From: Leo on Jul 20, 7:03 pm

wrote

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-05-143A1.doc

It is sad, inasmuch as this definitely represents a dramatic change to
the structure of Amateur Radio in the US - Morse has been an integral
part of the hobby for as long as most anyone living can remember.

At least since 1913...a mere 92 years. :-)

[we await the Terrible Hue and Cry to be raised, first on QRZ.com
then all over in here as the MMM* rise up in anger and dismay at
the Falling of the Sky! Sound the Alarum!]

Surprisingly, there is no impetus to change the technical content of
the exams - I would have bet on that one!

Considering a two-year period and EIGHTEEN proposals sitting
around, I think that would have been out of the question in
DC. The FCC noted (for WT Docket 05-235) that the VEC
Question Pool Committee makes up the questions. Further, under
U.S. regulations, the FCC specifies only a MINIMUM of ten
times the number of required questions per class. The VEC
QPC is under NO obligation to limit the Pool limit to 10.

Given the electronic transfer capability of the VEC QPC
Pool and the ubiquity of the modern PC and Internet, the
number of questions could have been at least 100 times the
minimum required number of questions for U.S. examinees.
"Difficulty" is a matter for the VEC QPC, themselves made
up ONLY of licensed radio amateurs.


There are some good things in the NPRM as well, though - the massive
proposals for upgrading hundreds of thousands of current licensees to
the next higher license class did not survive. This topic seemed to
polarize folks as much (or more than!) the Morse issue itself.

Judging by the massive outpouring of grief/anger/dismay/
etc. on www.qrz.com this morning, the "polarization" seems
very focussed on morse code testing. [31 pages of messages
there by mid-morning on the 21st of July...:-) ]

By the latter part of 2010, the issue will be moot on
"auto-upgrades" of classes. The Technician Plus, Novice,
and Advanced classes will HAVE to disappear...a result of the
"Restructuring" Report and Order of late 1999 that took
effect in mid-2000.

By the way, as of 1200 UTC on 21 July 2005, the number of
"lower-class" Technician and Technician Plus class licensees
in the USA were 349,859 or 48.46% of the total individual
licensees (722,023). In one year's time, the FCC granted
16,085 NEW amateur radio licenses but 19,072 licenses were
expired. Net gain of -2,987 in 12 months, a trend that has
existed since the peak in July 2003.


However, Morse has too big a following to just disappear from the
bands completely - it will be there for many years to come!

Yes, and the stirring tales of daring-doo by "CW", saving
lives and protecting the nation agains terrorists will
always be part of the mythology! :-)

Some 47 years ago the FCC "took away" the U.S. ham band
called "11 meters" and reassigned it to the new-fangled
Class C and D Citizens Band. Some of today's hams weren't
even born yet but they are "mad as hell [about that] and
can't take it anymore!" [a la the famous "Network" rant
in the movie by actor Peter Finch (SK)]

About the only thing "lost" was the TITLES and DISTINCTION
of being part of the Archaic Radiotelegraphy Society, a sort
of quasi-royal status assumed by those few who were able to
make it through 13 and 20 WPM. They feel they "own" the
"rights" to the "titles" and those should be kept in
perpetuity...naturally to show the "greatness" of these
MMMs at "pioneering the airwaves." :-) [none of those
hams in here were alive in those pioneer days but they
apparently have laid claim to that "land," "fief," and
all "titles!" :-) ]


The feeling here in Canada is that we are probably weeks away from a
similar announcement......one which, in all probability, will mirror
the US NPRM very closely.

As long as British Columbia is still the production home of
"Stargate," "Stargate Atlantis," and "Battlestar Galactica,"
I will not comment on what Canada does or should do. :-)

The U.S. NPRM has NO great changes in U.S. amateur radio
regulations other than the pending removal of Test Element
1 (morse code test). That's about as simple a law change
as possible.

The emotional catastrophe of Title/Status/Distinction/etc.
loss to the MMM is at least an order of magnitude above the
largest megatonage special weapon! The "fall-out" has
begun...some will not survive the "radio-ation."

We'll soon see!

The writing on the wall happened in Switzerland two years
ago with the revision of S25 at WRC-03...with the consent
and input of the IARU and a few others. The ARRL was
opposed to that then...but now try to spin that they were
"in support." shrug

Modernization will continue despite what the "boyz in da
ham hood" think...

73, Leo

Best regards,




* MMM = Mighty Macho Morsemen, hee-rows of the hamways.