Robert Hartung wrote:

The Morse Code Requirement
Is It Really The Reason People Turn Away?

Many people feel that the Morse Code requirement is the SOLE reason
why many people turn away from Amateur Radio. Well one group dose,
No-Code International, an organization dedicated to the abolition of
the Morse Code requirement for Amateur Radio licenses.

In this writers opinion, the code is only one of many reasons why
people turn away from Amateur Radio. Another, is the people already in
the hobby. If you been reviewing my website, you can see how the
people, not just the code requirement, can make, or brake a hobby. If
the people act no better then CB Agitator, or a show of being better
then others, can drive people away.

Let's not forget, many local clubs and members try to drive
undesirables away. Who is an undesirable? Well, undesirable are people
who have already join the hobby for reason other then local Clubs and
their members reasons. It varies from area too area, but it's somewhat
the same.


If we destroy our own, then how do we expect newcomers to view us? If
your trying to buildup a hobby, then you need to deal with diversity,
not destroy it. Being difference from what is normal or expected is a
good thing. It helps make life, or in the care of amateur radio, a
much more divers, interesting and fun filled hobby. It's not the same
old thing, different day.

This will help bring new blood to the hobby, thus bring fresh, and new
ideas with it.



This sort of thing is true in many hobby clubs, be it ham radio, model
railroading, amateur
astronomy, general aviation, or anything else one needs to learn some
amount of
material about.

I remember in high school in 1971 wanting to get a tech license.
Learned some code, and
my father and I visited an "extra" (who happened to be an FCC field
engineer for
the NYC area). The guy was of the opinion that getting the "tech" would
be the
ruin of my potential ham radio future, and I should get the novice or
learn 13 to
get a general. Anyway, I try the code test, and he does it "Farnsworth"
style
(high speed characters spaced at 5wpm) and having used only the radio shack
code practice records failed badly.... Anything to keep a kid from
getting the
bad ol' tech license.....