"Vito" wrote in
:

Not since the last (ITU?) convention just last year. It was dropped
and several countries (Japan & Canada?) quit code testing. The US FCC
still requires 5 wpm for General and Extra (ie, to use HF) but ARRL
has petitioned FCC to drop it. Don't hold your breath - FCC is OK but
is still an American bureaucracy so I'm sure anyone here can learn 5
wpm faster than it'll act on the petition.

ARRL wants code dropped? My, my that IS a switch. ARRL has always wanted
to take ham radio back to 1935 any time I've seen them. They opposed us
having RTTY, every digital mode, AM, SSB, continuously. ARRL is the reason
the damned phone bands end at a higher frequency than the DX uses, damn
them.

I believe US and UK are the only CW hangers on because of their ARRL and
RGSB old fogies wanting to turn the clock back to "the good ol' days".

73, Larry W4CSC

An angry ARRL bureaucrat, dressed up like someone important, once
threatened to have my ham radio license revoked because he wanted to shut
me up asking embarrassing questions at an open forum. I told him the day
the damned ARRL could have my license revoked would be the day I
voluntarily would send it in. I'm still on the air.....(c;