[cfgeeks] FCC eliminates morse code requirements

[Steve Litt]

On Saturday 16 December 2006 15:33, Kevin P. Inscoe wrote:
> Steve Litt wrote:
> > On Saturday 16 December 2006 13:29, Kevin P. Inscoe wrote:
> >> Albert Pratts wrote:
> >>> That really sux!!!!!!
> >>
> >> And when is the last time you made a CW contact?
> >
> > I don't think that's the point, and that's coming from a guy who probably
> > would have been a radio amateur in his teens if it hadn't been for the
> > code requirements.
> >
> > If there's a severe disruption of our society, (think EMP or 500%
> > economic deflation with attendant depression), nice microprocessor
> > equipped radios with surface mounted components might not be available.
> > It's always possible we could be knocked back to spark gaps, and in such
> > a possibility, however remote, I'd feel more comfortable with a large
> > population knowing Morse Code, especially the population that operates
> > radio transmitters.
>
> Soo like so many things in society these days we should mandate this?

Yes.

First, the government has to be involved, or the spectrum would be of no use 
to anyone. The government can, and indeed up until now *has* said for the 
privilige of using certain frequencies in certain ways, one must know Morse 
code. With the privilige comes responsibility.

I'm aware the preceding is a slippery slope. Should we then say that in order 
to own a gun, one must take law enforcement classes so that, with EMP or 500% 
deflation, one can immediately function as a sheriff's deputy? Obviously not.

But there's one difference. In the case of radio amateurs, the rule was 
already in place, and all they had to do to keep it implemented was to do 
nothing. In the case of guns, it requires a massive and intrusive change.

So yes, in my opinion we should have mandated it, or more accurately, 
continued to mandate it.

Another email discussed code as a way of keeping riffraff out. That's not my 
position. If it *were* used to keep rifraff out, it would be better used on 
mailing lists :-)

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