[South Florida DX Association] ARLB061 FCC invites comments on additional Morse code-related petitions

[Bill Marx]

SB QST @ ARL $ARLB061
> ARLB061 FCC invites comments on additional Morse code-related 
> petitions
> 
> ZCZC AG61
> QST de W1AW  
> ARRL Bulletin 61  ARLB061
> From ARRL Headquarters  
> Newington CT  October 9, 2003
> To all radio amateurs 
> 
> SB QST ARL ARLB061
> ARLB061 FCC invites comments on additional Morse code-related 
> petitions
> 
> The FCC has invited public comment on a second group of seven
> Morse-related petitions for rulemaking, which went on public notice
> October 8. Comments are due by November 7. Members of the amateur
> community may make their opinions known on any or all of these
> filings using the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS),
> located on the web at, http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/.
> 
> Charles L. Young Jr, AG4YO, asks the FCC to delete the 5 WPM Morse
> code test (Element 1) for Technician-plus-Element 1 privileges
> (formerly ''Tech Plus''). Designated RM-10805, his petition would
> retain Element 1 as an examination requirement for General and
> Amateur Extra applicants and give Technicians limited HF SSB
> privileges.
> 
> Describing CW as ''the purest, most accurate, efficient, reliable and
> economical form of radio communications ever devised,'' Frank
> Napurano, K2OKA, requests that the FCC retain the 5 WPM Morse
> requirement ''in the interest of public safety, the preservation of a
> radio art and as a tribute of support for a prized and respected
> avocation.'' The FCC designated his filing as RM-10806.
> 
> A petition by Robert G. Rightsell, AE4FA and Harry A.M. Kholer,
> N0PU, designated RM-10807, would continue Morse testing but give
> applicants up to 24 points of exam credit according to their success
> on Element 1. The final exam score would be the sum of earned
> Element 1 points and the written test score for a possible total of
> 100 points. Their petition also calls on the FCC to consolidate the
> Novice and Technician and the Advanced and Amateur Extra licenses,
> boost the number and range of written test questions and give new
> Technicians CW and data privileges.
> 
> Joseph Speroni, AH0A, seeks to have the FCC delete Element 1 for
> applicants who want to operate phone on HF but retain Element 1 at 5
> WPM for applicants who want to operate CW. Designated RM-10808, his
> petition would restructure the Amateur Radio testing regime to
> require specific knowledge of ''RTTY, data, image, spread spectrum,
> pulse/test, RACES/ARES and space communications only for those
> wishing to operate these modes.'' Under Speroni's plan, applicants
> would be under no obligation to pass mode-specific examination
> elements for mode privileges they don't wish to operate.
> 
> The Puerto Rico Amateur Radio League (PRARL) asks the FCC to delete
> Element 1 for Technician and General classes but to increase the
> rigor of the written elements for those two license classes. The
> PRARL would keep the 5 WPM Morse exam for Extra applicants. The
> PRARL also would eliminate same-session retesting and require 30
> days between retakes. It's petition is designated RM-10809.
> 
> James Roux, W4YA, proposes in his petition, designated RM-10810,
> that the FCC cut the number of license classes to two--General and
> Amateur Extra--and the number of written examination elements to
> one--at the General level. Roux's petition would eliminate the 5 WPM
> Morse code exam for General but require Extra applicants to pass a
> 15 WPM test. Roux also would give Generals all currently available
> amateur privileges except the Extra-class CW subbands.
> 
> A petition filed on behalf of FISTS CW Club would delete the
> requirement to pass Element 1 to obtain Technician plus Element 1
> (ie, ''Tech Plus'') HF privileges. Designated RM-10811, it would merge
> Tech and Tech Plus into a single class, emphasize technical content,
> including digital modes, on written examinations and extend digital
> mode privileges within Novice/Tech Plus subbands.  It would not
> provide additional HF phone privileges for Technicians, however. The
> FISTS petition would retain a 5 WPM Morse exam for General
> applicants and raise the Morse exam to 12 WPM for Amateur Extra
> applicants while increasing the technical level on written
> examinations for both classes.
> 
> Interested parties may file comments on any or all of these
> petitions using the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS),
> which also permits users to view all comments on file.
> 
> To file a comment, click on ''Submit a Filing'' under ''ECFS Main
> Links.'' In the ''Proceeding'' field, type the full RM number,
> including the hyphen, and complete the required fields. ''RM'' must be
> in capital letters, and you must include the hyphen between ''RM'' and
> the five-digit number. You may type your remarks into a form or
> attach a file. ECFS also accepts comments in active proceedings via
> e-mail, per instructions on the ECFS page.
> 
> To view filed comments, click on ''Search for Filed Comments'' under
> ''ECFS Main Links'' and type in the complete RM number, including the
> hyphen, in the ''Proceeding'' field. ''RM'' must be in capital letters.
> NNNN
> /EX