[NvHam] Morse Code Requirement Officially Ends Friday, Feb 23

[Dick Flanagan]

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 the upper limit of the CW/RTTY/data 
subband be set at 3635 kHz so 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.

73, Dick
--
Dick Flanagan K7VC NV SM
k7vc at arrl.org