[AMRadio] Comment to a comment

Tue Nov 1 20:06:22 EDT 2011

Gee, I'm an Extra-light having only taken the 5 wpm which was the 
requirement at that time.  I have no present desire to operate CW at this 
time, maybe sometime in the future.  I have a formal electronics education 
and work at the component level in my ham gear but I have never had to jump 
on a frequency with CW to test out some gear.  I think the psychology of 
today's younger generation is aimed toward today's technologies and I don't 
see where requiring CW will draw more to the fold.  Did CW draw people to 
the hobby prior to elimination of the CW requirement?  I've worked with many 
young people in my profession, computer repair, and no matter what radio 
"show and tell" I bring to work and no matter how much I talk up the hobby I 
have yet to interest anyone.  In some respects I understand their thinking. 
Being 60 years old my idea of a cool car is one from the late 50's through 
the early 70's.  My father's generation was interested in the cars of the 
30's and 40's.  There are exceptions to every rule, although the above is 
not a rule, and it might just be opinion based on my life experiences.  I do 
enjoy the hobby and am glad there are people like you to answer my CQ.

73,
Tom K3TVC

-----Original Message----- 
From: Rob Atkinson
Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 6:43 PM
To: Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service
Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Comment to a comment

I disagree and here is why.  First, let me say that for some time I
was in favor of doing away with CW testing.   I changed my mind
because I realized that knowing CW is an important part of the basic
building process.   How is this?  The most elementary (legal)
transmitter is one that generates a continuous wave.  If you put a
value on what is gained by building such a  transmitter then without
CW there is no fulfilment in placing it on the air and using it to
communicate.  I believe we are better off by encouraging new hams to
experience some basic building along the lines of what was set forth
in the old How to Become a Radio Amateur book the ARRL published, but
the whole package depends on having CW as a basic skill by the time
such a rig is ready to fire up and operate.  You can say that any one
who wishes to do so can learn CW and do this now, but having it as a
requirement to get a license insures that by the time an experimenter
is ready to try out his work and get some feeling of accomplishment,
he has the basic (i.e. slow) CW skill ready to use.

Currently I think new hams are steered towards VHF FM and CB style
communications and this has led to many hams getting bored and losing
interest.  We need to go back to fostering electronics education and
building and starting new hams out on HF.   CW is an important part of
that.  No test of any time can "filter out poor character and
unethical behavior" and that was never the intent of any FCC testing
in the past as far as I know.  But an examination of some level of
rigor can serve to attract people with a passion and love of radio and
a curiosity of the science of radio.

73

Rob
K5UJ

>
> On Tue, Nov 1, 2011 at 4:12 PM, Kim Elmore <cw_de_n5op at sbcglobal.net> 
> wrote:
>
>> But, the idea that we can generate a test, of any kind, that will filter 
>> out poor character and unethical behavior is fiction.
>
> Which is part of the reason the FCC chose to remove the requirement,
> as noted in their comments. Anyone who remembers listening to
> WA4Doggie, "Fuzzy Zulu" and others from decades ago who passed the 13
> or 20wpm test understand this all too well.
>
> The next project here is a 10m dipole in order to join in the fun of
> excellent band conditions. Too many equipment repairs to list!
>
> ~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4
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