From: Dave Heil on Wed, Dec 27 2006 10:22 am

John Smith I wrote:
Dave Heil wrote:
Unfortunately, none of those things will help in obtaining an amateur
radio license of any kind. I'm likewise busting a gut, "John".
There's always someone who is up for a challenge.

"Gettysburg" Address, "John".

Dave K8MN

You didn't give the street or house number of that Gettysburg
address. How could you miss that? Tsk, tsk.

And, FINALLY, neither will an autistic talent like "code tapping" assist
one in gaining an amateur ticket.

Neither learning or using the Morse Code has ever been an "autistic
talent" in any way, "John". It is a developed skill, like typing,
shooting, batting, throwing or a myriad of other talents.

To those of us who entered the Big Leagues of HF Radio over
a half century ago, the "AUTISTIC TALENT" metaphor DOES
have CORRECT merit. That it bugs the **** out of you is
just too band, ainit? :-)

Note: "Metaphor" is NOT the same as "semaphore."

If you don't like others waving a metaphor around, TS on
you. It ain't no crime.

Finally, CW is consigned to the trash
heap with sword swallowing--CW, a skill whose time has come, and gone ...

Sorry, "John", Morse Code is not being consigned to any trash heap. It
is used daily in making thousands of contacts by radio amateurs.

Really? I thought RADIOS were needed first...?

You mean that ALL one needs is closing and opening a circuit
in the proper morse manner? Wow! What a mode!

Tell us what OTHER radio services still use morse code for
communications. [that should be easy...there ain't none]
Maritime radio was the first biggie user of radio and
nowadays they use Voice and Data...Voice on VHF in harbors
and inland waterways, on HF SSB on open ocean. Maritimers
began with morsemanship because that's all they had back
in the prehistory of radio. That changed. Maritimers
tossed morsemanship in the trash heap, the dumpster (those
are more metaphors, Dave, don't get all hissy fit on it).
Even the US CG stopped monitoring 500 KHz years ago.


However, it felt as if I was just learning it to
get the ticket, would immediately attempt to forget it after, would
certainly NEVER use it, and was darn "pi$$ed off" at being forced to do
it just to get the dern ticket!!!

Perhaps you just needed an attitude adjustment, "John". I learned it in
its most fundamental form, by the sound of each letter, in Scouting.

Wow! In Scouting! Oh, my, I was never in the Scouts.
My uniform was REAL and the first duty was "closing with
and destroying the enemy." shrug

Never learned any morsemanship in the Army...they weren't
teaching it to anyone but Field Radio MOS students then.
The US Military dropped morsemanship requirements for
military communications decades ago...

I learned higher speeds just in order to get an amateur ticket.

"Ticket?" To what? Ride the airwaves? See a performance
of some "No kids, no lids, no space cadet" morseman? To
see a sporting event featuring Nancy Kott (in golden gloves)
up against a no-coder? :-)

I never had to learn any morsemanship in 1952, 1962, 1972,
1982, 1992, 2002...for work or play. shrug

I got a Commercial radio operator license (First Class right
from the start) in 1956...a half century ago (plus a half year).
Helped get me started in Real radio (not with a bunch of
amateurs), earning a living and having lots of fun doing the
work.

I'd already worked three years on spanning the Pacific Ocean
on HF. With Big radio equipment. Amateur stuff would
somehow "teach me" such things via a federal amateur license?

I wasn't going to let anything stand in the way of my obtaining an amateur radio
license.

Wow! Big Dave doesn't let ANYTHING stand in HIS way! :-)

Big Dave is the Mighty Macho Morseman...unstoppable in his
refusual to recognize others having a different opinion
than his godly wisdom...

Finally, I used it, became better at it and enjoyed it. I've
been enjoying its use for over 43 years now.

How lovely! Something (finally) you are good at...and now
you want to keep forcing the code test on ALL newcomers
wanting below-30-MHz operating privileges!

So, whatever YOU enjoy is what EVERYONE ELSE should "enjoy?"

I'll be enjoying it long after code testing goes away.

Again, how lovely! Mighty Macho Morseman rides again with
the Four Morsemen of the Apocalypse!

["into the valley of dearth rode the four hundred..."]

I'll bet Big Dave will be "enjoying" morse long after he
has assumed room temperature... :-)

The Coroner will have to pry the code key from his cold,
dead fingers. Tsk, all that work imposed on government
officials...

5329,