Dave Heil wrote in
:

"Alun L. Palmer" wrote:

Mike Coslo wrote in
:

Alun L. Palmer wrote:

Mike Coslo wrote in
:


Alun L. Palmer wrote:


Mike Coslo wrote in
:



Alun L. Palmer wrote:



Mike Coslo wrote in
:

That is quite a long time. What was the reason that it took you
22
years? My reason was hearing problems, and a presumed mental
processing of sound deficit.


I don't know. My hearing is OK as far as I know.

What was the total study time?

Hard to say. I gave up completely over and over again, but I kept
coming back to it because I still wanted to get on HF.

I guess I really don't understand the mindset that allows one to give
up repeatedly at something one really wants. There were times that I
found the going tough, whether in trying to improve my morse speed or
in trying to learn some bit of theory but I never thought of quitting.


Uh, duh. Try because I couldn't do it. Hitting your head against a wall is
something one ought not to prolong endlessly. Sometimes it's better to go
away and do something else. I have realised from these kind of discussions
that you will never in a million years be able to comprehend just how hard
I found it, which is why I have avoided reposting this until now.

Here's another interesting fact. I was teaching ham radio classes
for years before I passed the bleeping code!

If none of this rings true, I can assure that every word is the
truth.

I believe you. And you didn't do what my hypothetical
Technician did
either. You kept with it an eventually passed


Eventually is right

But you did learn morse and pass the exam.


Oh yes, eventually. More than two decades to pass a code test to use HF
phone. That speaks for itself.


As I said, all of this has been posted here before, but not
recently. My own history hasn't proved as effective as an argument
as simply pointing out that none of the arguments in favour of
retaining code testing hold as much water as a leaky bucket!

Except here is what I see as the difference. You had
difficulties with
Element one, and so did I. You want the test eliminated because you
had a hard time of it. I don't want the test removed just because of
my personal trouble with it.


Six months isn't that long though, is it?

No, it really isn't.

We all have walls to climb in life. Some peoples walls are
higher than
others. I'll climb my own walls, and not try to change everyone
elses walls. YMMV.

Except that the circumstances I describe never struck me as a joke.

I had enough problems that it was no joke to me either. But my
point
wasn't about the test specifically, it was the conclusion that
people reach regarding Morse code testing and the people coming into
or leaving the ARS.


I think it's probably true that having the no-code licence has
increased turnover, but we don't know why. Nobody has done any
research on this point.

We can make some educated guesses.

Doubtless some have used a no-code licence as a substitute for a
cellphone. Doubtless some who had only a passing interest got a Tech
licence and then moved on, but we have to factor in that they had no
exposure to HF. I'm sure that others found that the 'consolation
prize' of 50MHz and up wasn't enough of a consolation to bother
renewing.

See! You did make some educated guesses.

...and those folks never gave a thought to tackling morse code at 5 wpm
to gain access to HF? They either had no curiousity about modes other
than FM on 2m repeaters, no curiousity about the 6m band and what it
offered or perhaps they couldn't muster enough enthusiasm to reach the
next plateau.

Dave K8MN