[HCRA] Where's the discussions???

[Rick Lindquist, N1RL]

Hi, Jim and HCRA members:

To tell you the truth, I'd expected to see more e-mails pro and con again
showing up in my ARRL in box, but let's face it, the FCC decided to
eliminate the Morse code requirement back in 1999. That's when it released
the R&O for the "restructuring" that became effective in April 2000,
dropping all but a "minimal" 5 WPM requirement and indicating that it was
only retaining that because the US had a treaty requirement. 

Start of digression: A lot of people believe the ITU international Radio
Regulations specified 5 WPM in supporting the treaty, but they actually set
no particular standard at all for what was considered "proficiency" in Morse
sending and receiving. In fact, the UK instituted its entry-level Foundation
license on that basis, with an essentially an "open-book" Morse exam.
Foundation ops have limited HF access. End of digression.

No one likes change, and a lot of us want to fight it, if even on an
emotional level. Those of us like myself who have been licensed for a
half-century or so have to be a bit sad and/or nostalgic to see the
requirement go away, largely because it raises the specter of CW falling
into disuse (if it does, that's our fault -- more in a bit) and the
exclusive CW subbands going away altogether. 

Start of digression: I strongly disagree with those who have attempted to
make a "case" for retaining Morse code because it's invaluable in an
emergency or disaster. Sorry, folks. As much as a lot of us would like to
believe that, it's just more nostalgia -- an emotional rather than a
rational argument. 

With the surfeit of other, more efficient modes now available to today's
Amateur Radio operators, Morse is no longer really even a part of the
arsenal. In addition to FM voice (where the vast majority of emergency
operations take place, with Technician licensees at the helm) and SSB,
there's also Winlink 2000, which permits sending and receiving (and
relaying) e-mail via HF. 

The original reason, of course, for the federal government's requiring
Amateur Radio applicants to have at least a basic knowledge of Morse code
was to be able to decipher distress signals. This was because there were no 
"bands," as such, in the early days of Amateur Radio; various radio services
-- maritime and shore stations, for example -- shared spectrum with radio
amateurs. In the very early days of regular radio broadcasting, stations
would take regular breaks in their transmissions to listen for distress
signals. End of digression.

I think MFJ President Martin Jue, K5FLU, put it best when he told me a few
years back in his office in Starkville, Mississippi: "I like operating CW
because it's so different from all the OTHER ways I communicate during the
day." Think about that. It works for me. After spending too much of my day
in e-mail, telephone and face-to-face exchanges, it's great to shift gears
by firing up the mobile on the way back to Massachusetts to enjoy a CW rag
chew.

One of my good friends has another perspective: "Morse code is the essence
of ham radio." Well, that's probably still the case for the older generation
of hams, for whom Morse was the common thread that bound us. But, hey,
having to know hand signals to get a driver's license (I'll bet younger
drivers are saying, "hand what??") went away decades ago, and the art and
science of motoring emerged unscathed. Ham radio will make the great leap to
embrace the elimination of the Morse code requirement too, just as it
overcame the such threats as the institution of the Novice ticket in the
early 1950s, the assault of SSB in the late 1950s and early 1960s and the
creation of the first "codeless" Amateur Radio license in 1991.

My hope -- and I'm sure other regular CW ops like me share it -- is that WE,
that part of the Amateur Radio community that enjoys CW, don't let CW expire
as an operating mode, just because the federal government no longer requires
Amateur Radio applicants to have even the barest knowledge of the code. The
League, which has taken a lot of slings and arrows as a result of this
particular issue -- most of them undeserved, continues to support Morse
operating and contesting. The ARRL's position before the FCC was to retain 5
WPM for Amateur Extra applicants, but it didn't work out that way. Now the
ball's truly in OUR court to perpetuate the art of CW by sharing our
affection for this mode and passing along our skills, especially given that
the federal government no longer is telling us we have to have some kind of
minimal exposure to Morse code to gain access to the HF bands.

Another point before I shut up (for now, anyway): In no way do I believe
that having passed a Morse code examination -- whether we're talking 5 WPM
or 20 WPM -- confers some sort of "special" status to an Amateur Radio
licensee. A Technician licensee should not be made to feel he or she must
upgrade in order to become "a real ham." Neither does passing a ham radio
examination make anyone an expert in electronics, or should it. While it may
have been the technical and scientific aspects that attracted many into ham
radio in past decades, that's not really been the case for quite a while
now, and the FCC has recognized that in the licensing regime.

Hands-on experience and practice create good operators, NOT having passed
some test, written or Morse code. Think about it: After you'd passed your
General exam, say, did you instantly become a proficient Amateur Radio
operator? Of course you didn't. You learned that AFTER you studied the code
and theory and passed the requisite examinations. In that same vein, even
the 20 WPM code requirement fell far short of establishing operators who
could really make their way on today's CW bands, where the typical QSO speed
is something north of 25 WPM. 

Let's face it: After many of us got that General, Advanced or even Extra out
of the way, we kissed our keys good-bye and relegated them to the closet to
gather dust. Ironically, getting on phone was the real goal of having to
know Morse code for many Amateur Radio licensees of the past several
decades.

Amateur Radio will survive this great transition, and we all should welcome
the newcomers who soon will be showing up on the HF bands eager to indulge
in the same kinds of activities that we now enjoy -- wherever they come
from. The common thread that binds us together is not the Morse code but an
abiding affection and enthusiasm for radiocommunication, and perhaps coupled
with electronics, experimenting and public service.

Sorry to have bloviated on so. Thanks for your patience, if you made it all
the way through.

73, Rick, N1RL 

-----Original Message-----
From: hcra-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:hcra-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of Jim Mullen
Sent: Saturday, December 16, 2006 11:36 PM
To: HCRA Mailing List (HCRA Mailing List)
Subject: [HCRA] Where's the discussions???

______________________________________________
-------Hampden County Radio Association-------
-----------e-mail list (reflector)-------------
______________________________________________
Hey gang,

I guess everyone must be out Christmas shopping instead of paying attention
to the FCC's latest rule making! With all the talk over the last few years
about 'when' the code was going to be dropped I thought the reflector would
be jammed with people wondering how soon they could upgrade. And of course a
few comments lamenting the loss of the requirement.

But, it's been pretty slow here, even with a few postings to stir the pot!

Anyway, I would like to remind everyone they can beat the rush to general,
and give yourself an early Christmas present, by making the December 22nd VE
session this month. The same time and place, Holyoke Hospital Auditorium at
6:00 PM. You could leave with a CSCE for General that can be parlayed into
HF privileges in just a few months. You may have to pay again to upgrade, we
will have to wait and see what comes down from the FCC. But still, isn't $14
a cheap price to pay for all that goes with it?

To all of you waiting for this decision you really did get a great Christmas
present this year. Perhaps a card to your favorite FCC official would be in
the holiday spirit?

Happy Holidays,

Jim, KK1W

------Hampden County Radio Association-------
An ARRL Special Services Club celebrating 60 years
------------http://www.hcra.org------------
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Address any comments to:
-Jim, KK1W  -  jmullen at rockys.com
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