(Image: Wikimedia Commons)
Once upon a time, every Boy Scout in the United States knew Morse code, now it’s lucky if a Boy Scout, little lone the general public, has even heard of Morse code. The same could be said about the amateur radio operator community. I’m not sure that’s such a good thing.
Back in the “old” days, before 1987, a minimum knowledge of Morse code (5 words per minute or wpm) was one requirement to earn a FCC amateur radio operator license. To advance in license class, along with a knowledge test, required an increased knowledge of Morse code (13 wpm for general and advanced, 20 wpm for extra). All this started to change in 1987, when one could obtain a VHF/UHF technician license without any Morse code proficiency. However, Morse code proficiency remained the same for the other license classes. In 2000, the Morse code proficiency was reduced to 5 wpm for all classes and in 2007, Morse code proficiency completely eliminated for all license classes.
As someone who struggled with Morse code, on one hand elimination of the Morse code requirement is a welcome change. On the other hand, I think the Morse code requirement also resulted in something of a de facto self-policing of the amateur radio community. If you wanted to obtain additional operating privileges, you had to really work for that goal instead of simply memorizing test questions (amateur radio license exam questions are randomly chosen from a publically available question pool). Yes, the Morse code requirement prevented many people from obtaining an upgraded license class (my Elmer, who held an advanced license, admitted he couldn’t get his extra ticket since he was never able to obtain 20 wpm proficiency with Morse code). However, on the other hand, those who obtained new licenses were seriously committed to the craft – learning and gaining increasing proficiency in Morse code took serious dedication.
I maintain we can hear the difference on the bands today. During the time of 13 wpm proficiency for minimum HF privileges, profanity and inappropriate behavior used to be nearly non-existent. On the very rare occasions when it did happen, it was simply not tolerated. Today, pick any band you chose and during any operating session, you will hear profanity, vulgarity and just plain mean-spiritedness. In my humble opinion, having the additional requirement of gaining increasing proficiency with Morse code helped cut down on the “bad apples.” Today, anyone with a little time on his hands can zip through the license classes by doing nothing more than memorizing questions and answers – and with some testing sessions, can go from zero to extra in a matter of hours. Yes, the “codeless” license opens up amateur radio to an even larger audience, but is that necessarily a good thing? Do we really want everyone on the ham bands?
I know the likelihood of ever reinstating any Morse code proficiency requirement is near zero – that horse has done left the barn, gone out of the stable and is now wondering around in the pasture somewhere. At the same time, I can’t help feeling we’ve lost some special part of being an amateur radio operator with the elimination of all Morse code proficiency requirements.
Working to reinstate Morse code proficiency is, in my opinion, a lost cause. However, I strongly believe we, the amateur radio community, must do something to police our ranks before someone does it for us (which might even be in the form of reduced band allocations for hams). We need to impart the “spirit” of amateur radio into those entering our ranks today. We absolutely need to restore decorum on the amateur bands. So, short of reinstating Morse code, what do you think can be done to better educate new Hams in proper amateur radio “etiquette” and the once acclaimed Amateur’s Code?
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(Image: Wikimedia Commons)
Once upon a time, every Boy Scout in the United States knew Morse code, now it’s lucky if a Boy Scout, little lone the general public, has even heard of Morse code. The same could be said about the amateur radio operator community. I’m not sure that’s such a good thing.
Back in the “old” days, before 1987, a minimum knowledge of Morse code (5 words per minute or wpm) was one requirement to earn a FCC amateur radio operator license. To advance in license class, along with a knowledge test, required an increased knowledge of Morse code (13 wpm for general and advanced, 20 wpm for extra). All this started to change in 1987, when one could obtain a VHF/UHF technician license without any Morse code proficiency. However, Morse code proficiency remained the same for the other license classes. In 2000, the Morse code proficiency was reduced to 5 wpm for all classes and in 2007, Morse code proficiency completely eliminated for all license classes.
As someone who struggled with Morse code, on one hand elimination of the Morse code requirement is a welcome change. On the other hand, I think the Morse code requirement also resulted in something of a de facto self-policing of the amateur radio community. If you wanted to obtain additional operating privileges, you had to really work for that goal instead of simply memorizing test questions (amateur radio license exam questions are randomly chosen from a publically available question pool). Yes, the Morse code requirement prevented many people from obtaining an upgraded license class (my Elmer, who held an advanced license, admitted he couldn’t get his extra ticket since he was never able to obtain 20 wpm proficiency with Morse code). However, on the other hand, those who obtained new licenses were seriously committed to the craft – learning and gaining increasing proficiency in Morse code took serious dedication.
I maintain we can hear the difference on the bands today. During the time of 13 wpm proficiency for minimum HF privileges, profanity and inappropriate behavior used to be nearly non-existent. On the very rare occasions when it did happen, it was simply not tolerated. Today, pick any band you chose and during any operating session, you will hear profanity, vulgarity and just plain mean-spiritedness. In my humble opinion, having the additional requirement of gaining increasing proficiency with Morse code helped cut down on the “bad apples.” Today, anyone with a little time on his hands can zip through the license classes by doing nothing more than memorizing questions and answers – and with some testing sessions, can go from zero to extra in a matter of hours. Yes, the “codeless” license opens up amateur radio to an even larger audience, but is that necessarily a good thing? Do we really want everyone on the ham bands?
I know the likelihood of ever reinstating any Morse code proficiency requirement is near zero – that horse has done left the barn, gone out of the stable and is now wondering around in the pasture somewhere. At the same time, I can’t help feeling we’ve lost some special part of being an amateur radio operator with the elimination of all Morse code proficiency requirements.
Working to reinstate Morse code proficiency is, in my opinion, a lost cause. However, I strongly believe we, the amateur radio community, must do something to police our ranks before someone does it for us (which might even be in the form of reduced band allocations for hams). We need to impart the “spirit” of amateur radio into those entering our ranks today. We absolutely need to restore decorum on the amateur bands. So, short of reinstating Morse code, what do you think can be done to better educate new Hams in proper amateur radio “etiquette” and the once acclaimed Amateur’s Code?
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