On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 01:53:39 GMT, "Bill Sohl"
wrote:

VK is abolishing code testing effective January 1st. One more down...

How many down - and how many to go?

What difference does it make? The number of countries that
have ended or are scheduled to end code testing can
only increase. Not a single of those countries is ever
likly to change back (IMHO).

So I ask again, what difference does it make?

It makes a difference especially in areas, where people frequently
travel or move abroad.

During the transition period, when some countries have removed the
Morse test requirement and some have not, there is quite a mess where
it is possible to operate on HF without a Morse test.

The legal status of the CEPT recommendations T/R 61-01 and T/R 61-02
is unknown, since updated version is still on the (hopefully) final
request for comments period, which ends at the end of this month. When
Finland removed the Morse test requirement starting at November 1st,
the initially proposed regulatory text contained references to the
updated CEPT recommendations, but since these recommendations were not
final at the end of last month, the references to these
recommendations were removed from the Finnish regulatory text.

My guess is that at least most European countries will remove the
Morse test requirement within the next two years, during which period
there is going to be a mess for all those travelling abroad. There was
already a mess a few years ago with the HAREC licenses, when some
countries dropped the speed from 12 WPM to 5 WPM before the HAREC
recommendation was updated.

After this transitional period there will still be countries that will
require "forever" the Morse test. These are most likely countries that
insisted prior to WRC03 that the wording in RR should allow each
administration to decide if the Morse test is required or not (while
most countries supported completely removing the requirement from the
Radio Regulations).

Especially for new hams that have never taken any Morse tests,
travelling to such countries would probably require taking a Morse
test in that country for HF access. There might be some problem taking
the test in the local language (and possibly using the Morse alphabet
used in that country).

Paul OH3LWR