Folks,
This is not to start a flame war. But the facts are very simple. CW is
becoming more and more an outdated method of communication. In fact, our
emotions may have caused amateurs to hang onto this method longer than we
needed to and may have kept us from advancing the communication art.
CW does not keep the lids out. The language I have heard over the past five
years on 75 and 20 meters is absolutely apalling (sp?). Everyone of these
"amateurs" passed the code test.
Its time to move on. Why haven't amateurs started working on digital voice
communication? Why have our other digital methods failed to grow and develop
(packet, pactor, etc.)? The folks on the internet are not using CW. They
have no interest in CW. Is there a place for CW? Sure, but should a morse
code test be the gatekeeper to amateur radio? Not anymore IMHO.
Getting rid of CW should not be dumbing down of amateur radio. Our testing
has to be updated to reflect advances in communication technology. We as
amateurs should work at advancing communications, not trying to hang on to the
past. Notice there are no questions on our current exams on spark-gap methods
of communication? Yet I'll bet you can find some old-timers that loved it and
think it was a bad idea to get rid of it.
Now let the flames begin!
Regards,
Duffy - WB8NUT
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