From: Bill Sohl on Aug 29, 5:25 am

wrote in message
Bill Sohl wrote:
wrote in message
Bill Sohl wrote:
wrote in message

snip of analogies into far-different activities

Morse Code accounts for a lot more than 5% of amateur radio
HF/MF operation.

The U.S. amateur radio frequency allocations show that
MF-HF accounts for only 1 percent (rounding to integers)
of total bandspace. Manual radiotelegraphy ("CW") is
optional for ANY amateur class (except the old Novice)
on ANY amateur band above 30 MHz...yet, without taking
any "official poll" on it, it is obvious that "CW" is
LESS than 1 percent of all amateur operation above 30 MHz.
One percent of one percent gets to be a tiny value.

The point still reverts to the exclusivity (i.e. stand-alone)
testing for one mode and one mode only. No other mode, or
subject area is so tested for an amateur license.

Sure - because no other popular mode requires skills the
average person does not already posess.

Digital modes involve a certain skill level at typing.
No one is tested to be sure they can operate at
X wpm minimum speed. Additionally, what's wrong with
a ham starting out at even 1 wpm on the air. Why
must there be a minimum skill level. Two no-code
techs can do that now on VHF. What's so special
about HF vs VHF. Clearly the international community
no longer sees the need for a morse skill test.

Anyone with a communications receiver or scanner can find
out that FEW "average hams" speak or enunciate well. :-)
There has NEVER been a speaking test for ANY U.S. amateur
radio license examination.

FEW "average persons" can operate TV modes, slow or fast
scan, without the automatic easy-to-use features found on
all consumer grade motion-picture cameras on the market
now. I've not only used an RCA studio TV camera WITHOUT
those features but checked alignment/scanning and the
electronics of same. NO SUCH TV mode MANUAL TEST is done
in U.S. amateur radio licensing.

NO Manual Data mode TEST has ever been required in U.S.
amateur radio licensing EVER, yet the FCC allocates Data
modes coexisting with "CW" on almost all amateur bands.

Manual radiotelegraphy "proficiency" testing has ALWAYS
been in U.S. amateur radio licensing, through the three
predecessor radio regulating agencies before the FCC was
created. It is an "artifact" of testing that has never
been removed due to opposition from just enough lobbying
efforts to keep it in place. That it has "always been
there" is absolutely NO valid reason to keep it.

The international community, as represented by the IARU,
came out over a year before WRC-03 on eliminating the code
test for any license...at the option of each
administration. The ARRL was opposed to elimination on
through the last day of WRC-03 and now are ambivilent on
that. We have yet to see the ARRL's comments on NPRM
05-143 in WT Docket 05-235.

The ARRL's "compromise" plan is to retain the code test
for Amateur Extra only. That is clearly a sop to their
core membership who favor radiotelegraphy. However, at
only 145 thousand members, the total ARRL membership is
only about 20% of all individual licensed radio amateurs
in the USA (721,481 as of 26 August 2005).

How many hams would have to learn to talk in order to use voice
modes?

More than you would believe to listen to them on the air. :-)

How many would have to learn to read and type to use keyboard
modes?

"Data" modes are not restricted to just keyboard input.

What's different about Morse Code is that most new hams today have to
learn it just for amateur radio. And that, IMHO, is what bugs some
folks so much.

Probably so.

Not "probably." MOST CERTAINLY.

52 years ago when I operated my first big HF transmitter, "CW"
skills were NOT required to send TTY and Voice on HF over "DX"
paths. Of course that was in the military and the morsemen's
argument is "that isn't amateur radio!" :-) Well, neither is
broadcasting (called "Mass Media" radio services now), private
land mobile radio service, aircraft radio service, or personal
radio services...but all those services operate by the very
same physical laws as does amateur radio service. Broadcasting,
PLMRS, aircraft, personal radio services do NOT use "CW" mode
nor do they test for that.

Probably what REALLY "bugs" the NCTA is the terrible arrogance
of the PCTA that morse code is the heart and soul of amateur
radio, or words to that effect...plus, "only 'real' amateurs
know code," a terribly elitist, exclusionary bit of bigotry
that grew stronger with the so-called "incentive plan" licensing
(lobbied for by the ARRL).

snip

But if you define "subject area" as "questions about voice modes", it's
doubtful that one could get all the questions about voice modes wrong
and still pass - even if almost all of the others were answered
correctly.

You assume ALL unknown questions would be answered wrong.
Test taking 101 sez for ALL questions you don't know the answer to
pick C. Doing so for 10 questions the test taker has no clue on
is bound to net at least 2 or 3 correct answers.

Miccolis is trying to tap-dance around the plain, simple fact:
Fail the code test on a General or Extra exam and one FAILS
to get the General or Extra upgrade. NOT a question of
"so many 'other' questions right/wrong," a matter of singular
FAILURE.

snip

But you can't miss all of them.

But let's say you get 50% of those. Then you may end up
passing the test if all the other stuff (rules/regs) is answered
correctly. That isn't the case for the stand-alone morse
test.

You said that before, I've said that before, lots of others have
said that before, and the FCC says so in the regulations.
Miccolis is trying to smokescreen the plain, simple fact that
the manual radiotelegraphy test is stand-alone and NOT a part
of the written test elements.


The fact of the matter is that the current written tests involve a lot
of subject areas, but not in a lot of depth. Morse Code testing
involves one subject area, in somewhat more depth (although at 5 wpm,
"depth" becomes somewhat questionable).

It's like saying we have a manual-transmission test where the
person must get the car in first gear and drive around an empty parking
lot at 5 mph for one minute. And folks say that's too much to ask!

Automotive vehicle operation IS NOT A PART OF NPRM 05-143 OR
WT DOCKET 05-235. Geez...

And the IARU plus the WRC have stated it isn't required. They have
left the choice to each individual administration...and that's where we
are today in USA regs. The FCC has said it will end all morse
testing (NPRM 05-235). Commentors are now and have been
submitting their views for a month or more already. I haven't
seen even ONE persuasive new argument to save code testing.

Excuse me? Morse code will be extremely valuable in coordinating
communications to counter-attacking alien invaders; the will
never understand morse code so they will be caught be surprise.
That has been amply documented in the film "Independence Day."

:-)

All the procode test support argumennts are the same ones
as before which the FCC has already reviewed and dismissed.

Deja vu all over again. yawn


So would you support a reasonable set of Morse Code only subbands,
Bill? Say, the bottom 10-15% of each HF ham band?

I've said before that I have no problem with doing so.
Within the USA, we could do so via ARRL voluntary
bandplans without ever involving the FCC.
Doing so might actually serve as a good incentive for some
folks to learn and use morse. Makes far more sense to
me than trying to keep the test itself.

NPRM 05-143 is NOT about "bandplans." It is SOLEY
concerned with elimination or retention of Test Element 1,
the manual radiotelegraphy skill test.

snip


One thing I notice about FCC R&Os for the amateur service is that
they almost never put changes into effect on the first of a month -
always midmonth or something like that.

We'll see.

Hello? WHEN was R&O 99-412 issued? [it was on "restructuring"]

Good grief, all these "insiders" haven't been making notes...