[CW] Re: Qualified?

[David J. Ring, Jr.]

Jay,

My point is that a Radio Operator should be qualified to do what Radio
Operator's do.

In commercial services where a license was required, he was required to be
able to speak clearly and plainly in English for a Radiotelephone License,
and to send and receive morse code by ear and send by hand.  Even in other
countries, there was a requirement that the applicant be able to speak
English - not only his own language.  In other countries for morse there was
also the requirement that the applicant be able to send and receive English
and the country also had an examination for their language.

In other words, if you went for your 2nd Telegraph License in Sweden, you
would have to pass a 20 wpm (or higher) receiving test in English and also a
20 wpm (or higher) test in Danish.  Similarly, in Japan - until recently -
all FULL CLASS radio amateurs were required to pass a code test in English
as well as Japanese (the Japanese Kana Code) which had extra symbols and
proceedure.

Even today, if you have a disability and you can't do that, you must have
your license endorsed, "For Emergency Use Only" by the FCC.

The FCC examiner had to sign on your license that you could do this.  On a
radiotelephone exam this was done simply by speaking to the applicant and
observing that there was no impediment to being able to transmit and receive
messages.  (Which is what we do with speaking in a room as well as over the
radio.)  With the telegraphy exam, there was a similar exam, but more
formal.

Interestingly, there was never - at least in my memory - a requirement that
an Amateur Licensee be able to speak in English.

I would assume that any license giving you permission to do something would
test you on the ability to do whatever it is that you are being licensed
for.

At Julliard, the singer has to learn acting, dancing and tap.  It doesn't
matter if he hates tap (as does a friend of mine) - if he doesn't pass his
tap examination, he doesn't graduate.

My friend promises he will NEVER tap after graduation - but he has "won" two
parts on Broadway because he "CAN" tap as well as sing!

I would assume that to be CERTIFIED in Java, you have to be able to use it?
There is a big difference to "know about" than to be able to use.

73

David Ring, N1EA


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jay Eimer" <kd5wlx@familynet.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2004 11:22 PM
Subject: [CW] Re: Qualified?

(Quoted in part)

I can (and do) admire you guys that can send 40wpm by ear.  But I'm not
going to force you to use Echolink, let alone write it - so why should you
force others (I already passed mine) learn CW IF they have no intention of
using it.  Let the interest come to them first - then teach it to them, but
not the other way around