[Elecraft] Morse test elimination

[David Cutter]

I did an all day demo at a local kids school (<11 years old) and they 
enjoyed most of what we did.  But what they really lapped up was being 
taught to send and receive Morse Code across the class room and into 
adjacent rooms.  I was astonished at how quickly they caught on and how they 
enjoyed it.  They didn't know it is "irrelevant" to today's information 
society, it was just fun.

Similarly, a friend told me that in some RN ships they still teach Morse by 
lamp just for the fun of it.

Developing a skill for its own sake is not logical, but it works.

David
G3UNA

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Karl Larsen" <k5di at zianet.com>
To: "VR2BrettGraham" <vr2bg at harts.org.hk>
Cc: <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 12:52 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Morse test elimination


> 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
>
>