Morse Code UpDate From WRC-03

[AudioShockwav]

From The ARRL News Letter.....



<blockquote>Quote:<hr>Whatever else happens at World Radiocommunication Conference 2003, there's no mystery about the delegates' direction regarding the

Morse code requirement. Morse code proficiency will disappear as a treaty

obligation for high-frequency access when the International

Telecommunication Union (ITU)-sponsored gathering under way in Geneva

concludes July 4.



"One matter on which there appears to be no disagreement is the Morse

requirement," said International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Secretary (and

ARRL CEO) David Sumner, K1ZZ, in a report

<www.iaru.org/rel030623.html> on the second week of activity at

WRC-03. "It is clear that the outcome will be to leave it to

administrations' discretion whether or not to have a Morse receiving and

sending requirement." He said no administration participating in the

sub-working group spoke in favor of retaining the Morse code treaty

requirement.



The modification of Article 25.5 of the international Radio Regulations

cleared Working Group 4C on June 24. Working Group 4C is dealing with this

and other proposals relating to Article 25. The modified text says,

"Administrations shall determine whether or not a person seeking a license

to operate an amateur station shall prove the ability to send and receive

texts in Morse code signals."



It's possible but unlikely that the text would be tinkered with further at

the committee level or even in the Plenary, which considers items for

adoption. Sumner said delegates continue to wrangle over other aspects of

Article 25, which defines Amateur Radio operation.



Adoption of the Article 25.5 modification would not mean the immediate

disappearance of the Morse requirement to operate on the amateur bands

below 30 MHz. Each administration, including the FCC, would then decide

whether or not to drop the requirement from its domestic regulations. Some

countries have indicated a desire to retain a Morse code requirement.



<hr></blockquote>

Looks Like the path is being paved for a totally codeless HF Ticket, only time(and the FCC) will tell.....



Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or

in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to

The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.



73

Jeff


CDX 339 Radioactive

</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub86.ezboard.com/bworldwidecbradioclub.showUserPublicProfile?gid=audioshockwav>AudioShockwav</A> 

at: 6/28/03 11:10 pm

 

[Hook948]

I guess we will know something after July 4th. I'm betting the FCC will still require CW for HF BUT I've made bad bets before.<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=""> --... ...--

Hot Rod Lincoln -Dancing around the World ! ...... CDX948 Central Texas, - Hook948@hotmail.com[img]http://deephousepage.com/smilies/AR15firing.gif[/img]</p>

 

[Hook948]

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>Dropping the code requirement will be the biggest mistake in amateur radio history.<hr></blockquote> Why do you think that? <blockquote>Quote:<hr>If the code rquirement is dropped, HF will be full of underachievers.<hr></blockquote> Please explain how someone who dosen't even know how to check his antenna much less make any adjustments to it or wires up their radio backwards is in a "better class" because they passed the CW test. Tell me you have never heard or met many gen/extra class operators like this and we will know you spend 24 hrs a day 7 days a week in a cave with no RX.<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=""> The problem has nothing to do with CW. Why not complain about how easy the test are? Heck I passed the general with no studying and just basic CB knowledge.<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/tongue.gif ALT=":b"> Wouldn't this be a better solution than being required to pass a test for a mode of operation you may not be interested in? Hmmmm <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/ohwell.gif ALT=":">

Hot Rod Lincoln -Dancing around the World ! ...... CDX948 Central Texas, - Hook948@hotmail.com[img]http://deephousepage.com/smilies/AR15firing.gif[/img]</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub86.ezboard.com/bworldwidecbradioclub.showUserPublicProfile?gid=hook948@worldwidecbradioclub>Hook948</A> at: 6/30/03 9:44 pm

 

[AudioShockwav]

Extracted from the ARRL News Letter:





WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE MORSE REQUIREMENT POST-WRC-03?



World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) made optional the

requirement to prove the ability to send and receive Morse code to operate

below 30 MHz. While Morse exam elements remain on the books in the US,

Canada and elsewhere, Switzerland and the United Kingdom have apparently

become the first countries to delete their Morse requirements for HF

operation. In the US, however, the FCC is unlikely to act on its own

motion to simply make the Morse testing requirement go away.



"There isn't an exception in the Administrative Procedures Act that I am

aware of that would permit the Commission to issue an administrative fiat

changing the license structure or exam-requirement rules," said an FCC

staffer who's closely involved with Amateur Service rules. Other countries

can do this because they have different laws and procedures, the FCC staff

member observed, adding that even if it could be done here, "that still

leaves unanswered the fundamental question: What do you want the new rules

to be?"



In its December 1999 Report and Order restructuring Amateur Radio

licensing, the FCC stopped short of revising the rules to sunset the Morse

requirement automatically if WRC-03 deleted Morse proficiency from the

international Radio Regulations. The FCC also acknowledged "a clear

dichotomy of viewpoints" on the Morse code issue within the amateur

community.



The ARRL's policy for several years has been that Morse should be retained

as a testing element in the US. At its July 18-19 meeting in Connecticut,

however, the Board said it would solicit and review input from members on

the Morse testing requirement and other possible revisions to Part 97

arising from WRC-03.



The first move on the Morse code question in the US is for someone to file

a Petition for Rule Making with the FCC seeking a rule change. No Code

International (NCI) <http://www.nocode.org/> has spearheaded the battle to

eliminate the Morse requirement and would be a likely organization to file

such a petition. NCI Executive Director Carl Stevenson, WK3C, said late

last week that NCI was still studying the matter and had not yet made a

final decision on a plan of action. An ARRL member, Stevenson says he

hopes personally that the League would join NCI in actively encouraging

the FCC to eliminate the Morse exam element as soon as possible.



Hopes for a quick resolution to the Morse question could be wishful

thinking, however. Once a petition to drop the Morse exam element is

filed, the FCC will put it on "public notice" by assigning an RM number

and soliciting comments. If more than one such petition is filed, the FCC

is obliged to invite comments on each. When that process is completed, the

FCC may determine that a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) is in

order. The Commission at that point could incorporate all Morse-related

rule making petitions into a single proceeding. The NPRM would get a

docket number, and the comment process would begin anew.



Further complicating and extending the process, the FCC most likely would

incorporate other pending Amateur Radio-related issues into the same NPRM.

At the end of the comment and reply comment periods, the FCC would issue a

Report and Order (R&O) that includes its decision on the Morse code

requirement and any other issues incorporated into the proceeding. The

whole process could take a couple of years, perhaps longer.



Ratification of the WRC-03 Final Acts by the US Senate does not appear to

be necessary before the FCC can act or begin the rule making process.

Following World Administrative Conference 1979 (WARC-79) which resulted in

three new HF amateur bands, the FCC acted in 1982, prior to Senate

ratification of the conference's Final Acts, not only to initiate the rule

making process but to give amateurs limited access to 30 meters.



Radio Amateurs of Canada has advised hams in that country that the Morse

qualification requirement remains in effect for operation below 30 MHz,

"pending a review by Industry Canada of the impact of the WRC-2003

regulatory changes on the Canadian radio regulations, policies and

procedures."



Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or

in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to

The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.



Looks like it could be some time before there is any real action taken on this issue....

73

Jeff






CDX 339 Radioactive

</p>

 

[Moleculo]

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>If, for no other reason, to keep at bay the people who memorize the questions from the question pulls...<hr></blockquote>



There's a few questions in the Extra pool that ask you specifically why you are required to pass a morse code test. The reason MustangDavey gave is actually listed (not those exact words) as one of the choices for one of the questions. Guess what....It's the wrong answer.



I am tired of hearing people use "to show your dedication" as a legitimate reason for having to pass CW test. That is not and never was the reason why the ITU and FCC required it, and the questions in the Extra pool prove that. That reason is something some people made up to make themselves feel like they are better than others.





Moleculo




</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub86.ezboard.com/bworldwidecbradioclub.showUserPublicProfile?gid=moleculocdx363>MoleculoCDX363</A> at: 7/28/03 11:27 am

 

[Sonwatcher]

I just want to say I studied the book and used the questions. I won't kick myself down for using the questions as it was encouraged by ARRL and even supplied in the book I studied that was written by ARRL.. I never really heard anything bad about using the questions until lately. I feel ok about it as I said they were in the book to look over and I studied all on my own so I feel good about myself that I did it on my own. I have heard both sides of the Morse Code arguement and if it's done away with fine if not I'll learn it. I just enjoy the hobbie and can't wait to move a step higher !<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT="">



73's !

God bless you all !</p>

 

[Dealer]

I don`t like the Code ! but thats because I do not know the Code.



I am studying and trying to get to know the Code in hopes that I may like it.



I will in fact get to know it well enough to pass, and Hopefully

by that time I will feel different about it.



If I am disapointed afterwards then so be it, as it will not be

the first time.



With the element two and three test behind me, I sure am

not going to sit around and wait to see what happens.



Somewhere in the back of my mind (such as it is) I have this

feeling that if I dont do it, then I will have cheated myself

somehow and that would be a real bummer....





Regards,

John

</p>

 

[Moleculo]

All you southerners and mid-westerners that like gravy on everything..... better not move out west, because you won't find it much around here..... <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif ALT=":lol"> <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif ALT=":lol"> <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif ALT=":lol">






</p>

 

[AudioShockwav]

IHOG!!!!!

It must be that Love of pork fat thing.......<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif ALT=":lol"> <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif ALT=":lol">

ROFLMAO!!!

Thats a Good one Doc`

73

Jeff


CDX 339 Radioactive

</p>

 

[Dealer]

Not to Worry about Ol Johns feelings,



Hell I was working HF before Moby Dick was a minnow <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT="">



Once I have a resolve, then IT can be considered a Done Deal...







73

</p>