[CW] cw service

[Alan W.]

Gee, this thread keeps changing titles...

We are licensees of a government service.  Thank goodness that the good
reputations of the active (dare I say "activist") minority covers up for the
slacker majority.  I bet those who aren't already service-minded won't
bother to teach or do outreach on CW, either.  So let's drop the bull.

Here is what will probably happen:  The FCC will publish Petitions for
Rulemaking (PR), or a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that suggests
removal of CW requirements.  Various outcomes are possile:: 1) elimination
of all CW requirements, or 2) Tech gets Tech Plus privileges and no changes
to General or Extra, or 3) CW is dropped for all but Extra as a compromise
to a vocal minority.  Another issue, never answered in the 1999
Restructuring Report & Order: Should dropping CW be exhanged for more
technical written exams?  We know they're gonna drop something, so I think
we need to reassert this related issue.

Option 2 is very possible.  It is the simplest to implement because the
fewest regs have to be rewritten.  It does some housekeeping on the Tech -
Tech PLus quirks introduced sine 1991. It is even more likely if both CW &
DIGITAL privileges were extended for Techs in the General digital subbands
of 80, 40, 15, & 10, and keeping the 200 W limit.  The ARRL already has an
active petition before the FCC that asks for most of this already.  The FCC
was waiting to see the results from WRC '03.  Also, the FCC coud do some
housekeeping but removing the Tech vs. Tech Plus quirks that existed since
1991.  This also echoes the WAD petitions (I'm "W") of February 2000, and
the Speroni petition of 2001-2002.

So, I recommend that when the petitions come out we form a full frontal
assault of  FORMAL comments.  That is how the opponents did it in 1998-99.
They don't have to be the same.  Heck, if they are half way literate we'd
already be ahead of the opposition judging from the Restructuring comments.

Those of your that want to that silent are dead weight.  It's your right to
be a couch potato, that's America.  So, all I ask is, "brother, get outta
our way!"

Now, as for the rest of us, who would like to help me bake the bread?

dit dit y'all
Alan N5LF