[Elecraft] Morse test elimination

[Karl Larsen]

Guys, the ARRL almost caused a revolt in FCC-Wireless. They were being 
visited by ARRL people daily. They are lawyers and they are trying to 
kill Internet on power lines, and push band planning and morse code 
testing removal.

    Then after they GOT the band plan they pushed it was discovered ARRL 
goofed. They made too much space near the CW/Digital bands Extra Class. 
But then wait. It will be simple to get a Extra Class license. No 20 WPM 
send and receive, hard written stuff, it is just some multiple guess 
questions now.

    The ARRL keeps sending me mail which says they need big bucks to 
keep the lawyers in Washington. Will I send a hundred bucks? I throw 
away to letter.

    All the fun I have had teaching code to people is over. My last 
effort was fun because I had a 5 year old girl. She had little trouble 
with the code, but she had not learned how to write down a Z or A.

    So all this is over. Well I'm almost over too.

72 73 Karl K5DI








VR2BrettGraham wrote:
> N8OHU added:
>
>> I'd rather say it's the "fault" of the ITU, if you want the truth. 
>> They were
>> the ones to let the code go back in 2003.
>
> Not quite - the ITU does what its members decide.
>
> And the end of Morse as licensing requirement
> probably started with the JA no-code license -
> the first ITU member that "found" a way to get
> around the requirement.
>
> The amateur population in JA is now contracting,
> but the effect of their no-code license was quite
> positive on amateur radio in Japan when it was
> introduced.
>
> The effect that had on equipment suppliers is
> still obvious today.  I wonder what things would
> be like now if there was no Incentive Licensing, or
> if international opinion would have allowed dropping
> the Morse requirement around that time? ;^)
>
> 73, VR2BrettGraham
>