"Leo" wrote in message
...
Mike,

An excellent idea. I for one would be very interested in seeing the
logic and rationale that folks have for keeping or retiring the code
test. By removing the emotion, personal opinion and bias from the
discussion, some quite interesting points may well be raised.

73, Leo

Leo,

The whole discussion and every possible argument pro/con on code testing
has been reviewed in the comments filled under NPRM98-143 as well as
several other past FCC reviews.
In the 98-143 R&O which came from all those comments,
the FCC found not one reason of
sufficient cause to retain any code testing...EXCEPT, at that time, the
ITU treaty still required code testing for hams permitted under 30MHz
operation.

As of July 5, 2003 the ITU treaty changed and ended mandatory
morse testing completely...leaving any decision to have any morse testing
that of each individual country.

Given the end to the ITU treaty requirement and coupling that with the
prior findings of the FCC R&O for 98-143, the only conclusion one
can have is that...absent anything NEW in the arguments, the FCC
should now remove all morse testing.

People can argue with the past FCC findings, but nothing being
offered now is anything that the FCC hasn't heard before. Add to that
the fact that other administrations have already ended code testing
since July 5, 2003 one can also conclude that it isn't likly that the
USA will retain code anymore. In the end, it is not a matter of IF, but
more
simply WHEN.

Cheers,
Bill K2UNK