"KØHB" wrote in message
ink.net...

wrote

It would serve the useful purpose of making
sure drivers had the basic skills required to
drive a manual transmission car.

There currently is no such test, but drivers who decide to use manual
transmissions seem to learn that skill without a government test.

And they appear to do so with no threat to anyone else.
When my kids got their licenses they first learned and passed
their test using an automatic transmission. They later then
took on the task of learning manual transmissions at a point
where they alraedy were comfortable with the basic driving
skills and could then focus more on the additional skills
needed to drive a manual gearbox vehicle.

Similarly if there is no Morse skill test, hams who decide to use that
mode will take it upon themselves to learn that skill without the need for
government testing.

That complexity would benefit from some rules changes.
Like a protected space for good old Morse Code.

Morse code currently enjoys free access to essentially every Hz of amateur
spectrum. Since CW is your (and my) favorite mode, that's what Martha
Stewart might call "a good thing®" Would you support removal of that free
access in exchange for "protected space" pro-rated by bandwidth relative
to "protected space" for other popular modes?

For example, a good fast CW signal might require "protection" for 150Hz
and a properly operated SSB station might require "protection" for 2400Hz.
Based on that ratio and your notion of "protected space" for each mode,
for each 10KHz protected segment of CW spectrum, SSB operators should have
a protected segment of 160KHz.

Excellent point.

Be careful what you wish for.
73, de Hans, K0HB

Cheers,
Bill K2UNK