• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

The Morse Code requirement is DEAD!!!

K

KeithE4

(No, folks, this is not an early April Fool joke!)

In a surprise move, the FCC yesterday eliminated the 5 wpm Morse Code requirement for all license classes (Tech, General, Extra). In addition, Technician-class licenses will now get Tech Plus HF privileges and the separate Tech Plus license class is now deleted. There is no change in status for current Novices and Advanced Class licensees (which are no longer being issued but can still be renewed).

Also, the ARRL Petition for Reconsideration, in which they requested that the 75 meter phone band only go down to 3635 kHz was denied. They announced this late yesterday afternoon.

So it finally happened. The code is dead! Long live the code! ;D

No, not really. The CW bands or the use of CW is not going away, just the code test. Hopefully this will actually spark an interest in CW - folks that want to use and learn it.

In any case, this is not The End of Amateur Radio As We Know It Today(TM), although some old-timers will certainly disgree.

Link: FCC Public Notice (pdf file)
 
keithE4:
I guess you read the ham forums, i,e qrz,eham.net. Seems for some reason, the old timers and constant bickerers have changed their mind. Their all in support of it and think cw activity might improve. Oh we'll
see. Myself it doesn't matter, I learned the code in 92' after I was licensed during college in the school club.
At that time, a popular E Tn repeater 146.73(no longer on the air, wouldn't ya know it)had it's own "old farts"
that didn't want to change. Some of them are all dead now and you can talk without any flak as long as you don't throw in cb jargon which I don't even like to hear. I gave that up in 92' thank God. 73' Tim KD4RNC
 
The Dude said:
What about ppl who have a Tech+ license,what do they have now??

Ah well......
Click to expand...

They have a Tech license but they get Tech-Plus HF prvileges now. There's no difference between them anymore.
 
That doesnt seem fair..... PPL who have a TECH+ license should have General privlidges (They did more to get that "+" class)
 
The Dude said:
That doesnt seem fair..... PPL who have a TECH+ license should have General privlidges (They did more to get that "+" class)
Click to expand...

The only difference between the Tech and Tech Plus was the 5 wpm code test. The General isn't the same test (although it was many years ago, where a 5 wpm test got you a Tech ticket and 13 wpm got you the General).

But it isn't 100% clear that Technician licensees will be given HF privileges or if Tech Plus folks will lose them. I'm guessing the former, but it may be subject to interpretation.

Also, it doesn't specify the date that the code test will be officially eliminated. Normally a rule change takes effect 30 days after being published in the Federal Register, but that's also not made clear. If that's so, then the test will be eliminated sometime in late January (if it's published this week) or February (more likely given Christmas and New Years coming up, with the resultant time off by gummint employees) 2007.

The FCC did a poor job of writing the R&O.
 
They just dont care about anything anymore is what it is!! (I bet they dont care who goes where on the ham bands as long as they dont cause a scene)

All they wanna do is get this BPL crap and other stuff going to ruin our analog freqs!!
 
It's now officially official. The code test is dead, effective early next year. The FCC issued its Report and Order and Order of Reconsideration #FCC-06-178 Tuesday.

The Tech Plus license no longer exists (everyone is a Tech now) and all Techs get Novice/General HF privileges (CW only on 80, 40, & 15 meters, CW & Data on 28-28.3 MHz, Phone on 28.3-28.5 MHz), regardless of whether they passed a code test or not. Note that most of those additional privileges require the use of Morse Code even though the code test itself has now gone the way of the spark gap.

Automatically-controlled digital/RTTY stations move from 3620-3635 kHz to 3585-3600 kHz due to the phone band expansion down to 3600 kHz that took effect last week.

Effective date is 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, which means the new rules will probably take effect in early February 2007.

Link: FCC Report & Order (pdf file)
 
KeithE4 said:
It's now officially official. The code test is dead, effective early next year. The FCC issued its Report and Order and Order of Reconsideration #FCC-06-178 Tuesday.

The Tech Plus license no longer exists (everyone is a Tech now) and all Techs get Novice/General HF privileges (CW only on 80, 40, & 15 meters, CW & Data on 28-28.3 MHz, Phone on 28.3-28.5 MHz), regardless of whether they passed a code test or not. Note that most of those additional privileges require the use of Morse Code even though the code test itself has now gone the way of the spark gap.
Click to expand...
That needs to read above "all Techs get Novice/Tech PLUS HF", not "Novice/General HF"...Nope, they dont get ANY General priviledges at all and the Phone on 10m is SSB only...no AM or FM allowed.
 
CW said:
That needs to read above "all Techs get Novice/Tech PLUS HF", not "Novice/General HF"...Nope, they dont get ANY General priviledges at all and the Phone on 10m is SSB only...no AM or FM allowed.
Click to expand...

Yes, you're absolutely correct. I stand corrected on that.

To itemize, these are the Novice/Tech subbands (200 watts PEP output maximum):

80m: 3525-3600 kHz CW only
40m: 7025-7125 kHz CW only
15m: 21025-21200 kHz CW only
10m: 28000-28300 kHz CW/RTTY/Data, 28300-28500 kHz CW & SSB
 
I'm new to this website, only found it last week. Its nice to see this site also has a section for us hams too. I've been licensed since 1983, and an Extra since 1992 (20wpm Extra). I embraced the "Tech Lite" from the start and didn't listen to the old foggies who said that was the death of ham radio, especially those on the 2 meter repeaters like already mentioned. CW and digital modes are probably 90-95% of my total operating on ham radio. I'd say that CW occupies about 60% of that 90-95% too. I only operate in the winter months when its too cold to be outside - so I enjoy contesting.

I will also embrace this new R&O and welcome those to the no-code HF privileges on phone. It won't really affect my operating at all. I'd certainly think there will be some who will be interested in code in the future...CW is still the most reliable communications IMHO in an emergency. Listen to the code tested hams on 75 meters sometime - it already sounds like CB-ville hi hi.

Welcome aboard newcomers to HF.

73--Scott
WY3X
 
It's now official. February 23 is when the code test goes bye-bye.

The R&O was published in the Federal Register on January 24.

Link: ARRL
 
Tis true, code is FCC dead. However, when any event truly puts someone or a nation in a hurtin' way, code will probably be the only way to communicate. Funny, check out the intro of CBS TV's show Jeherico, a town isolated by terrorist nuclear bombings of our major cities. The sound track is morse code.

But now, it seems the ability to translate it will die with us.
 
amfmsw said:
Tis true, code is FCC dead. However, when any event truly puts someone or a nation in a hurtin' way, code will probably be the only way to communicate. Funny, check out the intro of CBS TV's show Jeherico, a town isolated by terrorist nuclear bombings of our major cities. The sound track is morse code.
Click to expand...

That's a possibility, but extremely remote. Our entire communications infrastructure, both commercial and military, would have to be completely obliterated before this scenario would happen.

But now, it seems the ability to translate it will die with us.
Click to expand...

The requirement is dead, but not the mode. The ITU should have done away with the code requirement 30 years ago. But CW won't be going away anytime soon. And it shouldn't since Amateur Radio should be open to all forms of communications as available bandwidth permits.

Remember, the new Tech privileges are CW only except on 10 meters. If they want to use their new frequencies, they'll have to learn the code. It's just not a legal requirement anymore.
 
SteelRocker:
I've been interested in the digital modes. Got a question. I have an old Gateway computer(made around 2000). I've been told it will work fine if you have a good soundcard. Where can I find software for PSK 31 & RTTY. I've only found it on the internet. Maybe when I get a new computer it will be easier to download off the net if that's the only place to find it. Can't find anything from the dealers. tnx-Tim, KD4RNC
 
Code is still used by the USNavy to communicate by light, ship to ship and ship to shore, durning radio silence.
 
10-4 goodbuddy!! 2 meters is the new CB band anyway. I hear more junk on 2, including "Hey-4, Rodge-o, What's yer 20, come-on" Different world as to the mid 80's....WOW! :'(
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom