"Tim H" wrote in
:

Not sure I know of too many CB'er who can run 8 uhf links with a voting
system and multiple recieve sites for a repeater.
I have yet to see any CB'ers run PTP microwave links, run a 31 cycle
wide digital transmitter, run packet networks, design and
build HF antennas for specific purposes, none of which have anything to
do with morse code.

Not unlike a single engine land private pilot license, it's a license to
LEARN, an extra class who passed a 20 wpm code test may know
little or nothing about MANY technical aspects of ham radio, you have
the license to operate, NOW the learning begins not the other way
around.

Look at the number of callsigns that are expiring, either they are DEAD
or they are a no code technician who never found what they were looking
for in ham radio. Scads of KC8 callsigns are falling off. So what's the
big concern? if they decided to stay they are either continuing to learn
and have
pursued other aspects of ham radio OR they have parked it somewhere on a
2m repeater, either way they don't bother me.

Jackass op's have been around since the first transmitters were on the
air whether phone OR CW, yes, there are plenty of jackass CW op's too.
Learning morse is only an artificial spam filter for ham radio, so
sorry, that's not the way it is, there are PLENTY of Extra Class hams
who passed 20 wpm, got thier mic wired up and never touched a key again
and there are plenty who behave very badly on VHF and HF who have passed
code exams, the correlation between morse code and good operating habits
should fall into the urban myths catagory.

Now excuse me, I need to finish polishing my Western Union model 2A I
bought at the swap last weekend.


Tim KA8DDZ


Good points Tim.

My point is that dumbing down ham radio isn't a way to try to improve it.

SC