In article , Radio Amateur KC2HMZ
writes:

On 1 Aug 2003 02:52:19 GMT, "Dick Carroll;" wrote:


For years the code test was the ONLY factor that restricted
troublemakers from freely roaming the ham bands, FCC having been relegated
by lack of funding
to more or less toothless-watchdog status.

Only problem I have with that statement is the FACT (stated by Riley
himself as quoted in QST, CQ, Popular Communications, Monitoring
Times, Worldradio, and possibly others I didn't read) that the two
frequencies FCC received the most complaints about (14.303 and, I
believe, 3.950) were frequencies where the operators had to pass code
tests in order to obtain privileges to operate there.

Yup. That's true.

They also had to pass at least two written tests to operate there. The written
tests are largely about the rules and regulations of the ARS. Obviously those
written tests didn't keep those ops out of the ARS, nor cause them to behave
correctly. Should we just dump those written tests because they did not work
perfectly?

Also - what mode were those folks using on 14.313 and 3.950?

In a way, I guess we're lucky - if the Liberty Net hadn't attracted
all the jammers (and counter-jammers) to the one frequency they'd have
been...well...freely roaming the bands.

So when a few thousand refugees from way up there descend onto the HF bands
-as some have very recently indicated their intent right here on rrap- and
lonely Riley is left
to sweep up,. just how much enforcement you think there'll be?
But press on- it's "kill the code" even if it kills us.

Dick, the code isn't stopping those few thousand refugees from
descending into the HF bands now, and it wouldn't stop them from doing
so in the future even if we continued to have a code test for the next
267 years...any more than it has stopped them from inhabiting the
so-called "freeband" which is another place they don't have any
privileges or licenses to operate.

See above about written exam...

The *only* thing keeping unlicensed operators off the ham bands in
droves is the well-known determination of licensed hams to keep them
off of here, even if it means going out at 3:00 AM in the middle of an
ice storm to do some DF'ing and tape recording. That's it, period.

No, there's another part: the fact that there may be some enforcement action as
a result of that determination. Didja see where FCC cited a couple of trucking
companies because of truckers' illegal use of 10 meters?

The
code test is not now, never has been, and never will be a deterrent to
anyone contemplating an act of gross stupidity on the bands...and that
applies to hams and non-hams alike.

Then please explain why there are so many NALs for violations committed using
voice modes, and so few for violations using Morse code or data modes. Maybe
it's not the TEST but the MODE that has an effect?

73 de Jim, N2EY