In a July 18, 2005 Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in WT Docket 05-235, the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) recommended dropping the current 5 wpm Morse code element as a requirement to obtain an Amateur Radio license
of any class. As might be expected, this historically polarizing issue has divided the Amateur Radio community into
two never-the-twain-shall-meet camps.
[For those of you who have been around ham radio long enough, you know what a touchy and divisive subject this is.]
Before I offer my perspective on this issue, you need to know where I'm coming from. CW has always been my favorite
mode of transmission. The first time I heard the "thumpidy-thump" of Morse code CW signals on our old upright
shortwave radio as a kid, I was hooked. Shucks, by the time I passed my Novice exam in 1960, I was already copying
20 wpm. Those months on the Novice bands pounding brass were exciting times for me. And that excitement of using
Morse code has never left me through the years. Though I occasionally jump into a phone net, chat with a couple of
friends on SSB, and dabble with the digital modes, the vast majority of my operating time is on CW. In fact, I'll
bet at least 95% of all my QSOs are on CW.
In other words, I'm definitely a dyed-in-the-wool CW diehard.
With that in mind, you'll be surprised to learn where I stand on the no code issue before us today. I support the
FCC's proposal. Yes, I'm aware of the controversial nature of that statement. The truth is, there are valid arguments
on both sides of the issue and neither side is likely to convince the other. So, here's my side.
Keep in mind, the FCC is not proposing the elimination of Morse code or its use--only the requirement to know it to
get an amateur radio license. Not requiring a proficiency exam in any of the many other modes has never prohibited
anyone from using them, nor will it CW. Nor has learning the code ever kept anyone in the CW ranks, although it may
increase the likelihood of that happening. The code is something you either like or you don't. You use it or you
don't. It's that simple.
There are many longtime amateurs, including many Extra class licensees, who never use the code and couldn't copy
anywhere near 5 wpm today. They have absolutely no interest in it. That's no big deal to me. Today, with the Internet
and cell phones, the code requirement is a hurdle over which many young people are not willing to climb. And, despite
weak arguments to the contrary, knowing the code doesn't make one a better radio operator.
There is a greater issue here that we must not forget. Amateur Radio is getting grayer by the day and we are in
danger of losing the service altogether. If that were to happen, all arguments over the code requirement would be
mute. If eliminating the code requirement would increase our numbers, thereby saving Amateur Radio, then the FCC
would be doing all of us a favor by eliminating it. Saving Amateur Radio guarantees me I'll be able to operate CW
in the future--more than keeping the code test does.
Eliminating the code test has nothing whatsoever to do with the so-called dumbing down of ham radio we hear so much
about today. Give me a break. Have you looked at the study material lately for the Extra class exam? That's tough
stuff. It's twice as tough now as when I passed my Extra back in 1984.
Many, myself included, are worried about possibly losing our CW subbands. Now that would be a bummer. However, I
believe the ARRL's proposal for regulation by bandwidth may be the answer to that. Go to their
