[HCRA] QST QST BK It's Official! Morse Code Requirement Ends Friday, February 23

[Daniel Sullivan]

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/01/24/100/?nc=1

It's Official! Morse Code Requirement Ends Friday, February 23

NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 24, 2007 -- Circle Friday, February 23, on your calendar. 
That's when the current 5 WPM Morse code requirement will officially 
disappear from the Amateur Radio Service Part 97 rules. On or after that 
date, applicants for a General or Amateur Extra class Amateur Radio license 
no longer will have to demonstrate proficiency in Morse code. They'll just 
have to pass the applicable written examination. The appearance in today's 
Federal Register of the FCC's Report and Order (R&O) in the "Morse code 
proceeding," WT Docket 05-235, starts a 30-day countdown for the new rules 
to become effective. Deletion of the Morse requirement -- still a matter of 
controversy within the amateur community -- is a landmark in Amateur Radio 
history.

"The overall effect of this action is to further the public interest by 
encouraging individuals who are interested in communications technology or 
who are able to contribute to the advancement of the radio art, to become 
Amateur Radio operators; and eliminating a requirement that is now 
unnecessary and may discourage Amateur Service licensees from advancing 
their skills in the communications and technical phases of Amateur Radio," 
the FCC remarked in the "Morse code" R&O that settled the matter, at least 
from a regulatory standpoint. The League had asked the FCC to retain the 5 
WPM for Amateur Extra class applicants, but the Commission held to its 
decision to eliminate the requirement across the board. The R&O appearing in 
the Federal Register constitutes the official version of the new rules.

Until 1991, when a Morse code examination was dropped from the requirements 
to obtain a Technician ticket, all prospective radio amateurs had to pass a 
Morse code test. With the change the US will join a growing list of 
countries that have dropped the need to demonstrate some level of Morse code 
proficiency to earn access to frequencies below 30 MHz.

The new rules also put all Technician licensees on an equal footing, whether 
or not they've passed a Morse code examination. Starting February 23, 
Technicians will gain CW privileges on 80, 40, 15 meters and CW, RTTY, data 
and SSB privileges on 10 meters.

Once the revised rules are in place, an applicant holding a valid 
Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) for Element 3 
(General) or Element 4 (Amateur Extra) may redeem it for an upgrade. A CSCE 
is good for 365 days from the date of issuance, no exceptions. For example, 
a Technician licensee holding a valid CSCE for Element 3 may apply at a 
Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) test session, pay the application fee, 
which most VECs charge, and receive an instant upgrade.

The FCC R&O includes an Order on Reconsideration in WT Docket 04-140 -- the 
so-called "omnibus" proceeding. It will modify Part 97 in response to ARRL's 
request to accommodate automatically controlled narrowband digital stations 
on 80 meters in the wake of other rule changes that became effective last 
December 15. The Commission designated 3585 to 3600 kHz for such operations, 
although that segment will remain available for CW, RTTY and data. The ARRL 
had requested that that upper limit of the CW/RTTY/data subband be set at 
3635 kHz, so that there would be no change in the existing 3620 to 3635 kHz 
subband.

The ARRL has posted all relevant information on these important Part 97 rule 
revisions on its "FCC's Morse Code Report and Order WT Docket 05-235" Web 
page.

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