[CW] QRM and Technician License Expansion

[Richard Knoppow]

    I think perhaps what these people want is CB. No technical 
knowledge or code needed. Keep in mind the original excuse (or 
justification if you prefer) for amateur radio was to provide a 
group of knowedgable people with adequate equipment to cope with 
emergencies where the regular commercial communications had 
broken down. It is perhaps harder to maintain this justification 
now than it was a century ago but I think recent experiences with 
severe storms and floods are sufficient to do so.
    When I started out the novice license was available but I 
decided to go for the general, which at that time had all 
privileges. Electronics was my hobby plus I had some formal 
schooling in it, so I had no doubts about the written license. I 
then worked on getting my code speed up. You can read 5 WPM once 
you memorize the code but reading at 13 WPM takes some work. I 
got my speed up to around 15 WPM, maybe a little more, and went 
down to the Federal Building and took the test. Had no trouble 
with the code (which surprised me) or the written exam and after 
what seemed like eons got my license in the mail. I think the 
technician license was intended for those who could pass a 
tougher theory test than the novice but not code. I am not sure 
if that was a good idea or not, can make an argument on both 
sides of it. Anyway, I kept active until life got in the way and 
then picked it up again a dozen years ago. No code test any more 
although I could have passed the 20 WPM without trouble. Theory 
exam was not too difficult, mainly I had to study the newer 
regulations. So, now I have an extra class but am not much on the 
air because I need a real antenna and have reached the age where 
crawling around on roofs is not so easy. In any  case, I am 
rather opinionated about all sorts of stuff but one of them is 
not making something so easy it no longer has any value.
    I think CB was a blunder but was great for equipment 
manufacturers and that was the main reason it was created. Too 
stupid or lazy to get a ham license, then CB is for you, kids. 
Who cares about rules and the law, its uninforceable anyway. Add 
a code test and you toss all those folks overboard.
    I may be a curmudgeon but I am a cheerful curmudgeon.

On 3/19/2019 11:43 AM, n7dc at comcast.net wrote:
> We were asked to vote on the issue, and the ARRL then supported 
> the non code licenses.  Funny thing though, later on I saw that 
> the vote was very "NO!"   But it was done anyway.
> 
> They keep talking about a new license to make it even easier.  My 
> vote too, is to return the Novice exams, including CW.   
> Thousands of us came on that way.  I've been involved with kids, 
> and adults, earning their entire license, including learning the 
> code at 5 plus wpm, within ONE week.  Another time, One boy, on a 
> one-on-one basis, learned and PASSED the 5 wpm code in 30 
> minutes.  Take at look online,  search for Ham radio at the BSA 
> National Jamboree 1985.   I think the article said something like 
> 5 Scouts, but it was 12.
> 
> Danny Douglas

-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL