[CQ-Contest] Licensing Changes

[Michael Tope]

Its too bad that the FCC jumped the gun with the 5 wpm
extra class. With the new international regs eliminating the
CW requirement on HF, I think a good compromise would
be to eliminate the CW requirement completely for the the
general class license, but keep a 13 or 20 wpm requirement
for the extra class. This would provide an avenue for
technolphiles who feel that CW is technologically passe to
gain access to the HF bands while at the same time
preserving an incentive for people to learn CW. An even
more interesting twist would be to offer an really
challenging "advanced theory" test to those seeking the
extra class license as an alternative to the CW test.  The
extra class applicant would then chose whether or not to
take the advanced CW test or the advanced theory test.
This would of course be in addition to the current extra class
written test. Passing the basic theory test and either one of
the optional advanced tests would be ground for passing the
extra class exam. The amateur community could then sit
back and watch the statistics to see how many people
opted for hitting the books every night vs hitting the
earphones. Of course the advanced theory test would
really have to tough. Not just a pool of answers to memorize,
but a real test that would require weeks or months of study
(similar to a college course), so that the amount of effort
(on average) would be the same for the theory test versus
the morse test. So as not to create any kind of class warfare,
once the extra class was granted, the FCC database would
NOT indicate which option was exercised by the
applicant (the FCC would just track raw numbers of
people using each option).

73 de Mike, W4EF..................................

----- Original Message -----
From: <Cqtestk4xs at aol.com>

> I have been watching this thread develop and would like to add a couple of
> cents worth of comments.
>
> CW will always be around.  However, it's status clearly is changing.
Those
> of us who have been around when AM was more commonly used than SSB know
how AM
> has become a quaint novelty item over the years.
>
> CW is probably destined to the same fate.  Once the rule-making has
changed,
> where is the incentive to learn the code?  Do you remember what a struggle
it
> was learning the code?...How you wanted to quit several times?  Even now,
most
> of the newcomers to the hobby have struggled to reach 5 wpm don't use the
> code.  The novice training grounds for increasing  code speed are barren
> wastelands.  To go from the agonizingly slow speed of 5 wpm to a
conversational 15-20
> wpm is now almost impossible for the new guys.  Almost every new ham I
meet
> says he learned the code just to get on SSB or FM.
>
> Over the next few years don't be surprised to see the FCC increase the
phone
> bands at some loss to the CW  allocations.  My prediction is 40 will be
the
> first place it will take place, now that the WARC changes are coming.
>
> This is no knock on CW.  When I took my test I had to pass 20 wpm at the
FCC
> building in NYC and have done my share of CW work in the past.  The
> suggestions so far made on the relector are good and will help lessen the
atrophy of CW.
>  However, all things change.  The status of CW is one of them.
>
> Bill K4XS