[CW] CW - No code - and little code

[N2EY@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/21/03 9:07:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time, N7DC@cs.com 
writes:


> I dont think 20 percent is reasonable.  For a band like 40 meters, that 
> would 
> give us only 60 KC for CW and allow the SSBers all the way down to 7.063 
> (LSB), and thats just here in the states.  

No, that's not what I meant!

I'm saying that, in the unfortunate event code testing is completely removed, 
the bands should be divided into three subbands-by-mode: CW-only, CW/data, 
and CW/phone/image. IOW, CW allowed everywhere but encouraged to stay in the 
CW-only part. 

No widening of the 'phone/image subbands.




If stateside stations were allowed that 
> 
> low, guess where the DX, Canadians, and Mexicans would start showing up.  

They already do. A Canadian net meets on 7030. 



> What we need are sub-bands with teeth in them.  They should be World-Wide, 
> not 
> just US sub-bands, but we are never likely to succeed in that.  


The rest of the world pretty much is a free-for-all. That's not a good thing.

> 
>   I have been saying for months (if not years): Let anyone take a test for 
> HF, without code.  If they want to work code, THEN THEY SHOULD TAKE A CODE 
> TEST. 
> Its the only mode that truly takes skill, and we should earn it before we 
> are allowed there.



> 
> Speaking of skill.  The recent adoption of new international rules, and the 
> not-so-recent downspeeding of CW tests here in the states are really 
> starting 
> to show on the bands.  More and more I am hearing extremely low CW speeds on 
> 
> the lower parts of the bands, and not only that, much of it is just 
> downright 
> unreadable.  I would never pass a Scout for 5 wpm, who sent that poorly, and 
> I 
> have tested hundreds.  Last night I heard dozens of Washington State 
> stations 
> in SR test.  A few of them were gliding along at 20 wpm or better with an 
> automatic keyer, and when I gave them a call, they came back with the most 
> horrible 
> sounding keying possible, with me barely able to understand what they were 
> trying to say.  THEY WERE ALL USING EXTRA CALLS.  Now it may be that these 
> were 
> club calls, and they were brand new to CW, but it doesn't lead me to have 
> any 
> confidence in our new testing schemes.  By the way, my old buddy Rex - K7QQ 
> - 
> Was ripping along at 40 wpm, and when he came back, I could read it.  Rex 
> was 
> my very first contact on the bands, and is still putting Washington on the 
> score sheets.  
> 
> 

All that's really happened is that the Novice bands have been effectively 
widened.

Remember too that sending hasn't been tested for about 20 years. 

At least they're trying the mode.

73 de Jim, N2EY


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