[Fists] ARRL, FCC and elimination of CW testing requirements.

[Dan KB6NU]

Come now. You're grossly exaggerating the hand the ARRL played in the  
elimination of the Morse Code requirement. Once the international  
treaty was modified to eliminate the international requirement for  
Morse Code testing, it was only a matter of time before the test  
would be eliminated here in the U.S. In fact, the ARRL's position was  
to retain the test for Extra Class licensees.

You go on further to state, "As a result of the CW requirements being  
dropped, there are now two classes of ham radio operator: those that  
pass a CW element and those that do not." How silly is that? Look, I  
love operating CW as much or more than you do, but to imply that a  
ham who has not passed a code test is of a lower class than one who  
has passed a test is just ridiculous.

The Morse Code test elimination is a done deal. Get over it. Then,  
start working on getting as many of the no-code licensees on CW as  
you can. I'll tell you one thing, though--with an attitude like the  
one you've expressed below, you're certainly not going to win over  
very many of them.

Remember, it's not about passing a CW test, it's about using it on  
the air.

73!

Dan KB6NU
----------------------------------------------------------
CW Geek and MI Affiliated Club Coordinator
Read my ham radio blog at www.kb6nu.com
LET'S GET MORE KIDS INTO HAM RADIO!


On Jan 8, 2007, at 1:04 PM, Jozef Hand-Boniakowski, Ph.D. wrote:

> Jozef Hand-Boniakowski
> WB2MIC
> 45 Lamb Hill Road
> Wells VT 05774
>
> ARRL
> Newington, CT
>
> January 8, 2007
>
> Dear ARRL section manager, region, and other organizational personnel,
> et al:
>
> I have been a member of the ARRL since the 1960s and a life member  
> since
> the early 1970s. I was first licensed in 1963 as WN2MIC (New Jersey).
> I have four hams in the immediate family (WB2MIC, KA1PMS, KA1ZWK,  
> N1UKP)
> and our club station is W1PAZ which the family and friends began a few
> months ago. Our daughter, Guinnevere, KA1ZWK acquired her novice
> license at the age of 9 and her General (13 WPM) at the age of 12. She
> is now 25. My wife, JeanneE, KA1PMS, is a technician plus. Our son
> Dylan acquired his technician ticket N1UKP at age 9. He is 21. I am a
> retired high school mathematics and science teacher, a veteran of 33
> years teaching. After that, I worked in telecom/IT for 6 years. I
> taught ham radio to 7th graders through high school seniors. I  
> taught a
> ham radio class for science and graduation credit at the high school
> level (Burr and Burton HS, Manchester VT). 73 Magazine published my
> article on my science/ham radio course years ago. I taught theory and
> Morse Code for many years, and, I was an Elmer to many. I am much more
> than disheartened with the ARRL push for, and the recent FCC recent
> (December 15, 2006) decision to eliminate the CW requirement for  
> getting
> a HF operators and station license. Let us say, that I am peeved  
> beyond
> your wildest imagination. As a result, I am now a 100% CW only ham
> radio operator and station.
>
> The ARRLS's decision to implement incentive licensing in 1968 was a
> disaster. When the ARRL lowered the CW requirements in the 1990's, I
> gave up being a VE. I know many hams who did the same. Some left ham
> radio completely. I recognized then, that easier requirements for
> people getting into ham radio was the modus operandi of the ARRL. It
> was a way to increase its membership. Today, the dropping of the CW
> requirement is more of the same. I understand that the folks who work
> at the ARRL would like to keep their jobs and, perhaps, get continued
> pay raises, however, such motivation sells out ham radio and many
> dedicated hams. I say, "Shame on the ARRL".
>
> As a result of the CW requirements being dropped, there are now two
> classes of ham radio operator: those that pass a CW element and those
> that do not. The other distinctions (Technician, General, Advanced and
> Extra) are meaningless. Look how far we have come? How far we have
> gone down toward less than mediocrity. When I passed my Extra Class
> license, the requirement was that a ham had to be a General Class,
> operating on the air for 5 years , just to qualify for taking the  
> Extra
> Class test! The code test was 20 wpm, both send and receive, and the
> theory exam for the Extra (and for all classes of license) did not  
> have
> the questions and answers given away beforehand verbatim. There  
> were no
> Extra Class special operating frequency privileges, nor claims on
> special Extra Class (ego) callsigns. Hams got their Extra Class ticket
> because they believed in bettering themselves and being the best in  
> the
> amateur radio service. And today? One can cram for the Extra (and any)
> Class test and pass it without much effort and without knowing very
> much. We even have weekend jam and cram sessions that produce "ham
> radio operators". What a sad state of affairs ham radio has come to  
> and
> the ARRL is very much to blame.
>
> With the new changes in the band structure for SSB and other modes,  
> the
> squeeze on CW will further alienate a very large section of the active
> amateur radio population. I suggest there will be a CW operators
> revolt, and I will be part of that. I hear the rumblings. Rest assured
> that CW ops will not be rolled over by SSB and other digital modes,  
> nor
> the ARRL. They will push back hard. Good for them. It is about time.
>
> Jozef Hand-Boniakowski
> WB2MIC
>
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