"Peter" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 28 Dec 2005 13:04:19 -0000, "The Magnum"
wrote:


I find it surprising that the Full licence requirement no longer requires
Morse. It seems to be on a self destruct course which is a shame as most
of
you hard working Amateurs Full licence's seem to have been belittled by
this. If a Full Licence doesn't require Morse then the licence doesn't
mean
as much. I think that is a mistake. Technical competence seems to be a
bygone word.


I find this puzzling. Please explain to me why you think a Morse Test
pass at 12 wpm makes someone technically proficient? Surely a
practical examination in some aspect(s) of circuit design, home
construction and use of basic test equipment would be of far more
value. I'd very much like to see such a practical section introduced
as a replacement for the Morse Test.

It doesn't make them technically proficient to do Morse at 12wpm but it does
mean they have actually got the basic skills to communicate in a different
language, it used to make them technically proficient holding the Licence
because it included more in depth knowledge and understanding of aspects of
their hobby whereas now, the dropping on Morse and the simplified tick box
answers makes the licence a much easier and less respected qualification.

I've been a CW op all my amateur radio life (ie since 1961) and for
the previous 10 years as an SWL. Not once have I felt superior to the
many G8 friends I have who have never taken the morse test but whose
technical proficiency in electronics is far greater than mine.

Of course the above is true, and you are a true Amateur and you admit and
acknowledge that you aren't gods gift and there are others out there with a
lower licence that surpass you in technical knowledge in certain fields
rather than the nut jobs in here who just like to wind people up and
belittle them calling them brain dead and lazy arsed because they think they
are superior in "every" way.

One
very good friend of mine, a G8, is a Professor of Electrical
Engineering at a well known UK University. He's written countless
papers on antenna design, microwaves and the like, yet, for years, he
was deprived the chance to operate on the HF bands simply because he
had no interest in CW .... how ridiculous.

Peter, you have no argument with me over this. I also have no real interest
in Morse either(at the moment) as Amateur radio is about far more than
Morse. I don't like the attitude of a few in here with their Bigotry towards
newcomers and class B either but.... I can see both sides and the old school
who studied hard and were proud to get their Top Level licences feel that
their efforts have been nullified as the licence has dropped the Morse
requirement and is now a lower and easier thing to obtain. That said why
spit Bile and hatred towards others.... it's supposed to be a Gentlemen's
pursuit.

I also know many G8s who
can send and receive Morse well in excess of 12wpm but who chose not
to take the morse test. They use morse on the VHF/UHF and microwave
bands for weak signal work such as meteor scatter, EME, etc.... far
more demanding in terms of homemade gear and antenna systems than an
HF bands CW QSO (most likely using commercial gear and commercial
antenna).

No argument with you at all there....

CW does not make you a better radio amateur but it does give some
folk on this newgroup an inflated opinion of themselves. Perhaps that
test and the RAE are only exams they have ever been able to pass? ;-)

Peter, G3PHO

Absolutely my point Pete if you scroll through some of the messages I've
posted over many months (not just in here) you would see me making the same
point many times. I would rather talk on the radio rather than dot dah at
people, "if all else fails you can get through" is the argument many put
forward. So what? Its only a technical hobby and hardly likely to be used by
the majority of Hams in an emergency. Most folk now have mobile phones and
the chances of more than one cell being knocked out is, in reality, an
unlikely event as the same power failures would take out the repeaters too.
I certainly wouldn't use the radio to call for help if I had a mobile phone
with me and I'm 99.9% certain I would more likely have my phone at my side
than a radio of any description so why worry about getting through. Also if
it was so easy to make contact where's the sense of accomplishment? That's
why I like 11m. It's hard to make a contact but when you do it's a great
feeling.

I take people as I find them Pete and if they are M3, Intermediate or
Advanced as long as they spoke to me as I would speak to them, I can't
genuinely see a problem. Its just a few nutjobs in here that have issues,
not me.

Regards and a happy new year,
Graham
--
-.-. -... / .-. .- -.. .. ---

Radio is only a Hobby. Don't let it rule your life...

73/51 - Graham, 26-Golf Charlie-19