"Gareth \(G1LVN\)" wrote in
:
"Alun Palmer" wrote in message
...
There have been lot of different rumours floating about, but it now
looks definite that the UK will scrap the code test on Friday. This
will be the second country after Switzerland, which already did it.
Actually the UK are making CW mandatory. All new amateurs from Dec 2003
will have to enter the hobby as foundation class, which requires a
morse assessment which satisfies the pre WRC03 morse requirement (which
never state a speed in wpm). The morse assessment requires the
candidate to send a CW passage at any speed and to ask the assessor to
slow down theoretically to 12 words per hour if necessary. It's also an
"open book exam" i.e. they have access to a morse code table -.-. = C
etc.
So far from abolishing the morse requirement - all new UK amateurs from
Dec 2003 will have to sit the morse assessment at the lowest entry
level. This does not apply to all former above 30Mhz (class B, CEPT
class 2) who will get HF tomorrow (26th July 2003) without doing the
morse assessment.
Why Dec 2003? well that is the next date for the Radio Amateurs Exam
(scheduled twice a year - May and Dec) which allows you to go straight
to Full (extra class) by sitting just one exam. After this "last" exam
date (Dec 2004) all UK amateurs will have to sit three exams (and the
morse assessment) to go Foundation Class then Intermediate (was Novice)
then Full. Also after Dec 2004 the RAE will be no longer scheduled just
twice a year but go "on-demand" and will be administrated by the Radio
Society of Great Britain not the "City and Guilds" (a body responsible
for NVQs across the UK) as before.
This guarantees that CW is never "forgotten" at least in the UK. As to
be expected from the UK authorities a very diplomatic outcome.
It is expected that CEPT will merge Class 1 and 2 in September, up
until then the issue of reciprocal licences is a pretty grey area. So
those amateurs with HF access in the uk from passing a 5wpm or not even
taking a morse test will be refused to operate HF in countries which
still have the 12wpm test requirement.
--
73 de G1LVN
Gateway details at: www.g1lvn.org.uk
(change "mycallsign" to reply by email)
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I knew all that Gareth, but of course most people on here won't.
73 de Alun, N3KIP
PS: I held both G8VUK (from passing the RAE) and G0VUK (obtained under the
reciprocal agreement), but they have both lapsed. I intend to get G8VUK
re-issued to me, but I am wondering whether to wait until the CEPT merge
Class 1 and Class 2 (probably in September, as you say). I don't want to
be G0VUK, particularly. I want to operate in Spain and in the Republic of
Ireland with my FT-817 at some point (the UK as well, but obviously that's
no problem).
BTW, as a British citizen my US licence entitles me to zero reciprocal
privileges under CEPT, and isn't even valid in Canada under the bilateral
agreement (albeit Industry Canada told me they don't care and I should
just operate anyway as they wouldn't enforce the rules!).