[Elecraft] Dropping the Code Test

[Jim Brown]

>>Instead of wasting time complaining about the FCC dropping the testing 
>>requirement, CW enthusiasts should be promoting its use.

Strongly agree. I'm a CW guy. I own some mics, but I work SSB only for 
contests. 

Last night I tuned around the CW portions of 80, 40, 30, and 20. This morning, 
I did the same. DEAD!  One QSO going on 80, one Q and some guys chasing two DX 
stations on 40, two Q's on 30, a couple of weak signals on 20. 

I put out more than a dozen CQ's (4x4 each time) on 40 with 500 w into a 
decent dipole. No responses. Only Q was FO/N6JA that I called on 40. Granted, 
the bands haven't been great lately, but I counted fewer than a dozen Q's 
going on at one time, split between four CW bands!  

Last year, I went to a lot of trouble to get a wire to work on 160. Virtually 
the only time I can use it is during contests. Any other time, if I call CQ or 
tune up, someone complains that I shouldn't get in the way of their DX chasing 
(and I'm not in the window). 

Use it or lose it! Don't blame the FCC for CW inactivity -- it's US! 

Jim Brown  K9YC