RadioBanter - View Single Post

August 23rd 03, 06:37 AM

In article ,
(Brian) writes:

(N2EY) wrote in message
.com...
"Carl R. Stevenson" wrote in message
...
"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.

Do you think every ham understands how their radios work? Do you think
the tests even begin to measure the things a ham needs to know to
determine if a radio is working properly?

Do you think that you could submit questions to the QPC concerning
those things that a ham needs to know?

Reverend Jim always blames nasty ol' FCC.

And so it degenerates into a Morse Code argument again. Knowledge and
skill in Morse (Farnsworth) will keep your radio working properly.

It must be that morsemanship is to technological measurement of
transmitter performance as the laying-on of hands is to modern
medicine. :-)

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

That's a skill.

... proficiency in decoding Morse
in one's head at some specified speed.

5 wpm. Which is not "proficient" by any stretch of the imagination.

Its the new standard, albeit probably short lived.

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).

Sure. But just because FCC says it does not make it true.

Ditto the ARRL.

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.

"Proficiency" starts at 10 wpm.

Where is Morse proficiency defined? Where is Morse defined?

A couple of REALLY old-timer morsemen tell me that even 20 WPM
is kid stuff. REAL proficiency starts at 40 WPM and goes on up.

Don't sweat the technical stuff...morsemanship will do ALL. It is the
magic wand, the talisman of the occult, the ONLY thing needed in
the year 2003 to "make a radio work properly." :-)

Archaic Radiotelegraphy Service

Has a nice ring to it.

All those Brass Pounder Leaguers ought to file and request an NPRM
for just changing the ARS title and drop all written tests, keeping only
a morse test...at 40 WPM, of course.

LHA