1967, 30MHz in 1979 and 0 MHz
in 2003. Australia introduced a no code licence in 1952, the UK in 1963 and
the US not until 1991, after many other countries had done so. The FCC did
attempt to promote a no-code licence in the 1970s, but gave up when opposed
by the ARRL (yes, I do have that the right way around!).

About 20 countries have removed the code test since 2003. Japan already for
many years had HF for all licences including the no code 10 Watt 4th class
licence, and Spain once in the past abolished the code test, but brought it
back when their hams couldn't get reciprocal licences elsewhere.

Even in the US I know for a fact that the contoversy was very much alive in
the '70s. But 1927 was the year it really began.

If there's one thing that we should all be able to agree on, this is an
argument that can only end in one way, and maybe not even then. As long
as there's a code test there will be an argument. I agree, it needs to
be

over.

Apparently the argument causes much pain and suffering
among the already-tested-for-code-and-passed individuals.
Some of those, not receiving their (intrinsic?) due of respect
and admiration from others, grow livid with rage that such
arguments exist today. Poor babies.

The PCTA should be appeased. They've had their way
since 1912 amidst noble backing from Big Brother in
Newington and they demand capitulation to their wishes.

Power limits can't be enforced, but they are the right way to
distinguish between ability levels, and different slices of the same
band aren't. The former mitigates the msitakes of the less qualified
much more effectively, and most people are relatively law abiding. If
you had to be an Extra to own a big linear, most people would think
twice.

The major reason for any sort of "incentive" licensing was
to create the artificiality of some being better than others.
"Upgrades" are rewarded with more status, privilege, and
titles. That's very "feel good" for them, as close as we can
get to nobility in this American society.

The ARRL encouraged stepping up the "ladder of success"
in their printed propaganda for several reasons: 1. It was
something members and prospective members wanted to
hear, thus encouraging membership and renewal for same;
2. League hierarchy were conservative traditionalists and
they had all been morsemen long ago in their youth; feeling
that they were self-righteous role models they set up and
maintained morsemanship as the ultimate skill of radio
amateurs; 3. League lobbying of the FCC saved individual
radio amateurs from petitioning the government by
themselves, a complicated process prior to opening up of
the Internet to file petitions and comments within the last
decades. All other "reasons" for support of the "incentive"
licensing are holier-than-thou rationalizations by the PCTA.

What seems to have been put aside is that amateur radio
activity is basically a hobby, a personal recreation activity
involving radio, something done for fun. To many, however,
it is a self-righteous quest to be a "somebody," to be more
"superior." By having federal regulations support their
views, they fool themselves into believing they are superior.
Ergo, certain "qualifications" for amateur radio licensing
must remain forever (or as long as the "superior" ones
live) because those "superiors" bought into the old ideas
and passed those requirements.

Those who have passed the "mighty" tests sometimes
assume way too much authority for themselves. What
must be the peak (or perhaps nadir) of that is the market
appearance of radio "badges" resembling public safety
officers shields but marked with amateur radio callsigns.
Those who have a foolish need to show they are
"somebody" can purchase one and posture that they
are "official" and thus "very important." :-)

This is the year 2005 and radio as a communications
tool is 108+ years old. Radio has been continuously
evolving in both technology and application. Governments
now have plenty of radios and communications to do
their tasks, outnumbering amateurs. It is high time that
some olde-tyme hammes realign themselves to the
cold, hard facts that amateur radio remains a hobby.
Amateur radio wasn't created in the olde-tymer's visage
and it should be open to all who care to enjoy it. But,
the olde-tymer's don't want that...they lose their rank,
status, title, and privilege if reduced to being just
commoners.

Olde-tymers MUST keep the argument going. They are
"superior" and keep reminding everyone that only They
know what is good for everyone. :-)

Funny thing isn't it, ye olde tymmers in a relatively high tech hobby? It's
a good thing spark isn't still legal!

N3KIP