From: Dave on Tues, Aug 29 2006 4:44 pm

Lloyd 4 wrote:
On Tue, 29 Aug 2006 21:18:12 +0200 (CEST), George Orwell wrote:
Al Klein said:

Eliminating a requirement is dumbing things down. But no one would
expect you to be able to understand that.

Well, let me ask, from the point of view of a potential noob to the hobby. What use is the code requirements?
I can't really see in today's era, the need for them? I've been surfing around looking at ham and talking to
an old friend that had a license and it look interesting to me.

As long a 'Rare DX' uses CW, CW will live and thrive in the DX community.

A DX pile of 100 stations on CW occupies much less bandwidth than 1 SSB station.
The CW contact rate exceeds the SSB rate.

As long a 'Rare DX' uses CW, CW will live and thrive in the DX community.

Hey, "Dave," since when does the FCC mandate all hams MUST
"work DX?" [try to remember that "the DX community" does NOT
issue/grant/authorize amateur radio licenses, only the FCC]

"Working DX on HF with CW" is an OPTION, not a requirement.

In fact, the FCC doesn't even mandate 'working' a foreign
radio amateur at all. ['foreign' meaning any country outside
USA jurisdiction]

It's your choice: if you want to play the DX game learn the rules including 25
wpm CW.

"Dave," you really need to be reminded that the FCC does NOT
mandate/require/encourage ANY "DX contacts." Neither does the
"DX community" grant any licenses OR make any "rules" that ALL
US radio amateurs must follow.

Oh, and "Dave," the REAL US amateur radio regulations require
passing a FIVE WORD PER MINUTE (equivalent) manual telegraphy
test (15 words per minute with the "farnesworth" approved
equivalent rate), not "twenty-five words per minute."

"Dave," have you been licensed a long time? I don't recall ANY
FCC requlations requiring a "twenty-five" rating, only the OLD
regulation (prior to mid-2000) and that only for Extra class.
I'd say you really ought to review the latest rules that apply
in this new millennium. You can review those for free at the
United States Government Printing Office website under "Code
of Federal Regulations." You can also get it at the ARRL
website since the ARRL seems to think they are the only
"official" source for everything amateur...

If you want to operate an appliance, but an appliance.

You mean EVERYONE "following the rules of the DX Community"
uses homebuilt radios? All have built their own keys so
that they don't use appliance keys? Amazing...

How does anyone "but an appliance?" :-)

Beep, beep,