Tony P. wrote in
:

In article , daviesl2003
@aol.com says...
I think that since Morse Code is old, but not completely useless, I
feel it should no longer be made to be learned to gain access to the
HF bands.

Do I feel that Amateur Radio be made a free for all? No, it should
not. There should be a test, but not a really hard test, but not a
easy one either.

I'll even admit, I'll never get a new Icom 7800, at $10,000.00 - I'll
be lucky to maybe get a used 706 at about 400 or 500 or so.

I didn't find the series of tests difficult at all. The 5WPM and 13WPM
were fairly easy too, as I had time to practice the 5WPM while on a
rainy camping trip. Good thing I brought plenty of batteries and a code
practice tapes.


I'll grant that 5wpm is relatively easy, but still a lot of work

13WPM was gotten by actually working HF with what privileges I had as a
Tech+. From there, up to 20WPM and all done.


I'd say it's a bit harder for those with no interest in using CW

I think the biggest detriment to testing now is the publication of the
question pools. People can get into the hobby via rote memorization,

True in some instances, but most people don't have photographic memory

which by the way is what schools teach kids, not how to think but how
to memorize.

So over time the hobby is just going to be awash in nitwits,

I don't think so. Not any more than it already is, anyway!

and then
fade away. There are too many other options to communicate.



....which is another issue altogether. The Internet has hit the hobby pretty
hard.

Alun wrote:

I'll grant that 5wpm is relatively easy, but still a lot of work

There's a gaping contradiction buried in there some place.

Dave K8MN

Dave Heil wrote in news:409ABB0C.C1D993E8
@earthlink.net:

Alun wrote:

I'll grant that 5wpm is relatively easy, but still a lot of work

There's a gaping contradiction buried in there some place.

Dave K8MN


Not atall. Something doesn't have to be hard to take a long time to do.

Alun wrote:

Dave Heil wrote in news:409ABB0C.C1D993E8
@earthlink.net:

Alun wrote:

I'll grant that 5wpm is relatively easy, but still a lot of work

There's a gaping contradiction buried in there some place.

Not atall. Something doesn't have to be hard to take a long time to do.

Now you've added an additional element. We've gone from "easy" to "a
lot of work" to "long time to do". Something "easy" wouldn't seem to
require either a lot of work or a long time to do.

I have little sympathy for anyone who would claim that learning morse at
a speed of five words per minute is a lot of work or that it requires a
long time to learn.

Dave K8MN

Dave Heil wrote in message ...

I have little sympathy for anyone who would claim that learning morse at
a speed of five words per minute is a lot of work or that it requires a
long time to learn.

Dave K8MN

Your sympathy was not solicited, and it or the lack of it doesn't
change the fact that for many, learning code at 5wpm is difficult and
takes a long time to learn. The real pity are all of the 20WPM
Code-Tape Extras that have never used code.

(William) wrote in
om:

Dave Heil wrote in message
...

I have little sympathy for anyone who would claim that learning morse
at a speed of five words per minute is a lot of work or that it
requires a long time to learn.

Dave K8MN

Your sympathy was not solicited, and it or the lack of it doesn't
change the fact that for many, learning code at 5wpm is difficult and
takes a long time to learn. The real pity are all of the 20WPM
Code-Tape Extras that have never used code.


That would be me. Not just tapes, in fact I didn't find tapes to be a good
method of learning, but I've never attached a key to a rig. What was the
point of me learning 20wpm?

Subject: Let's debate: Should Amateur Radio be made a free for all?
From: Alun
Date: 5/8/2004 9:30 AM Central Standard Time
Message-id:

That would be me. Not just tapes, in fact I didn't find tapes to be a good
method of learning, but I've never attached a key to a rig. What was the
point of me learning 20wpm?

Uhhhhhhhhhh....passing Element 1C...?!?!

Steve, K4YZ

Alun wrote:

(William) wrote in
om:


Dave Heil wrote in message
...


I have little sympathy for anyone who would claim that learning morse
at a speed of five words per minute is a lot of work or that it
requires a long time to learn.

Dave K8MN

Your sympathy was not solicited, and it or the lack of it doesn't
change the fact that for many, learning code at 5wpm is difficult and
takes a long time to learn. The real pity are all of the 20WPM
Code-Tape Extras that have never used code.



That would be me. Not just tapes, in fact I didn't find tapes to be a good
method of learning, but I've never attached a key to a rig. What was the
point of me learning 20wpm?

What is the point of learning anything that you don't want to learn?.
Why should people learn to spell now that we have spell checking?

Since 90 percent of my time on the air is PSK31 why did I have to learn
about anything else?

- Mike KB3EIA -

"Alun" wrote in message
...
(William) wrote in
om:

Dave Heil wrote in message
...

I have little sympathy for anyone who would claim that learning morse
at a speed of five words per minute is a lot of work or that it
requires a long time to learn.

Dave K8MN

Your sympathy was not solicited, and it or the lack of it doesn't
change the fact that for many, learning code at 5wpm is difficult and
takes a long time to learn. The real pity are all of the 20WPM
Code-Tape Extras that have never used code.


That would be me. Not just tapes, in fact I didn't find tapes to be a good
method of learning, but I've never attached a key to a rig. What was the
point of me learning 20wpm?

Uh,,,,,,,maybe.....lets see now......to use it on the air to
communicate?......Duhhhhhh.

Dan/W4NTI

"Alun" wrote in message
...
(William) wrote in
om:

Dave Heil wrote in message
...

I have little sympathy for anyone who would claim that learning morse
at a speed of five words per minute is a lot of work or that it
requires a long time to learn.

Dave K8MN

Your sympathy was not solicited, and it or the lack of it doesn't
change the fact that for many, learning code at 5wpm is difficult and
takes a long time to learn. The real pity are all of the 20WPM
Code-Tape Extras that have never used code.


That would be me. Not just tapes, in fact I didn't find tapes to be a good
method of learning, but I've never attached a key to a rig. What was the
point of me learning 20wpm?

Discipline, knowledge, achievement...shall I go on? I know these are bad
words in today's "I just want what I want" world.

73 de Bert
WA2SI