Found on qrz.com. The ARRL now only wants only no code hams. And as
for the rest of us?

W1AW Special Event, Midnight Exam Sessions to Mark New Amateur Rules

NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 9, 2007 -- As new Amateur Radio Service rules phase
in Friday, February 23, eliminating the Morse code requirement, Hiram
Percy Maxim Memorial Station W1AW will mark the milestone with a
weekend-long special event. In addition, a number of Central
Connecticut volunteer examiners will be on hand at ARRL Headquarters
-- both before and after the new rules become effective at 12:01 AM
EST -- to offer Amateur Radio examinations under both the current and
new rules. ARRL Regulatory Information Specialist Dan Henderson, N1ND,
is helping to coordinate the celebration. He says Headquarters staff
and other volunteers will keep W1AW active for the "Welcome Weekend"
event.

"W1AW will be on the air all weekend for this special event to
celebrate the fact that so many amateurs have gained or will earn new
privileges as a result of the rule changes," he said. "The station
will operate starting at 12:01 AM Eastern Time on Friday, February 23,
continuing into the wee hours and resuming operation during the day.
Then W1AW will be on the air on both days of the weekend, from 10 AM
until 5 PM -- perhaps longer as conditions and enthusiasm dictate."

Operation will be on both SSB and CW. W1AW operators will concentrate
their activities on the Technician and General class HF subbands. On
SSB, the station will use its normal phone frequencies -- 1.855,
3.990, 7.290, 14.290, 18.160 and 21.390 MHz. On 10 meters, W1AW will
operate SSB on or about 28.480 MHz.

Henderson says operating will be casual unless pileups develop. "The
purpose is to welcome newcomers to new privileges," he said.

"First Contact" certificates will be available as part of this event.
ARRL invites anyone making a first contact or first HF contact to
enter the contact information on the ARRL "Welcome Weekend" Web site
and receive a certificate in return. "If the first contact is with
W1AW we will also be including a W1AW QSL card for the contact,"
Henderson added.

The ARRL anticipates a huge influx of upgrade applications once the
Morse code requirement disappears. In addition, all Technician
licensees will have limited HF privileges starting February 23,
whether or not they've passed a Morse code test.

Amateur Radio exam sessions both before and after the zero hour will
offer an opportunity for applicants either to upgrade under the
outgoing licensing rules at the last possible opportunity or under the
new licensing rules at the first possible opportunity.

"Dual exam sessions are scheduled at ARRL Headquarters around the
effective time of the new licensing rules," says Brennan Price, N4QX,
a former ARRL staff member and an ARRL VEC volunteer examiner. "At 11
PM on February 22, a session will be held for candidates wishing to
upgrade under the existing rules. A few folks have expressed interest
in such a session." Price says all Amateur Radio written and
telegraphy elements will be offered until midnight.

"At 12:01 AM February 23, a second session will begin under the new
licensing rules," he said. "Examiners will not only be evaluating
previously earned Certificates of Successful Completion of Exam
(CSCEs) for upgrades, but will be offering all written elements." Two
teams of volunteer examiners will be on site until all applicants have
been served.

On or after February 23, applicants upgrading on the basis of a valid
CSCE must present the certificate for element credit, fill out an
application and pay any applicable exam session fee, which most VECs
charge. Only after the VE team has issued a CSCE for upgrade credit
may applicants actually use their new operating privileges on the air.

Additional Welcome Weekend information will be available on the ARRL
Web site in the days leading up to February 23.

policy-ham wrote:

Found on qrz.com. The ARRL now only wants only no code hams. And as
for the rest of us?

Well, I'm not sure of your point, but from the title of the post, you
seem to be somewhat negative...("ARRL Now Only Wants...")

I don't think that's all they want, but more of a case of that's all
there is, thanks to the FCC. The ARRL is just accepting the reality of
the situation.

1) ANY organization generally wants to preserve itself (Gee, I know this
comes as a big surprise). If due to *FCC* action (beyond the control of
the ARRL), all that there is are new, no-code hams, why shouldn't the
ARRL welcome them?

2) Read point one above again. This was an *FCC action*, beyond the
control of the ARRL; the ARRL can welcome the newbies or put their tail
between their legs and slink off into the night...

3) You ask "What happens to the rest of us?" I am sure the ARRL would be
glad to welcome us as new members and/or keep us as existing members.
Why would you suspect anything different?

Carter, K8VT
20 wpm Extra
Proud ARRL member since 1959

On 11 Feb 2007 13:45:13 -0800, "policy-ham"
wrote:

+++Found on qrz.com. The ARRL now only wants only no code hams. And as
+++for the rest of us?
**************

Just think of it this way, you know more than they will by knowing how
to use Morse Code at any speed. Now you hae a conversation with some
otehr Ham that knows CW and the newbies wont understand what your
talking about. Think of it as a benefit, not as disadvantage.

james

On Feb 11, 4:45 pm, "policy-ham" wrote:
Found on qrz.com. The ARRL now only wants only no code hams.

I'm not sure I understand your statement. If you really mean the
"ARRL want's only nocode hams" then you must believe all hams that
have passed the code test will no longer be welcome at the ARRL and
memberships will not be renewed. Do you really believe that?

Lets not forget the ARRL and it's aging membership really has no
choice when it comes to accepting hams that have passed all currently
required tests. The ARRL should make plans for liquidation if they
choose otherwise.

And as
for the rest of us?

What do the rest of you (hams that passed a morse code test) want from
the ARRL. Would they like to retake the code test as a measure of
defiance? Maybe a bordered certificate suitable for framing that
proclaims: I Passed The Code Test at (insert speed). And I Practiced
This Long (insert number of times code tapes replayed).



W1AW Special Event, Midnight Exam Sessions to Mark New Amateur Rules

NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 9, 2007 -- As new Amateur Radio Service rules phase
in Friday, February 23, eliminating the Morse code requirement, Hiram
Percy Maxim Memorial Station W1AW will mark the milestone with a
weekend-long special event. In addition, a number of Central
Connecticut volunteer examiners will be on hand at ARRL Headquarters
-- both before and after the new rules become effective at 12:01 AM
EST -- to offer Amateur Radio examinations under both the current and
new rules.

For heavens sake why offer the test under the old rules at the 11th
hour? Reads like the ARRL is encouraging a "We vs They" mentality
among the old guard. What's next...will the no code licensees have a
special marker on their QST address label?



ARRL Regulatory Information Specialist Dan Henderson, N1ND,
is helping to coordinate the celebration. He says Headquarters staff
and other volunteers will keep W1AW active for the "Welcome Weekend"
event.

"W1AW will be on the air all weekend for this special event to
celebrate the fact that so many amateurs have gained or will earn new
privileges as a result of the rule changes," he said. "The station
will operate starting at 12:01 AM Eastern Time on Friday, February 23,
continuing into the wee hours and resuming operation during the day.
Then W1AW will be on the air on both days of the weekend, from 10 AM
until 5 PM -- perhaps longer as conditions and enthusiasm dictate."

Operation will be on both SSB and CW. W1AW operators will concentrate
their activities on the Technician and General class HF subbands. On
SSB, the station will use its normal phone frequencies -- 1.855,
3.990, 7.290, 14.290, 18.160 and 21.390 MHz. On 10 meters, W1AW will
operate SSB on or about 28.480 MHz.

Henderson says operating will be casual unless pileups develop. "The
purpose is to welcome newcomers to new privileges," he said.

"First Contact" certificates will be available as part of this event.
ARRL invites anyone making a first contact or first HF contact to
enter the contact information on the ARRL "Welcome Weekend" Web site
and receive a certificate in return. "If the first contact is with
W1AW we will also be including a W1AW QSL card for the contact,"
Henderson added.

The ARRL anticipates a huge influx of upgrade applications once the
Morse code requirement disappears. In addition, all Technician
licensees will have limited HF privileges starting February 23,
whether or not they've passed a Morse code test.

Amateur Radio exam sessions both before and after the zero hour will
offer an opportunity for applicants either to upgrade under the
outgoing licensing rules at the last possible opportunity or under the
new licensing rules at the first possible opportunity.

"Dual exam sessions are scheduled at ARRL Headquarters around the
effective time of the new licensing rules," says Brennan Price, N4QX,
a former ARRL staff member and an ARRL VEC volunteer examiner. "At 11
PM on February 22, a session will be held for candidates wishing to
upgrade under the existing rules. A few folks have expressed interest
in such a session." Price says all Amateur Radio written and
telegraphy elements will be offered until midnight.

"At 12:01 AM February 23, a second session will begin under the new
licensing rules," he said. "Examiners will not only be evaluating
previously earned Certificates of Successful Completion of Exam
(CSCEs) for upgrades, but will be offering all written elements." Two
teams of volunteer examiners will be on site until all applicants have
been served.

On or after February 23, applicants upgrading on the basis of a valid
CSCE must present the certificate for element credit, fill out an
application and pay any applicable exam session fee, which most VECs
charge. Only after the VE team has issued a CSCE for upgrade credit
may applicants actually use their new operating privileges on the air.

Additional Welcome Weekend information will be available on the ARRL
Web site in the days leading up to February 23.

NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 9, 2007 -- As new Amateur Radio Service rules phase
in Friday, February 23,

You realize that the 23rd, when you divide 2 by 3, you'll get 666, the
devil's area code? Sounds like a bad omen to me.... :-)

On 11 Feb 2007 13:45:13 -0800, "policy-ham"
wrote:

Found on qrz.com. The ARRL now only wants only no code hams. And as
for the rest of us?

I'm an ARRL member and I haven't gotten an email canceling my
membership. If they dumped all us coders they'er membership would go
down to almost zero. It ain't gonna happen. The ARRL welcomes
everyone.
KG8PM

What do the rest of you (hams that passed a morse code test) want from
the ARRL. Would they like to retake the code test as a measure of
defiance? Maybe a bordered certificate suitable for framing that
proclaims: I Passed The Code Test at (insert speed). And I Practiced
This Long (insert number of times code tapes replayed).



Receive code? Hell, I had to SEND code when I took my test at the FCC
field office!

:-)

In article t,
says...


What do the rest of you (hams that passed a morse code test) want from
the ARRL. Would they like to retake the code test as a measure of
defiance? Maybe a bordered certificate suitable for framing that
proclaims: I Passed The Code Test at (insert speed). And I Practiced
This Long (insert number of times code tapes replayed).



Receive code? Hell, I had to SEND code when I took my test at the FCC
field office!

:-)


Sending is way easier than receiving.

BDK

On Feb 12, 5:35 pm, robert casey wrote:
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 9, 2007 -- As new Amateur Radio Service rules phase
in Friday, February 23,

You realize that the 23rd, when you divide 2 by 3, you'll get 666, the
devil's area code? Sounds like a bad omen to me.... :-)

Sounds kind of hellish to me.

On Feb 12, 2:35�pm, robert casey wrote:
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 9, 2007 -- As new Amateur Radio Service rules phase
in Friday, February 23,

You realize that the 23rd, when you divide 2 by 3, you'll get 666, the
devil's area code? * Sounds like a bad omen to me.... * *:-)

Sorry, that is a SERIOUS FACTUAL ERROR!!!

Dividing 2 by 3 results in the decimal fraction 0.66666666666666...

That is NOT the Bible's reference to "the number of the beast."