In article iE%Ob.85899$Rc4.333443@attbi_s54, "Chuck...K1KW"
writes:

This proposal is a good start.

I disagree. It has a few good points and several bad points.

However, the ultimate goal should be to
align our privileges with those of the rest of the amateur radio world and
REMOVE all mode restrictions.

Why?

CW US operators can operate anywhere in the US bands but US phone is
restricted.

How much actual CW operation do you hear in the 'phone subbands?

A clear case of discrimination, and a "mode-ist" one at that!!
Politically incorrect these days....and a major waste of sprectrum!!

A CW or digital signal uses about 1/10 the spectrum space of a 'phone
signal. The waste of spectrum is in clinging to modes that use so much
spectrum when much narrower options are available.

(Just
tune the CW bands during any non contest day).

And?

A carry over from the olde
days when the ARRL was clearly a CW only group of old buzzards.

ARRL doesn't make the rules and never has. FCC does.

I submit that US Extra class licencee's should be allowed to operate phone
anywhere that the rest of the world can. Is that fair???

No. It's not a good idea. Narrow and wide modes don't share spectrum well.

Or are we still
destined to live in an amateur radio world surpressed by our own government?

Check out how much of the amateur bands from 160 through 10 is available to
analog 'phone.

Hey...ARRL, WAKE UP!!! If you want to keep the activity up you need to
promote frequencies where we can talk to the rest of the world! How can I
make this any clearer??? And provide incentives to do this!!! An extra
25KHz doesn't make it.

Why should we promote 'phone over more spectrum-efficient modes?

BTW....requiring CW should not be a requirement for HF operation.

Why not?

How about requiring theory knowledge to use manufactured equipment?

(Good
move by the ARRL on this with the new Novice proposal)

They would also permit General with no code test, too.

Time to get over
it....and let the rest of the many good people get on the air!!! I say this
from having slaved over getting 20 WPM done to pass my Extra test (for those
measly 25 KHz of phone) and I rarely have used code since.

How about the written test?

So......don't
deny folks from HF just because code is "your favorite mode" and you are
proud that you have no microphone in your shack.....

No one is denied. The code test has been 5 wpm for almost 4 years.

Is 5 wpm really too much to ask?

73 de Jim, N2EY