"WA3IYC" wrote in message
...
Would you agree with this statement:

however, at the same time, those who are not interested in building radios
should not be forced to learn how they work in order to gain amateur radio
privileges ...

No ... because, even if you don't build your own radios, you are responsible
for their proper operation. How could you possibly know something was
wrong if you had no knowledge of how the radio worked?

This is an interference control issue ... a technical matter ... and
knowledge
of this IS required in order to be competent to operate a station in full
compliance with the rules.

2) Knowledge of morse code can only be measured by a practical skill
test.

Excuse me ... I think you mean "proficiency in " not "knowledge of" ...

No, I mean "knowledge of". Skills are a form of knowledge, as are facts
and
concepts. Perhaps it would be better to write "practical knowledge"

No, it's proficiency that the test measures ... proficiency in decoding
Morse
in one's head at some specified speed. And that's ALL it is according to
the FCC (see the "No Code Technician" decision from 1990 and the R&O
in 98-143 ... you'll see EXACTLY that in both documents).

The Morse test which is Element 1 tests the skill of receiving Morse code
at a
very basic level.

Exactly, it measures a specific level of proficiency.


Element 1 is in no way a test of "proficiency". It's a skill test at a
very
basic level. To call it a proficiency test is to demonstrate ignorance of
the
word proficiency.

Proficiency is measured against some "yardstick" ... in the case of Morse,
the FCC has (currently) determined the yardstick to be 5 wpm.
You can argue all you want, but that's the way it is ...

Yet they wouldn't include a sunset clause back in 2000

True ... they didn't include a sunset clause.

and they're making all of us go through an NPRM cycle all over again.

How the FCC will handle this is yet to be determined ...

If FCC thinks there really is
"no regulatory purpose" to a code test, WHY are they dragging their feet
and
doing the whole circus AGAIN?

See my last sentence ...

[snipped unrelated discussion of BPL]

Carl - wk3c