Len Over 21 wrote:

In article , Mike Coslo
writes:


So...now you've got this "instant gratification" thing going again?

Yes sir! Just like you have your thing going again.


My "thing" has been "going" all the while...no problems. :-)

Okay, good enough.

So has this ridiculous "necessity" of amateur radio to pass a morse
test in order to "qualify" for HF privileges for over a half century.



A mere 51 years I did not even have to pass any special test to
operate an HF transmitter outputting more power than any ham
is supposed to have (in 1953 that was 15 KW from the old Press
Wireless transmitters, went to 40 KW with the Collins rigs of
1955). No morse test needed. Didn't even have the MOS for
Fixed Station Transmitters, was MOS for microwave radio relay.

Did you just walk in off the street and operate the transmitters with
no instruction, training, or supervision?

But, in 2004, U.S. radio amateurs MUST still pass a morse test
to "qualify" for operating an amateur radio transmitter on HF. No
other radio service (other than certain Maritime radio services)
require morsemanship testing.

Yes, that is pretty much the case.


Does my posting offend?


No, not me personally. I AM "offended" by the self-righteous hams
who insist (and some demand) that the morse test MUST remain
as if it is some kind of importance to "the service."

That isn't me though. If and when the requirement goes away, I'll go on
like before. Some Hams think *everything* is the death of Ham radio. I
think it is creeping cronyism, the ability of middle aged and up males
to become incredibly angry with small things, and to make giant leaps of
connectivity between things.

My whole point is that if you want to be a Ham with HF access at this
time, that is a hoop you have to jump through.


This is the new
millennium, not some olde-tyme raddio where the "operators" sit
around with eye shades and sleeve garters while keying their bugs
and sideswipers and thinking they are Very Important or something.

I always liked that look! 8^)


Amateur radio is a HOBBY activity. Always was, and probably always
will be since the rest of the world can jolly well get on with life without
all those amateur hobbyists to Save The Planet from whatever.

If that morse test is so absolutely "needed," then the definition of the
ARS should be changed in Part 97 to "Archaic Radiotelegraphy
Service" for the USA.

No need to fixate on the Morse code test.

- Mike KB3EIA -

In article , PAMNO
(N2EY) writes:

In article , Mike Coslo
writes:

N2EY wrote:

In article , Mike Coslo
writes:


I see that the FCC is not anticipating any changes in the Morse code
licensing requirements before 2006.


Where did you see that, Mike?

http://www.arrl.org/?news_list_off=15

Well, they've been right about it so far. Way back in 2003 they said "at
least
two years" which seemed incredible at the time. Many of us thought they'd
just
dump Element 1 by MO&O (if that's the right acronym) in a few weeks/months.
There were even several petitions to that effect. But it's pretty clear that
FCC is going the whole NPRM route, and in no big hurry to do so.

I hope it's true.

I want the situation to stabilize. In a world where the testing
requirements are in a state of flux - and it is a given that the testing
regimin is likely to get easier, not more difficult - many people will
take the path of least resistance and wait until requirements are
dropped.

I think a few people will. Just as some people will wait until an item drops
below a certain price before they'll buy one, or replace the one they've got.

Status quo MUST be held as long as possible...? :-)

Why?

However I don't think there are large numbers of people waiting for Element 1
to go away before they get their amateur licenses.

The only ones who've claimed "large numbers" is the ARRL in
their regular propaganda "news." :-)

Actually, in the hobby activities in the USA, amateur radio is NOT
very high on the list. That's reality, despite all the self-interest of
the very ardent ham fanatics.

That is *if* they are dropped. But as I noted, there is always
*someone* to say that the element one test is going to be eliminated
"any day now"...

It's been a year and a half since WRC 2003 and there's no change in sight.
NPRM
cycles are long enough that it's very reasonable to expect no action until
2006. So once again, ARRL news is right on the money.

If the ARRL says it, it MUST be true. :-)

Belief system is working well, we see...

Of course there are always a noisy few who will say they're going to get a
ham
license, but who never seem to get the proverbial round tuit. I recall one
very
regular poster here who told us, way back in January 2000, that he was going
for Extra "right out of the box". He just didn't say *when*. Shall we
continue
to lower the standards of the ARS to accomodate such people? I say no.

Of course not...morsemanship is the very HIGHEST attainable
goal in radio amateurism. All MUST aspire to be the best "radio
operator" circa 1930s era if they are amateurs. And with very
rigid, inflexible rules of behavior as if the hobby were a sort of
profession where all rules MUST be followed.

Removing the morse test is a 1930-standards "dumbing down."
Can't have that! Time is held in stasis in amateurism and all must
remain as it was when all the superextras took Their tests. It
has no validity in this new millennium.

After all, when the morse test is eliminated, all those superextras
won't have much to brag about, will they? :-)

On 29 Dec 2004 20:54:28 GMT, (Len Over 21) wrote:


snip

I'm just another human male who has accumulated a fairly large
experience in radio-electronics, spending an entire working career
in the electronics industry as well as enjoying a hobby of
electronics for a period longer than having to work at it for a living.
An ordinary human male lucky enough to be married to my
high school sweetheart and with a comfortable (though not great)
income, no longer having to get up and go to work 6 days a week
for any of that. No mortgage, no outstanding liens on property.

Not bad! In fact, that's a pretty good definition of personal success
- achievement of all of the things that really matter. (and the high
school sweetheart too?? Icing on the cake!)

I'm catching up fast - in the meantime, though, I'm a bit jealous

snip



73, Leo

Limiting HF access to CW learned hams limits the flack the FCC gets over BPL.
Typical ploy of those in the know.

Steve
N2UBP

Lennie said:

After all, when the morse test is eliminated, all those superextras
won't have much to brag about, will they?

I will...I will have been a licensed Amateur Radio Operator 30 + x
years longer than you have, Lennie...That will ALWAYS make it worth it!
Steve, K4YZ

Len Over 21 wrote:

But, in 2004, U.S. radio amateurs MUST still pass a morse test
to "qualify" for operating an amateur radio transmitter on HF. No
other radio service (other than certain Maritime radio services)
require morsemanship testing.


Since you opened the door, let's do some further comparisons of the ARS to
other services:

* We purposely operate using as little power as possible (QRP), they don't
* We have antenna measuring contests with home-built antennas, they don't
* We conduct emergency comms when other services are down, they're down
* We don't have to operate on pre-assigned frequencies, they do
* We have on-the-air contests (lots of them), they can't
* We can vary our power from 0 to 2KW, they can't
* We exchange post cards after a QSO, they don't
* We're frequency-agile with a VFO, they aren't
* We have swapmeets ("ham fests"), they don't
* We can build our own equipment, they can't
* We operate for the fun of it, they don't
* We have radio club meetings, they don't
* We can ragchew for hours, they can't
* We can operate at will, they can't
* We go on DXpeditions, they don't
* We're licensed, you're not

No 73 for you, Jeff KH6O

--
Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Coast Guard
Mathematics Lecturer, University of Hawaii System

"Jeffrey Herman" wrote

:
: * We purposely operate using as little power as possible (QRP), they don't
: * We have antenna measuring contests with home-built antennas, they don't
: * We conduct emergency comms when other services are down, they're down
: * We don't have to operate on pre-assigned frequencies, they do
: * We have on-the-air contests (lots of them), they can't
: * We can vary our power from 0 to 2KW, they can't
: * We exchange post cards after a QSO, they don't
: * We're frequency-agile with a VFO, they aren't
: * We have swapmeets ("ham fests"), they don't
: * We can build our own equipment, they can't
: * We operate for the fun of it, they don't
: * We have radio club meetings, they don't
: * We can ragchew for hours, they can't
: * We can operate at will, they can't
: * We go on DXpeditions, they don't
: * We're licensed, you're not
:

With the exception of the first and the last item, everything you list can
also be claimed by freebanders as part of their hobby. Do the math, chief
lecturer, 14-out-of-16 ain't too shabby.

On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 18:04:05 GMT, Mel A. Nomah wrote:

With the exception of the first and the last item, everything you list can
also be claimed by freebanders as part of their hobby. Do the math, chief
lecturer, 14-out-of-16 ain't too shabby.

"Freebanding" is criminal violation of the law. Lawbreakers can do
whatever they want - until caught.

You know that, I know that, everyone else here knows that.

Good troll.....

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 18:04:05 GMT, Mel A. Nomah wrote:

With the exception of the first and the last item, everything you list can
also be claimed by freebanders as part of their hobby. Do the math, chief
lecturer, 14-out-of-16 ain't too shabby.

Mel, don't compare the ARS with those federal criminals who call them-
selves "freebanders." Those lawbreakers don't even give a second thought
to operating on the HF aeronautical frequencies, intentionally
interfering with transoceanic aircraft comms.

Certainly you don't condone such actions, right?

No 73 for you, either.
Jeff KH6O

--
Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Coast Guard
Mathematics Lecturer, University of Hawaii System

Jeffrey Herman wrote:

Len Over 21 wrote:

But, in 2004, U.S. radio amateurs MUST still pass a morse test
to "qualify" for operating an amateur radio transmitter on HF. No
other radio service (other than certain Maritime radio services)
require morsemanship testing.



Since you opened the door, let's do some further comparisons of the ARS to
other services:

* We purposely operate using as little power as possible (QRP), they don't
* We have antenna measuring contests with home-built antennas, they don't
* We conduct emergency comms when other services are down, they're down
* We don't have to operate on pre-assigned frequencies, they do
* We have on-the-air contests (lots of them), they can't
* We can vary our power from 0 to 2KW, they can't
* We exchange post cards after a QSO, they don't
* We're frequency-agile with a VFO, they aren't
* We have swapmeets ("ham fests"), they don't
* We can build our own equipment, they can't
* We operate for the fun of it, they don't
* We have radio club meetings, they don't
* We can ragchew for hours, they can't
* We can operate at will, they can't
* We go on DXpeditions, they don't
* We're licensed, you're not

No 73 for you, Jeff KH6O


Wow, that was a good one, Jeff!

- Mike KB3EIA -