[Fists] Great Lakes Director's Comments

Trevor Jacobs [email protected]
Wed, 14 Jan 2004 22:11:49 -0800 

Greeting Fists List,

Well if it looks like it and smells like it, it probably is it ;-) I say
Dan's assessment of the situation was right on the money. Typical of a
politician...

I don't think that requiring a 5WPM code test is all that big of a hump for
someone that wants to work HF has to overcome. If anything 5 WPM is not
enough of a requirement, as 5 WPM is a pretty useless speed. Takes an hour
to get the guys name and QTH ;-) I will add here though, that I DO slow down
to whatever speed someone needs to make the QSO work. Heck, we were all slow
at some point, and the fact that someone is trying is great and I sure don't
want them to get discouraged. The problem lies in the fact that there are a
lot of wishy washy "Instant Gratification" people out there today, that
can't commit to 15 minutes a day for a week or so to learn the code.

Well, heck if we're going to get rid of the CW requirement, why don't we
just hand out licenses to whoever wants them. That's the way I see it
heading in the future if we keep falling down this slippery slope. It'll be
just like CB. And, speaking of gentlemanly behavior, I sure DON'T see that
in the Phone portions of the bands much, so If I'm a little worried about
more 2 Meter FM guys showing up on HF, I think I'm justified. Especially if
they decide to splatter over modulated digital all over the CW band. I hear
that quite often. After all, it's the 2 Meter FM crowd that we're talking
about trying to get upgraded for "Free". Don't know how many of you are in
the Los Angeles area, but take a listen to some of the VHF repeater traffic
some time. No too far from CB...

I'm just waiting for the situation to come up, where some guy is stuck
somewhere in trouble, his mic is broken, but he can transmit CW. The only
problem is that nobody knows Morse Code any longer, so basically the guy is
SOL. It's one skill that we as ham operators should keep in the toolkit for
at least these kind of situations, even if you don't like to use it. It's
the basic form of radio communications and should not be lost.

The other side of the coin is that operating a radio is a privilege, and not
one that should be handed out freely. It's one that needs to be earned, and
I believe that acquiring at least minimal CW skills (read MINIMAL ) should
be part of this. Bottom line is if you REALLY want to operate HF, 5 WPM CW
can be mastered in a week or so. It just takes a little effort, and that's
the problem, it's not something that someone can buy or cheat at. You have
to have a little personal commitment to it. If you're not that committed,
then you don't deserve to be on HF and you're probably not the kind of
person that I'd want to be a ham anyway... Just MHO...I'm stepping off my
soap box now and the blood pressure is returning to normal ;-)

73's Trev - KG6CYN
http://www.qsl.net/kg6cyn
FISTS# 7814
FP# 388 - 72 es oo


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dan KB6NU" <[email protected]>
To: "Emmersom Bigguns" <[email protected]>; "Fists" <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2004 4:34 AM
Subject: Re: [Fists] Great Lakes Director's Comments


> And calling someone "chickenshit" isn't rude? C'mon guys, I thought CW
> operators were supposed to be more polite and considerate that phone
> operators.
>
> As I've said before, you guys can complain all you want, but the code
> requirement is going to go away--almost certainly for the General class
> license and probably for the Extra class. All the complaining in the world
> is not going to change that. That being the case, Fists better start
> cranking up its CW promotion programs.
>
> I'll ask again... What are you guys going to do to promote the use of CW?
>
> 73!
>
> Dan KB6NU
> =============================================
> President, ARROW Comm. Assn. (www.w8pgw.org)
> HF CW op (FISTS #9342)
> Ham radio bookseller (www.QTB.Com/hamradio/)
> Read my ham radio blog at www.blurty.com/~kb6nu .
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Emmersom Bigguns" <[email protected]>
> To: "Dan KB6NU" <[email protected]>; "n3drk" <[email protected]>; "Fists"
> <[email protected]>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2004 7:00 AM
> Subject: Re: [Fists] Great Lakes Director's Comments
>
>
> > Stating that you support both sides of an "either or" issue is a
> chickenshit
> > stance.
> > Either you support code testing or you don't, pick a side.
> >
> > This guy is very rude and a joke. Glad I did not vote for him. :-)
> >
> > 72, oo
> > Dan, N8IE
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dan KB6NU" <[email protected]>
> > To: "n3drk" <[email protected]>; "Fists" <[email protected]>
> > Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2004 6:49 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Fists] Great Lakes Director's Comments
> >
> >
> > > Here you have someone trying to come up with a decent compromise
> proposal
> > > and you have the gall to call him "chickenshit"?
> > >
> > > You guys can piss and moan all you want, but the  code requirement is
> > going
> > > to go away. So, you better crank up whatever programs you have up your
> > > sleeve (you do have one up your sleeves, don't you?) to promote CW and
> get
> > > more CW ops on the air.
> > >
> > > 73!
> > >
> > > Dan KB6NU
> > > =============================================
> > > President, ARROW Comm. Assn. (www.w8pgw.org)
> > > HF CW op (FISTS #9342)
> > > Ham radio bookseller (www.QTB.Com/hamradio/)
> > > Read my ham radio blog at www.blurty.com/~kb6nu .
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "n3drk" <[email protected]>
> > > To: "fists" <[email protected]>
> > > Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2004 5:38 PM
> > > Subject: Fw: [Fists] Great Lakes Director's Comments
> > >
> > >
> > > > Yes. It is pretty pitiful the present Leadership of the ARRL.
Perfect
> > > > example of a chickenshit politician trying to appease the masses.
> > > > 73
> > > > john
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Emmersom Bigguns" <[email protected]>
> > > > To: <[email protected]>
> > > > Cc: <[email protected]>
> > > > Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2004 2:40 PM
> > > > Subject: Re: [Fists] Great Lakes Director's Comments
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Mr. Weaver reminds me of Charlie Brown, wishy-washey.
> > > > > If you are affraid to make a stand one way or the other, then get
> the
> > > hell
> > > > > out of the way. :-)
> > > > >
> > > > > 72, 73
> > > > > Dan, N8IE
> > > > >
> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > From: <[email protected]>
> > > > > To: <[email protected]>
> > > > > Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2004 2:30 PM
> > > > > Subject: [Fists] Great Lakes Director's Comments
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Here is Mr. Weavers latest e-mail hand out to folks in the Great
> Lakes
> > > > > area......
> > > > >
> > > > > (DIRECT ANY COMMENTS TO: [email protected]. Do not simply click on
> reply.
> > > > > The reflector does not receive or forward E-mail.)
> > > > >
> > > > > E-MAIL & US MAIL ON MORSE CODE REQUIREMENT
> > > > >
> > > > > During recent days I've received E-mail messages promoting
> absolutely
> > no
> > > > > code from proponents of No Code International. Before this, I
> received
> > > > > code-forever cards from FISTS followers. Partly because of this,
I'm
> > > > > motivated to come out with a bit of plain talk. I do not wish to
> > offend
> > > > > anyone. I respect anyone's opinion (regardless of my opinion of
it)
> > and
> > > > > continue to invite people, ARRL members especially, to let me know
> > their
> > > > > thinking. However, here is what I think about the Morse code
> licensing
> > > > > issue and how I intend to proceed at the ARRL Board meeting next
> week
> > > > > . . . and a few thoughts on other topics. Please take these words
at
> > > > > face value.
> > > > >
> > > > > THE OPINIONS OF MEMBERS
> > > > >
> > > > > Members' opinions are very important to me. Your answers to my
July
> CW
> > > > > questionnaire caused me to modify my initial position on code
> > > > > requirements. Any member of this Division was eligible and
requested
> > to
> > > > > give me his/her thoughts. For members who somehow did not receive
> the
> > > > > poll, I regret you were missed. For you who chose to ignore the
> > > > > questionnaire, I am sorry you shut yourselves out of helping shape
> my
> > > > > opinion. You snooze; you lose!
> > > > >
> > > > > NO CODE INTERNATIONAL (NCI)
> > > > >
> > > > > NCI has done a good job of encouraging its members and followers
to
> > let
> > > > > me know what they think. No problem. Unfortunately, most of the
NCI
> > > > > people who contacted me and identified themselves as such do not
> > belong
> > > > > to ARRL. They lost their opportunity to help me formulate my
> position
> > > > > on code requirements by not being an ARRL member and, therefore,
not
> > > > > replying to my questionnaire. My position was developed by
mid-Fall
> > > > > after studying the hundreds of responses by members to my
> > questionnaire
> > > > > and after studying other information I found.
> > > > >
> > > > > NON-MEMBERS
> > > > >
> > > > > To be very frank, unless a non-member comes to me with a clearly
> good
> > > > > idea or points out a clear problem, their opinion holds
> significantly
> > > > > less weight with me than those of members. With exception,
> nonmembers
> > > > > do not actively support the fight ARRL is making to defeat the
> forces
> > > > > (BPL) attempting to QRM our frequencies on a wholesale basis. They
> > also
> > > > > generally do not support our effort to pass legislation that
> prohibits
> > > > > FCC from skimming off our frequencies at will . . . or our fight
to
> > > > > secure the right for each amateur to install an antenna/tower
> > (provided
> > > > > doing this is physically reasonable and safe). In short,
nonmembers
> > who
> > > > > ask my support for a position usually have not in my opinion shown
> > they
> > > > > care enough about Amateur Radio by joining the fight to protect it
> and
> > > > > enhance it.
> > > > >
> > > > > If anyone wants my unqualified representation, all they need to do
> is
> > to
> > > > > join ARRL and become part of the only organization in the world
that
> > is
> > > > > fighting to preserve and enhance Amateur Radio in the US.
Shouldn't
> it
> > > > > be more important that all of us get together under one strong
> > > > > organization to defeat the BPLs, frequency skimmers and
> > > > > anti-antenna/tower rules than to have a head-butting contest over
> > either
> > > > > of the no code or know code extremes?
> > > > >
> > > > > As an example of the reason I feel this way, it would matter not
> that
> > I
> > > > > have a 20-wpm license or a no-code license, if we lose essential
> > battles
> > > > > and find ourselves but have only insufficient, and highly QRMd
> > > > > frequencies on which to exercise these licenses.
> > > > >
> > > > > MY POSITION
> > > > >
> > > > > I agree with and will pursue offering the opportunity in a
> meaningful
> > > > > way to no code licensees to use HF. I have just become a Bad Guy
in
> > the
> > > > > eyes of the strict know-coders.
> > > > >
> > > > > I also agree with and will pursue requiring Morse code
requirements
> > for
> > > > > a specified class of license. I have now also become a Bad Guy in
> the
> > > > > eyes of the strict no-coders.
> > > > > Let's face it, no matter what I and the rest of the Board do in
this
> > > > > matter, we will be labeled stooges, a bunch of out-of-touch old
men
> > and
> > > > > saddled with the claim we have prostituted ourselves to the
> financial
> > > > > dictates of someone or other, somewhere. This easily-concocted
view
> of
> > > > > the Directors and Officers is an easy, if not fully inaccurate,
> target
> > > > > for anyone who does not get exactly what they feel they deserve.
> > > > >
> > > > > So much for the goings on in the world of friendly politics!
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
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> > > > > _______________________________________________
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> > >
> > >
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