In article , Radio Amateur KC2HMZ
writes:

The only reason I learned code was that it was required to upgrade
beyond Technician class. Passing the code test would have made me a
Tech Plus and earned me some phone privileges on 10m and CW on several
other bands...except that I took the General class written at the same
VE session, and passed it, walking out with General class privileges.

At that point, I could communicate using CW at 5 WPM. At the same
point, I could also communicate using phone at a significantly faster
rate than 5 WPM since I can speak a lot faster than that. I could
also communicate using PSK31 at a significantly faster rate than 5 WPM
since I can type a lot faster than that. Thus, for me the use of
another mode is more efficient for me than to use CW. I would actually
be a less capable communicator if I used CW than I am using another
mode. My facing the code testing requirement did not affect my ability
to speak or to type.

John:

I agree that Morse code proficiency has nothing to do with speaking or
typing -- but the ability to effectively employ the Morse/CW mode -- at
speeds greater than 5 WPM -- will keep you communicating when conditions
prevent you from communicating by voice or digital modes. You have done
nothing but provide personal, anecdotal proof that reducing code testing
requirements down to a mere 5 WPM maximum was NOT a good thing!

Well, everyone's estimate of their "enjoyment" of ham radio is a subjective
thing. However, in this age where we're trying to justify our hold on
literally
billions of dollars worth of commercially viable spectrum, we place a great
emphasis on our capabilities as "emergency" communicators. Unfortunately,
the least reliable modes we employ are those that depend on voice
communication -- and these modes are the first to "go South" when
atmospheric conditions and man-made interference do not operate in our
favor.

These days, the vast majority of emergency communications is done on a
local basis, primarily on 2m using FM repeaters and simplex. 70cm is
probably the next most widely used band for this purpose. Neither is
subject to the propagation difficulties often encountered on HF.

True -- when the "emergency" is confined to a small locality and the VHF/
UHF repeater infrastructure remains intact. However, what if there is a
widespread disaster -- such as the "Big One" striking the San Andreas fault
line in California? That will not be a "local" disaster -- it will affect the
entire country. Vast regions hundreds of miles in radius will be affected,
and the commercial communications and existing Amateur Radio
infrastructures and the power grids they depend on will be disrupted for
God only knows how long. At that point, we could be talking about areas
with populations of hundreds of thousands of people being out of
communication with the area "outside" the disaster zone. Communications
nets spanning many times the normal operational range of terresterial
VHF/UHF systems will be necessary -- and don't look now, but we're
coming to the downside of the solar cycle -- meaning poor propagation.
I guarantee you that there will be lots of opportunities for No-Code HF
Ham Heroes to help out, but when conditions dictate the use of CW, in
order to be able to communicate when voice and data modes fail due to
lack of available electrical power or poor atmospherics, that capability
will not be available because it will not have been learned. That's when
some guy like me will enter the picture, and say, "Step aside, Sonny,
and take your toy microphone with you." Then he'll plug in his key and
re-establish contact with the outside world. Of course, you will never
be convinced that that could happen -- so you'll just have to hope it doesn't.
In the meantime, I'll be ready!

In my own estimation, the biggest problem with emergency
communications in the ARS right now isn't the people who don't know
CW, it's the people who think their 5-watt (or 2-watt, or 150
mkilliwatt) HT and its 650mAh battery pack is all they need to
function as an emergency communicator when the proverbial merde hits
the proverbial ventillateur.

Well, unfortunately, there are lots of new Ham Heroes who believe
precisely that, and they belive that their possession of the HT and
650 mAh battery pack makes them a "real" ham radio operator!

Morse/CW allows us to overcome the majority of those obstacles,
but only those who know how to effectively employ this mode are qualified
to make that judgment.

Actually, it's the agencies served by our ARES and RACES and other
emergency communications groups who are best qualified to judge the
effectiveness of our contributions. The ones I've worked with so far
have expressed high praise for the efforts of our team of hams, and we
have yet to use CW during an activation.

That is the usual case. However, I did impress the begeebers out of one
certain county EOC Director by using CW during a practice exercise.
Then he asked me, "Why can all the other hams do that? I can see where
Morse code could be very effective. You were copying that other guy (who
was in Indiana -- I was in Delaware) perfectly even though I could hardly
hear him!"

Therefore, your argument about "enjoyment" is,
as are most NCTA arguments, self-serving at best.

Apples and oranges, perhaps. Only the most masochistic among us would
claim to actually enjoy pulling a 12- or 14-hour shift in a chilly EOC
or standing in a street in the middle of an ice storm. Emergency
communications isn't done for enjoyment. DX'ing, contesting, and
casual ragchewing are done for enjoyment, and if one enjoys using CW
for such activities, there's nothing stopping anyone from doing so.
For those who do not enjoy using CW, the same activities can also be
enjoyed using other modes.

73 DE John, KC2HMZ

I don't think anyone's going to confuse emergency communications with
anything enjoyable. However, in order to have total communications
capability, leaving out Morse/CW capability just doesn't make sense to me.
We're going the wrong way on that, and the only reason for it is because
people these days are just too damn LAZY to learn a useful communications
skill. End of story.

73 de Larry, K3LT