[Lowfer] Alternate Morse code test

[John Davis]

Did I inadvertently log into the luddite@qth mailing list?

Sorry for not comprehending just how proving you can do something one
time --something you may or may not ever voluntarily USE again thereafter--
would improve my character, cleanse my soul, or make me any more thoughtful
an amateur operator.

As the engineering manager of a radio and television transmitter fleet, I am
accustomed to matching the experience and training of applicants to the
skill sets necessary to perform our work.  Not once in 40 years of
broadcasting have I seen the ability to, say, play the violin, translate
into the ability or desire to keep frequency and power and modulation levels
within prescribed limits, troubleshoot circuitry to component level,
communicate diplomatically with our audience, or fill out station logs.
Strangely, neither have I seen the ability to send and receive Morse
translate into those same skills.

We maintain an amateur-friendly shop here, in contrast to many broadcasters
these days.  We value the technical skills, and more than that, the
ingenuity of some of our ham operators in getting the job done even when we
lack the resources to do everything by the book.  I have noticed no
difference in this trait between our no-code Technicians and our old-timer
Extras.  The only distinction I have seen is that the ones who are ACTIVE in
the hobby make better broadcast engineers than the ones who aren't--whatever
the modes they use.

I say this to make the point that I'm certainly NOT anti-ham, as if that
could even remotely be suggested.  I am merely code-neutral.  It's like
learning DOS was for me a decade ago--not something I'll personally be
interested in, unless or until it will enable me to do something else that's
even more interesting.  And I'm not interested in coping with the many lids
on 20m or 75m these days, any more than the ones on 11 meters.  An LF ham
band would be a different matter, if the regs still require code by that
time.  And if they don't, I'll be no less knowledgable or courteous an
operator simply because of it.  Nor will most people.  LF is not an
attractive place for appliance operators.

While it appears recent developments may be perceived by some members of
this list as a personal affront, I am disappointed to see how quick some of
the guiding lights of our hobby have been to express such bitter negativity
in this fundamentally off-topic thread.  Some of those sentiments being
expressed can be taken personally too, after all.

Or are the name-callers right?  Maybe I'm just guilty of being...

--A Dummy