[TowerTalk] two cents worth from an old fart

[Cqtestk4xs at aol.com]

There's no surprise about the no-code license.  We all knew it was  coming, 
sooner or later.
 
I have some reservations about the action, but it should bring new blood  
into the hobby.  The question is what kind?
 
My main reservation is why in the hell are they giving prime real  estate to 
these guys on 20.  Why not simply make a subband up above 14300  for them to 
learn about radio communication.  The same is true for  15....21400 and 
up....same concept for 80, 40 etc.  If they want prime real  estate on these bands 
let them learn the code. FCC decided "incentive  licensing" was a great idea in 
the 60s.
 
I and many others lost close to half of our HF privileges and had to  upgrade 
our general class licenses to extra, by copying code at 20 WPM to get  full 
privileges back.  If they want full privileges let them earn  them.
 
One thing we can probably agree about is this will eventually be the death  
knell for code...not today or tomorrow, but CW will be kinda like those old 
rigs  from the 40's and 50s the old timers take out and play with....quaint 
nostalgia  like straight key night.
 
Bill K4XS/KH6