http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/07/20/100/?nc=1

Good news for boaters! FCC proposes to drop ALL Morse code requirements on
ALL licenses! THE TIME OF YOUR HAM LICENSE HAS ARRIVED!

The public comment window is open! Tell the FCC to get rid of the code!

Now, they should replace the code test with a TYPING test so you can carry
on a decent conversation with those dunderheads that can't type 5wpm on
packet, pactor, PSK31, RTTY, etc........No typing endorsement, no data
modes!

As an Extra Class, I also propose to drop the stupid ARRL band segregation
on "class" and "modes". How stupid....

73 DE W4CSC
--
Larry

NNNN

How does one comment?

I was just about to engage in my code-learning phase of rehab, my
typing having been authorized, and my waiting only for the return of my
laptop with the installed nav software before beginning.

I was quite happy to learn the code - but find it a total anachronism
today.

L8R

Skip, rehabbing as patiently as I can (no activity, arm and shoulder
restrained)

"Skip Gundlach" wrote in
oups.com:

Skip, rehabbing as patiently as I can (no activity, arm and shoulder
restrained)




YO! Skip! Welcome back! Just be patient. FCC is, once again, going to
be telling archaic ARRL to take a hike. It's 30 years too late, but
they're coming around.

Ham radio is dying of OLD AGE and FCC know it.

--
Larry

On 8 Aug 2005 13:35:16 -0700, "Skip Gundlach"
wrote:


I was quite happy to learn the code - but find it a total anachronism
today.

L8R

Skip, rehabbing as patiently as I can (no activity, arm and shoulder
restrained)

I know code is a waste of time but all you need currently is 5 wpm.
You can get to 5 wpm in a day. They do it at the Pacificon expo here
in the SF bay. At 5 wpm you can copy individual characters or even
write the dot-dashes down and transcribe at the end.
And who knows you may find that you like it. I never did but I did
push myself to 13 wpm.

Get well,

Jeannette
aa6jh
Bristol 32, San Carlos, Mexico
http://www.eblw.com/contepartiro/contepartiro.html

Larry wrote:
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/07/20/100/?nc=1

Good news for boaters! FCC proposes to drop ALL Morse code requirements on
ALL licenses! THE TIME OF YOUR HAM LICENSE HAS ARRIVED!

The public comment window is open! Tell the FCC to get rid of the code!

snip

Sounds like many of the old farts have finally died.

Lew

well, call me an old fart then. if someone is too damn lazy to learn code,
let em be limited to a technician. i use cw 99% of the time. try talking to
some guy in italy that doesnt speak english any better than i speak italian,
add accent= wtf did he say??? an "a" is .- in any language. jeez , 5wpm is a
real obsticle?? i could copy 10 before i even attempted my novice test.
j.d. kc7mpd

jds wrote:
well, call me an old fart then. if someone is too damn lazy to learn code,
let em be limited to a technician. i use cw 99% of the time. try talking to
some guy in italy that doesnt speak english any better than i speak italian,
add accent= wtf did he say??? an "a" is .- in any language. jeez , 5wpm is a
real obsticle?? i could copy 10 before i even attempted my novice test.
j.d. kc7mpd

Sounds like a merit badge you have to learn to enter the club.

Bet you still have your Capt'n Midnight decoder ring.

Seriously, if you choose to use code, so be it.

I have better things to do with my time than learning to use a totally
dead language.

I'm not interested in ham radio as a hobby, I already have too many.

For me is it strictly a communication tool when I'm on then water.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Want to make ham radio a PITA to use, be my guest, there are other options.

Lew

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
k.net...
jds wrote:
well, call me an old fart then. if someone is too damn lazy to learn
code, let em be limited to a technician. i use cw 99% of the time. try
talking to some guy in italy that doesnt speak english any better than i
speak italian, add accent= wtf did he say??? an "a" is .- in any
language. jeez , 5wpm is a real obsticle?? i could copy 10 before i even
attempted my novice test.
j.d. kc7mpd

Sounds like a merit badge you have to learn to enter the club.

Bet you still have your Capt'n Midnight decoder ring.

Seriously, if you choose to use code, so be it.

I have better things to do with my time than learning to use a totally
dead language.

I'm not interested in ham radio as a hobby, I already have too many.

For me is it strictly a communication tool when I'm on then water.

Nothing more, nothing less.

If you aren't interested in HAM radio as a hobby, then why should the hobby
have to change to accommodate you? Why not expect the licensing test to
drop all the electronics requirements since you don't expect to build /
design / modify any radios. If you plan on having a marine installer hook
up your radio to a backstay, knowing about antenna design seems like a
waste of time. Even if you do, you should probably need to prove you know
something about rigging too. Well Lew, if you want to communicate, use
marine SSB, or Marine VHF, or CB, or FRS, or GMRS, or your cell phone. Want
to talk to HAMS? Get a HAM license.

Want another potentially usefull communications option? If you do much
offshore work, you should consider getting a hand held Aviation VHF radio
with a AA battery pack to put in your "ditch bag". Legal to own? yes.
Legal to operate? Not with out an appropriate license. But, if you just
stepped up from your boat into your life raft, it might be nice to talk with
commercial airline pilots overhead while the rescue people figure out who
the unregistred EPIRB you activated belongs to. --- ILLEGAL ??? COME ARREST
ME --- PLEASE ---- NOW!!!!

Then there is that damn USCG Master License test. You need to know inland
river rules when you only operate in the atlantic coast. You need to know
how many bolts on a 6 inch fire hose coupling when you only operate a 50
foot motor vessel. They actually expect you to know how to navigate with a
chart, dividers, parallel ruler and a pencil --- how archaic is that?
Everyone uses GPSs now. .They really need to dumb that test down too to
accomodate those too dumb, lazy or uninterested enough to be bothered to
learn.


Lew


Jerry
USCG Near Coastal Master / with towing and sailing endorsements
Amateur Advanced

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On 2005-08-09 said:
talk to HAMS? Get a HAM license. Want another potentially usefull
communications option? If you do much offshore work, you should
consider getting a hand held Aviation VHF radio with a AA battery
pack to put in your "ditch bag". Legal to own? yes. Legal to
operate? Not with out an appropriate license. But, if you just
stepped up from your boat into your life raft, it might be nice to
talk with commercial airline pilots overhead while the rescue
people figure out who the unregistred EPIRB you activated belongs
to. --- ILLEGAL ??? COME ARREST ME --- PLEASE ---- NOW!!!! Then
there is that damn USCG Master License test. You need to know
inland river rules when you only operate in the atlantic coast.
You need to know how many bolts on a 6 inch fire hose coupling when
you only operate a 50 foot motor vessel. They actually expect you
to know how to navigate with a chart, dividers, parallel ruler and
a pencil --- how archaic is that? Everyone uses GPSs now. .They
really need to dumb that test down too to accomodate those too dumb,
lazy or uninterested enough to be bothered to learn.
Agreed in many respects. I'd like to see the ham radio tests a little
tougher on the theory, question pools not available to anybody but
registered volunteer examiners etc. study materials should be built
around the student learning the damn material and not on memorizing
answers to multiple guess questions.

Richard Webb, amateur radio callsign nf5b
active on the Maritime Mobile service network, 14.300 mhz
REplace anything before the @ symbol with elspider for real email

--



POOR PLANNING ON YOUR PART
Does NOT constitute an emergency on our part!

On 2005-08-09 22:06:01 +1000, "Gerald" said:


"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
k.net...
jds wrote:
well, call me an old fart then. if someone is too damn lazy to learn
code, let em be limited to a technician. i use cw 99% of the time. try
talking to some guy in italy that doesnt speak english any better than
i speak italian, add accent= wtf did he say??? an "a" is .- in any
language. jeez , 5wpm is a real obsticle?? i could copy 10 before i
even attempted my novice test.
j.d. kc7mpd

Sounds like a merit badge you have to learn to enter the club.

Bet you still have your Capt'n Midnight decoder ring.

Seriously, if you choose to use code, so be it.

I have better things to do with my time than learning to use a totally
dead language.

I'm not interested in ham radio as a hobby, I already have too many.

For me is it strictly a communication tool when I'm on then water.

Nothing more, nothing less.

If you aren't interested in HAM radio as a hobby, then why should the
hobby have to change to accommodate you? Why not expect the licensing
test to drop all the electronics requirements since you don't expect to
build / design / modify any radios. If you plan on having a marine
installer hook up your radio to a backstay, knowing about antenna
design seems like a waste of time. Even if you do, you should
probably need to prove you know something about rigging too. Well Lew,
if you want to communicate, use marine SSB, or Marine VHF, or CB, or
FRS, or GMRS, or your cell phone. Want to talk to HAMS? Get a HAM
license.

Want another potentially usefull communications option? If you do much
offshore work, you should consider getting a hand held Aviation VHF
radio with a AA battery pack to put in your "ditch bag". Legal to own?
yes. Legal to operate? Not with out an appropriate license. But, if
you just stepped up from your boat into your life raft, it might be
nice to talk with commercial airline pilots overhead while the rescue
people figure out who the unregistred EPIRB you activated belongs to.
--- ILLEGAL ??? COME ARREST ME --- PLEASE ---- NOW!!!!

Then there is that damn USCG Master License test. You need to know
inland river rules when you only operate in the atlantic coast. You
need to know how many bolts on a 6 inch fire hose coupling when you
only operate a 50 foot motor vessel. They actually expect you to know
how to navigate with a chart, dividers, parallel ruler and a pencil ---
how archaic is that? Everyone uses GPSs now. .They really need to dumb
that test down too to accomodate those too dumb, lazy or uninterested
enough to be bothered to learn.


Lew


Jerry
USCG Near Coastal Master / with towing and sailing endorsements
Amateur Advanced

That was the best rebuttal of the "you need to dumb things down so I
too can pass this test!" Amen Jerry.

PS. I am through all the practical reqirements for our AYF Coastal
Skipper Certification and working towards the Offshore Certificate.

--
Regards,
John Proctor VK3JP, VKV6789
S/V Chagall