[CW] ARRL position

[Gregory W. Moore]

GA Tony and Nancy,

I agree with BOTH of your positions.  As a former Naval RM, a 
Professional radio op/repair/whathaveyou LOL ,who used CW  every day, 
and holds a speed key certificate, I feel that there is no place for a 
reduction in any code requirement. I also feel that the tests should be 
"like the old days". Experimentation and homebrew are still a viable 
part of being in this great hobby of ours.
    As much fun, and quantum leaps ahead, the new rigs are, there is 
still a place in Ham Radio (I prefer "unpaid professionals", since I am 
with MARS, which is a career of and unto itself) for brass pounding and 
copying CW.  I do however, like to go down to the "CW only" portions of 
the band, and simply pound brass.  Yes, I have all the digital bells and 
whistles, but there is a time when it's time to turn all that off, and 
go back to the "organic computer" inside one's head.  Sure, it's neat to 
work new modes, but after I put the PSK31, or 62, or the AMTOR, to rest, 
I always come back to the key, and the clean, crisp, sound of well-sent 
morse.

I agree that the ARRL is NOT regarding it's membership. Tony, QST has 
become, at least in the homebrew stuff, with very few exceptions, a 
microwave/computer addict's fix, and nothing more.  There has been one 
heck of a lot of fun sucked out of the hobby by Computers, and the 
number of us Greenkeyers decreases every day that and CW used to be the 
mainstay of comms, and  I wish it still were.  I simply am beginning to 
get the opinion that all these new no code techs want to make a huge 
wireless HF internet, and use it the same way they use the internet 
which they already have via phone lines.  There is no innovation in the 
"true" Ham Radio anymore, nor a heck of a lot of interest. 

    If, for no other reason, than to keep the traditions alive, we must 
have code as a requirement, and not 5WPM either, as 5 bears no 
resemblance to reality whatsoever, also, incidentally, it's almost 
impossible to copy without sleeping, and characters sent at that speed 
seem to make no sense--hi--.  13 is a bare minimum that is at least, 
copyable without terminal boredom.

I will write both the FCC and the ARRL, but, sadly, I don't think that a 
letter from this CW dude is going to mean much at this point.

73 es ZUT de Greg WA3IVX / NNN0BVN (converting electricity into RF 
energy for almost 40 years)

   

   

    

Tony Martin wrote:

>Hi Nancy,
>Interesting, but if you read it carefully, it doesn't say anything we
>haven't already heard. (snip for brevity)
>  
>

-- 
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
                                                   --Edmund Burke

Greg Moore NNN0BVN PA
U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS)
Official Pennsylvania Area Website:
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http://www.navymars.org/northeast/index.htm
Navy-Marine Corps MARS: Proudly Serving Those Who Serve."
E-Mail (MARS) nnn0bvn@navymars.org
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