"N2EY" wrote:

Some claim that Morse Code testing is at odds with
the purpose of the amateur radio service as a
fundamentally technical service. But in the practical
experience of thousands of amateurs, the opposite
is true. (snip)


I've never made such a claim, so have no response to any counter-claim.


Skill in Morse Code, even at a very basic level, permits
amateurs to use radio equipment ranging from very simple
to highly advanced designs, and technologies of almost
any vintage. (snip)


Skill in Morse Code is certainly not unique in that ability, Jim. In fact,
almost any knowledge of radio would allow that.


Morse Code skill encourages amateurs to actually build
their own radio equipment by offering an easy first step,
and a growth path that leads to almost any usable
technology. (snip)


With almost every commercial radio today equipped to transmit code, why
would that be true? Few today, even those with an interest in code, are
building their own equipment. Instead, most are using the same type of
equipment I've purchased.


I speak from direct experience in amateur radio home
construction, having built my first amateur station at
age 13. (snip)


How many 13 year old kids today, with or without a ham license, with or
without code skills, are building their own radio equipment today?


The removal of the Morse Code test from the Technician
class license has not resulted in a technical revolution in
amateur radio from newly-licensed "technically qualified"
amateurs. (snip)


I didn't know the Technician license was supposed to lead to a technical
revolution in anything, Jim. Instead, I thought they were just supposed to
participate in the same activities most other Amateur Radio operators are
participating in. Why the unique expectation for Technician license holders
alone?


Instead, the continued progress in amateur technical efforts
continues to be mostly the result of work done by
experienced amateurs, even though the Technician class
license has not had a code test for more than 12 years.


Which "amateur technical efforts" are you referring to, Jim? I must have
missed something because I haven't seen much technical efforts from ANY of
the operators I've met over the last few years, regardless of license class.


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/