[Fists] ARRL Study Stinks!

[ATanner283@aol.com]

Jeff....Very well put. I think there is another event in the future that will 
spell the demise of ALL CW contacts. As CW slowly goes down the drink (with 
the ARRL and W5YI happily helping to send it there), the phone and data etc. 
bands will increase. Sooner or later it will become illegal to use CW at all, 
just as it has become illegal to use other "antiquated" modes. Just recently 
a move was under foot to eliminate AM from the phone bands. When the FCC 
finds that it can no longer get monitoring personnel with code savvy, they 
will decide that the mode is no longer legal to use. Why? In part 95 of our 
FCC rules it states that we cannot use encoded messages. (i.e.secret codes) 
If the time comes when the FCC can no longer read your transmissions, they 
will eliminate that mode. Of course, the nay sayers will deny that this will 
ever happen. Return now to those days of yesteryear when the nocode thing 
started. On this very reflector there was an on going constant barrage of "no 
they won't," "it can't happen," "not in my lifetime,".But it DID happen, 
exactly as many of us predicted it would. Back when the FCC was looking for 
comments on code speed reduction, the number of replies was PAINFULLY small. 
And FISTS took no stance whatsoever, preferring to continue to hide their 
heads and work for the gold, silver, chrome, ceramic, plastic, bone or 
whatever awards. There should have been a comment from EVERY single FISTS 
member at the FCC, and the FISTS unit as a whole should have made a stand. 
THAT'S when the battle was lost. Note that it is now "illegal" to use CW on 
MARS frequencies, there is no more ship to shore communication to speak of in 
this country, no training of CW modes are given to ops or pilots any more, 
and the ARRL is happy in what it has "done for ham radio." I will enjoy it 
while I can I guess. I only belong to the ARRL because I purchased a long 
term membership sometime back. I am however, VERY glad that I was in ham 
radio when it WAS what it was meant to be, and the goofballs at ARRL were not 
trying to dumb down everything to be politically correct. Merry Christmas to 
you all and hope to work you on straight key night..................73    
Al/W8FAX/2192                              EXTRA....Heavy