Hello, Chris... Your message is a great read and does, in many small ways, touch upon removal of growth restrictions for the digital aspects of our hobby, the disfunctinal way it was done not withstanding.
I must say that while I find your writing refreshing, it is the first time that I have ever heard anyone publicly make such a pronouncement. That said, if you hold to the comments below, I totally agree with the intent. What I have NEVER heard, anywhere, is a similar stand voiced by the common Ham, since the subject reared its ugly head in the sixties. What I have heard is the lamenting that without CW testing, the control over quality is lost. Never did I hear anyone propose the notion that to operate CW, for its own merit, would require a demonstration of skill before being allowed to do so. Demonstrating the skill for the sake of compentency in the art is far removed from demonstrating the skill simply to be allowed to become licensed, which is the old, time-worn diatribe spit forth in public in any number of forums; despite international agreement recently as you said. More's the pity, it was that line of thinking that still prevails today, linked with CB-trash comments and the forecast of death of the Ham hobby in general. If your words are true, then perhaps they're a sign that in time, more rational and reasonably thinking people may well prevail. BTW, I still use CW and my old Blue Racer as my mood directs, thank you. ----- Original Message ----- From: Danny Douglas To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007 10:24 PM Subject: Re: [digitalradio] US Hams Codeless Feb 23 Chris, I was never one that said we should make ALL hf ops know CW. I made a suggestion, in writing, to the ARRL years ago wherin I simply stated that we should require EVERYONE that wanted to work CW, to take a test in that mode. >SNIP< >SNIP<
