robert casey wrote:

Mike Coslo wrote:

I see that the FCC is not anticipating any changes in the Morse code
licensing requirements before 2006.

Is ther eanyone that has deferred getting a General or above
license because they thought Element one was going to go away soon?

If so, Has it been worth the wait?


Way back when (in 1976) I learned around 7 WPM and
passed a 5WPM code test down at an FCC field office.
And I'm not that good at such tasks. Took about
6 weeks to learn the code to 7WPM. So you can
start today on the code, and probably be able to
pass the code test and have the upgrade or first license
of general or extra grade and get on HF. And you'll
have it 2 months from now instead of a year or more from
now. HF is a lot of fun, and is quite different from
2 meter FM. So, like that sneaker company that paid
the basketball superstar more than their entire payroll
of their Vietnam factory, "Just do it".

I've been trying to get that message out for some time now. When I
first became a Ham in 1999, there were some that told me to hang on
because the Morse requirement was going away soon. Over 5 years later,
and nothing has changed. If I would have waited until it goes away, I
would be waiting at least 7 years, and I wouldn't take bets on it going
away even then.

What I *would* make bets on is that the anticipated "instant
elimination* thinking that was going around since the treaty requirement
went away have done more to dampen the ranks of new advanced level hams
than the retention of Morse code.

Yup, Just DO it!

- Mike KB3EIA -