[Elecraft] Sad day for amateur radio

[Fred Jensen]

You're right on, Ron.  I left most of my hearing in SE Asia 40 years 
ago, and CW is my choice, particularly for contesting.  I worked my way 
through college in the late 50's/early 60's in FM and TV broadcast with 
a 1st phone.  I still hold the "wallpaper" you mentioned.  I worked my 
senior year in HS in a coastal marine station on CW with a 2nd telegraph 
which I let lapse.  Times change, technology moves ahead.  I'd rather 
have a thriving and growing hobby, with lots of young folks entering, 
than demand that everyone learn my favorite mode.  Nearly all of those 
young folks can hear very well, and SSB works for them.

Well said, and I'll probably file some comments.

73,

Fred K6DGW
Auburn CA CM98lw

PS:  My KSB2 has some PTT problem I haven't had time to diagnose yet.  I 
may be back with questions.


Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
> Larry, N8LP wrote
> 
> Sad day for amateur radio
> 
> ----------------------------------------------
> 
> Not at all, Larry! 
> 
> The FCC has simply told us Hams in the USA that it's time to set our own
> agenda. They recognize that there's a huge interest in CW and that it's one
> of the most popular modes today, but they decline to see any reason why they
> need to regulate it. They asked a great question in their Notice of Proposed
> Rule Making: Why should the US FCC mandate a demonstrated knowledge of Morse
> code and not mandate a demonstrated knowledge of other digital modes?
> 
> Years ago I earned a First Class Radiotelephone License that allowed me to
> operate and repair the transmitters at commercial television stations, radio
> stations and anywhere a licensed transmitter (other than a Ham rig) was
> located. For most people it involved a two year college-level program to
> prepare for it. That license is now no more than pretty wallpaper. Anyone
> who can pry the cover off of a transmitter is, in the eyes of the FCC,
> qualified to work on it today. 
> 
> This is just the same thinking coming to Amateur Radio. 
> 
> The commercial technicians and broadcast engineers in the USA have adopted
> their own standards of competence through their professional organizations.
> We are certainly allowed to do that through our Ham organizations. 
> 
> But under it all, we in the USA are being allowed to choose our own destiny.
> We have been given tremendous freedoms to continue to explore and enhance
> our hobby, including our use of CW and other modes. 
> 
> The on-going chatter among US Hams here on the Elecraft reflector about CW
> operating is a clue about just how vital CW is to the Hobby as well as how
> important it is to understand other modes, even if we choose not to use them
> in our stations. 
> 
> We don't need a government agency to which is important to us. 
> 
> Ron AC7AC