Years ago, ARRL was dominated by cw types, but the balance shifted when
the old guard started retiring. Now they are just trying anything they
can to get more licensed hams. CW is not politically correct nor are
nets in the eyes of ARRL and the FCC. They put a happy spin on the phone
band expansion, saying how much fun 75 meter is now. They completely
ignored the fact that almost 100 CW and RTTY nets had to change
frequencies on short notice. ARRL didn't even try to coordinate the
transition.
I wonder if W1AW will drop code practice and CW bulletins.
Not to worry. BPL will soon make SSB unusable. The only thing that will
get through is CW and PSK-31.
Let's not let this Grinch spoil Christmas. Don't forget, straight key
night is coming.
73,
Bob WB2VUF
John B. Egger wrote:
john wrote:
Its pretty sad that some people believe the ARRL did anything to keep
code. Regardless of multiple member polls, they've always been lukewarm
code supporters at best.
The FCC I understand...they're a big lazy bureaucracy, and we're nothing
but a money sink. Their success at getting away with abdicating their
responsibilities is impressive however. Can you imagine if long haul
truckers were able to get their drivers licenses from trucker school?
A sad day. Off to the bottom end of 20, before the ARRLs winlink jammers
get to it...
John K5MO
Probably not coincidentally, the CW portions of our bands have been
drastically reduced. Admittedly some of them were seldom crowded, but it
just seems like part of the same picture.
As for the ARRL, I agree with John... lukewarm on CW, at best. Every
mention of expanded phone bands in QST, or in the emailed ARRL letters,
seemed to have triple exclamation marks. Well, until the FCC actually
outlaws CW that's where I'll be.
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