Perhaps it is just the FCC realizing that the rest of the world is dropping
the requirement for cw as a requirement for HF so they are stepping in
line.
I agree that the need for CW as a testing "separator" for folks wanting
to get on hf may have kept some less than desireable's off the hf bands, but
it also kept off a lot of folks who were interested on other modes on hf
that would be a plus to ham radio.
I do think CW will be around for at least the rest of my life and probably
for at least the next hundred years. dropping it as a requirement for
testing is not going to ban it as a mode. in fact fully half the hf bands are
still
going to be dedicated to non voice modes, on the left end of the dial.
folks who dont't do CW are giving up half their spectrum. the world changes
and
the ham bands change along with it. Its called progress.
I treat this and the new Orion II and a change proprlling us one step
further into the future.
YMMV
73 and gud DX to all
tom N6AJR
In a message dated 7/22/2005 9:47:01 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
jafrank@nyc.rr.com writes:
I'm not picking on you in particular Rob, but your idea that cw will
continue to live on as strongly, without it being an FCC testing requirement,
strikes me as quite naive. The FCC's new proposal to eliminate cw testing is
clearly a retraction of a long standing endorsement by them of that mode of
operation. Think about why the government continues to fight against the
medical use
of marijuana ... because recognize to sanction such use (and BTW I believe
it ought to be legal for the medically needy) would send a message of
endorsement about smoking pot to the general public, and they don't want to do
that.
They don't want to send that kind of message. Try and read between the lines
and look at the meaning and the real implications of things. Regarding the
idea of other modes not having to be tested for, so why should cw be ... the
FCC's retracting their endorsement of the importance of cw has a different
meaning than does never having made an endorsement for one of the other
communication modes to begin with. It says "we used to think this was
important but now we don't anymore." That's not the message I want new or
prospective hams to get.
Jeff (KX2P)
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