[CW] W5YI groups suggestions on ham radio licensing

[N2EY@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/2/04 9:31:50 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
scottamcmullen@yahoo.com writes:


> --- N2EY@aol.com wrote:
> > Such an organization would gain the ear of the
> > FCC, the vendors, and many others.


I didn't write that. W0LZ did. I disagree with him.

> 
> i don't agree. i think the fcc frankly pays little
> attention even to the arrl, which, in general, is
> the 800 lb gorilla in the amateur radio world. a
> cw special interest group they would regard as
> nearly insignificant.

Agree 100%. And the same goes for the manufacturers. 


> 
> think about the issues of ownership of the broadcast
> media, broadband internet access, promoting 
> competition in the telephone industry, phone number
> portability. the fcc is most concerned (as it probably
> should be) with issues that affect 99% of the
> american population; not the 1% of us that are hams.
> 

Yep. And we're not even 1% - more like 0.3% of the total US population.

In fact, it seems to me that for the most part FCC doesn't "get" amateur 
radio these days. They don't seem to understand why people would want to 
communicate via radio the way hams do when there are so many other options available. 
The WSJ author sure didn't get it.



> i believe amateur radio enforcement at the fcc *is*
> riley hollingsworth. the arrl official observers
> do the best they can to run interference for him,
> and pass to him the most egregious cases. but the
> fcc hemmed and hahhed quite a while before they
> even allocated -one- person to amateur radio
> enforcement. that's how insignificant we are. for
> quite a long time, there was -no- amateur radio
> enforcement at the fcc.
> 

*anyone* can pass along info to Riley, not just OOs, but he's just one guy.


> my impression is that for most manufacturers, cw
> performance is an afterthought. how many rigs come
> stock with a cw if filter? 

Besides rigs already mentioned, the Elecraft rigs (K2, K1, KX1) all have 
sharp filters as stock. 


they generally come with 
> 
> a 2.4 khz filter, and if you are a cw op, you have 
> them add a 500 hz filter (at extra cost). take a 
> look at the magazine ads; they almost all show the
> radio in the ad with a mike (if anything). it 
> wouldn't surprize me if we soon start seeing more
> hf radios like the little 10 meter transceivers that
> radio shack sold for a while; they won't even have
> a cw mode, unless you modify them.
> 

Been that way for 45+ years. Go all the way back to the Collins KWM-1 and 
KWM-2 - no CW filter and no provision to add one, AGC not defeatable, no RIT, 
etc. 


> the anti-code types have managed to increase their
> influence by obtaining leadership positions that
> influence -all- radio amateurs; at the national
> conference of volunteer examiner coordinators. if we
> pack up our marbles, and engage principally in
> radiotelegraph code-only organizations,
> we will condemn ourselves to insignificance in the
> broader hobby.
> 

Interesting point! I would add that NCVEC wasn't formed to be a policy or 
lobby organization, but it has been pushed in that direction by some folks with 
an agenda.

And as for a national organization for radiotelegraphy, why have FISTS, which 
filed a petition for restructuring some time back. That petition got 
widespread supporting comments.

73 de Jim, N2EY 


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