"Dee Flint" wrote in message
...



But you left out all the things you chose not to do because it "didn't look
interesting" or because "it looked too hard."


Of course! Especially that part about "didn't look interesting".

Have you tried everything that you have seen others do?

Nope. For instance, I never jumped out of a perfectly good airplane, and I've
never tried to jump a motorcycle over 13 burning school buses, and I've never
entered a pie eating contest, and I've never done a whole lot of other hobby
things that didn't appeal to me. Lifes to short to dance with hobbies I don't
like.

The use of Morse in amataur radio is entirely optional. All licensees, even
those not tested, are free to chose to use it (or not). While I'd be perfectly
happy to see written test questions about Morse, just as there are written test
questions about other modes, there is no longer any legitimite argument for a
skill demonstration, other than your "try it, you'll like it" argument.

The real question is not so much the Morse code test per se but what is the
set of basics that all hams should be familiar with whether or not they
personally use that knowledge? Those things should be required whether or not
they are interesting or difficult.

I agree entirely! Yes, I really do.

But "be familiar" and "demonstrate a skill" are not the same thing.

I am required (as I should be), for example, to "be familiar" with a wide
variety of subject matter to obtain an Extra class license, but only in the case
of Morse am I required to "demonstrate a skill". What's wrong with that
picture? Why shouldn't we be required to "demonstrate the skill of safely
measuring high voltage" or "demonstrate the skill of planning a good ground
system" or "demonstrate the skill of tracking down the source of a TVI problem".
All of those basic skills seem much more part of the "basic skill set" that all
hams should possess, more so than requiring a demonstration of skill in only ONE
of a growing list of communications methods and modes.

73, de Hans, K0HB