[CW] CW requirement....tests..etc..

[kburrows]

I have noted movement in Canada on the recent ITU
ruling...
Local clubs are being asked to answer a simple questionnaire:
Morse Code Questionnaire

I favor option ____ below.

COMMENTS:



A. Retention of the 5 WPM Morse Code requirement as it currently stands,
with no additional requirements or changes for access to the HF Amateur
Radio bands.


B. Elimination of the 5 WPM Morse Code requirement, BUT with the addition of
the following requirements:


The additional requirements are increased knowledge based testing on VHF/HF
operation and theory.

So here you just choose A or B , add a few comments ,
the local club forwards them to RAC (Radio Amateurs of
Canada) who then has a little chat with the FCC equivalent (Industry Canada,
Telecomm Division), the governing body will then make a ruling on the CW or
no
CW question.. Seems simple enough...unless I don't have all the info out
there...Canadian Input??????

As for CW in emergency ops, I think the most important thing is Power;
batteries, generators etc...

HF will work on a shoestring if all the rest of the telecomm infrastructure
is down, so you use it for the link
supported by your excellent standby power system to run
the gear, the mode used to convey the intelligence could be just about
anything, SSB or any of the digital modes
with CPUS running on the emergency power system.

Why is CW the mode of choice in this case, I must be missing something, it
takes much more skill on the ops part for the CW, therefore there are less
ops available, with SSB you only have to talk, and with the digital modes
you use  the CPU and type, something that most everyone can do now
especially the younger operators..

73
VE1DS  (90% CW opr)