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-   -   FCC proposes to drop CW requirement on HF (https://www.radiobanter.com/shortwave/74953-fcc-proposes-drop-cw-requirement-hf.html)

MnMikew July 21st 05 10:52 PM


"beerbarrel" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 12:51:10 -0500, "MnMikew"
wrote:


"beerbarrel" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 12:21:35 -0400, dxAce
wrote:


The written test probably does as well. Should that also be dropped.

If one can't learn even a minimum 5 WPM then they have no business in

amateur
radio. 5 WPM is incredibly easy, heck, even the 'tards should be able

to
master
that.

dxAce
Michigan
USA



CW is not going to go away just because they drop the requirement.
Like Steve says, It's not that hard. Most anyone can learn 5 wpm in as
little as a month or less. I think that something worth having is
worth earning.


I say give techs a piece of HF and if they like HF, they can take the

test
to get access to the rest of it. I'm half-heartedly studying for the tech
test and only really have interest in 2m right now.




I guess I would never agree to that because I worked to pass the test.
It's just like the older guys doing 18 wpm. They don't see 5 wpm as a
test. If they gave Tech's a small piece of the HF band can you imagine
the crowd on that band? I think that you would wind up hating HF
because you would be fighting pile ups all the time. Bottom line, I
think that it would make you feel better to earn it rather than have
it given to you. It makes you appreciate it more.

It's not going to help at all to cut CW. It won't bring more folks
into ham radio. It will only serve to create more traffic on the HF
bands.

As far as 2m goes, It's great for a little while, but it gets boring
pretty quick. HF is they way to go. You will see.


THATS MY POINT! Sure it might get crowded, I doubt it but it could happen.
Seems the more the merrier? So people get bored on 2 and 6m and eventually
drop out of ham radio. Perhaps if their interest was peaked with some HF
they'd get motivated to get the code. Or if they dont like HF, no biggie.

Guess I could always get an amp and a modded Galaxy. :-)




MnMikew July 21st 05 10:55 PM


"beerbarrel" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 13:40:38 -0500, "Count Floyd"
wrote:

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:02:22 UTC, beerbarrel
wrote:

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 12:21:35 -0400, dxAce
wrote:


The written test probably does as well. Should that also be dropped.

If one can't learn even a minimum 5 WPM then they have no business in

amateur
radio. 5 WPM is incredibly easy, heck, even the 'tards should be able

to master
that.

dxAce
Michigan
USA



CW is not going to go away just because they drop the requirement.
Like Steve says, It's not that hard. Most anyone can learn 5 wpm in as
little as a month or less. I think that something worth having is
worth earning.

That might have been true in Samuel F.B.Morse's time. Get real, code
is an archaic leftover from the "old days" and has been used merely as
a "stumbling block" to keep the hobby a closed society. In fact,
radio itself seems to be going the way of the dodo bird, what with
satellite, internet, etc. Code is about as useful as C.W. McCall'
song about CB radio back in the 70's. I am not sitting at a key,
wearing gaiters on my sleeves, a green visor and tapping out code over
the air while the ship hits an iceberg. Come into the 21st century
for Christ's sake. Should everybody go back to spark controls on an
automobile? Attic fans and no A/C? McGuffey's Reader? Face it,
people, technology and now rules, have to move on. Of course, I drive
a 1940 Chrysler, so what do I know!





CW is efficient because you only have to understand the signal pattern
and not the signal audio. The narrow signal also takes up little
bandwidth. Not only does this make CW very efficient but also the most
reliable form of communication for a person to use.

Perhaps. But efficiency dosent always equate to fun, which is the goal here
isnt it?



MnMikew July 21st 05 10:56 PM


"Carter-K8VT" wrote in message
m...
dxAce wrote:

If one can't learn even a minimum 5 WPM then they have no business in

amateur
radio.


Could you please explain why you say that.

To state the obvious, CW is just one of *many* modes available to hams;
moon bounce, meteor scatter, lots of digital modes (PSK, MFSK, RTTY,
Hellschrieber and probably a few I missed), slow scan TV, fast scan TV,
APRS and on and on.

CW-just another mode. Why test for it and not test for, say, moon
bounce? You probably missed it, but a while ago the FCC said CW was
required in the old days when CW was primarily used for marine
safety-they didn't want hams to be transmitting over distress calls.
That was it. Period. As you are well aware, CW for maritime applications
is virtually dead.

Before you think I am a whining, sniveling "no coder", I am a 20 wpm
Extra who operates 20% digi modes and 80% CW, fairly comfortable at
25-30 wpm.

And puh-leze, don't even think about trotting out the old saw that "I
had to learn the code so the new guys should too". That's akin to saying
everyone should hand crank the engine on their car rather than using
those new fangled $#@*^! electric starters.

73,
Carter K8VT


Spot on Carter!



MnMikew July 21st 05 10:59 PM


"dxAce" wrote in message
...


Carter-K8VT wrote:

dxAce wrote:

If one can't learn even a minimum 5 WPM then they have no business in

amateur
radio.


Could you please explain why you say that.


Because it's so EASY, that's why 'tard boy..


If it's that easy then why test for it?

.. and I don't really give a rats ass
whether or not you're a 20 WPM man anyway. Point is, if some dumbass 'tard

isn't
smart enough to learn at least 5 WPM of code then he or she has no damn

business
being in amateur radio.

There are thousands of techs who would disagree.




MnMikew July 21st 05 11:01 PM


"beerbarrel" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 19:04:45 GMT, Carter-K8VT
wrote:

dxAce wrote:

If one can't learn even a minimum 5 WPM then they have no business in

amateur
radio.


Could you please explain why you say that.

To state the obvious, CW is just one of *many* modes available to hams;
moon bounce, meteor scatter, lots of digital modes (PSK, MFSK, RTTY,
Hellschrieber and probably a few I missed), slow scan TV, fast scan TV,
APRS and on and on.

CW-just another mode. Why test for it and not test for, say, moon
bounce? You probably missed it, but a while ago the FCC said CW was
required in the old days when CW was primarily used for marine
safety-they didn't want hams to be transmitting over distress calls.
That was it. Period. As you are well aware, CW for maritime applications
is virtually dead.

Before you think I am a whining, sniveling "no coder", I am a 20 wpm
Extra who operates 20% digi modes and 80% CW, fairly comfortable at
25-30 wpm.

And puh-leze, don't even think about trotting out the old saw that "I
had to learn the code so the new guys should too". That's akin to saying
everyone should hand crank the engine on their car rather than using
those new fangled $#@*^! electric starters.

73,
Carter K8VT



Hey! What's wrong with hand cranks!


Nothing, as long as their on a Gatling gun.



John S. July 21st 05 11:01 PM

Unless the FCC operates very differently from other federal agencies
the fact that they are using a Notice of Public Rulemaking signifies
that they have pretty much made up their collective mind to go ahead
with abolishing the morse requirement.

I wonder if all of those against change have expended as much energy
writing to the FCC as they have repeating the same worn old arguments
here on the news group.


dxAce July 21st 05 11:04 PM



MnMikew wrote:

"dxAce" wrote in message
...


Carter-K8VT wrote:

dxAce wrote:

If one can't learn even a minimum 5 WPM then they have no business in

amateur
radio.

Could you please explain why you say that.


Because it's so EASY, that's why 'tard boy..


If it's that easy then why test for it?

. and I don't really give a rats ass
whether or not you're a 20 WPM man anyway. Point is, if some dumbass 'tard

isn't
smart enough to learn at least 5 WPM of code then he or she has no damn

business
being in amateur radio.

There are thousands of techs who would disagree.


Of course they would! Many of them can't pass the code test. DUH!

A real no brainer.

dxAce
Michigan
USA



dxAce July 21st 05 11:06 PM



"John S." wrote:

Unless the FCC operates very differently from other federal agencies
the fact that they are using a Notice of Public Rulemaking signifies
that they have pretty much made up their collective mind to go ahead
with abolishing the morse requirement.

I wonder if all of those against change have expended as much energy
writing to the FCC as they have repeating the same worn old arguments
here on the news group.


The only worn out arguments are those expressed by those who want the code test
dropped. The majority of whom it would seem are to stupid or lazy or both to
take the time to actually learn something.

dxAce
Michigan
USA



John Smith July 21st 05 11:08 PM

MnMikew:

When I got my first amateur license (1969) I had an old karr cb radio
driving a 100 watt amp which drove a final amp of 1200 watts. From
there did couriers, johnsons, cobras, unidens, browning eagles, trams,
etc on CB...

Now I run an old russian 5KW linear. Thing is a battleship (100%
keydown time at 3.5KW in), and 1 to 75MHz bandcoverage. At 1KW with
reduced input voltage and drive it purrs, same russian tubes have been
running in it for over two decades and constant usage, tubes still
check out great. I have a newer 3.5KW unit but the old 5KW is my
favorite.

There is a lot to like about old equipment. I have ran newer amps but
none finer than this old timer... australia is only a quick CQ away,
anyday the band conditions are barely alive...

CB has always been one hell of a lot more fun than amateur radio. I
will always be a CB'er at heart, and an amateur second...

John

"MnMikew" wrote in message
...

"beerbarrel" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 12:51:10 -0500, "MnMikew"
wrote:


"beerbarrel" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 12:21:35 -0400, dxAce
wrote:


The written test probably does as well. Should that also be
dropped.

If one can't learn even a minimum 5 WPM then they have no
business in
amateur
radio. 5 WPM is incredibly easy, heck, even the 'tards should
be able

to
master
that.

dxAce
Michigan
USA



CW is not going to go away just because they drop the
requirement.
Like Steve says, It's not that hard. Most anyone can learn 5 wpm
in as
little as a month or less. I think that something worth having
is
worth earning.

I say give techs a piece of HF and if they like HF, they can take
the

test
to get access to the rest of it. I'm half-heartedly studying for
the tech
test and only really have interest in 2m right now.




I guess I would never agree to that because I worked to pass the
test.
It's just like the older guys doing 18 wpm. They don't see 5 wpm as
a
test. If they gave Tech's a small piece of the HF band can you
imagine
the crowd on that band? I think that you would wind up hating HF
because you would be fighting pile ups all the time. Bottom line, I
think that it would make you feel better to earn it rather than
have
it given to you. It makes you appreciate it more.

It's not going to help at all to cut CW. It won't bring more folks
into ham radio. It will only serve to create more traffic on the HF
bands.

As far as 2m goes, It's great for a little while, but it gets
boring
pretty quick. HF is they way to go. You will see.


THATS MY POINT! Sure it might get crowded, I doubt it but it could
happen.
Seems the more the merrier? So people get bored on 2 and 6m and
eventually
drop out of ham radio. Perhaps if their interest was peaked with
some HF
they'd get motivated to get the code. Or if they dont like HF, no
biggie.

Guess I could always get an amp and a modded Galaxy. :-)






an_old_friend July 21st 05 11:10 PM



MnMikew wrote:
"dxAce" wrote in message
...


Carter-K8VT wrote:

dxAce wrote:

If one can't learn even a minimum 5 WPM then they have no business in

amateur
radio.

Could you please explain why you say that.


Because it's so EASY, that's why 'tard boy..


If it's that easy then why test for it?

. and I don't really give a rats ass
whether or not you're a 20 WPM man anyway. Point is, if some dumbass 'tard

isn't
smart enough to learn at least 5 WPM of code then he or she has no damn

business
being in amateur radio.

There are thousands of techs who would disagree.


more like ten of thousands



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