"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)
send spam to

"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)
send spam to




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!).

"Alun Palmer" wrote in message
...

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).


don't hold your breath on Spain. We've got a holiday home there and they have
some very odd rules. e.g. no foreigners allowed on 6m even if they have a
reciprocal, plus all the usual queuing at one office which is only open on
Tuesday between 10 and 12:30. Then being told you need another piece of paper
from the police station in another town etc etc etc. Biggest problem I have
right now is our house didn't have an address !!! (which is quite common). It
has one now - roughly translated as "Plot B outside town" Still love the culture
though, quite charming really.

Sure you'll be able to get G8 but law says you cannot hold two licences of the
same class so you'll have to lose the G0. Although you can pass it on to a
living relative - son, daughter, wife? Or will it to anyone after you die.

"Alun Palmer" wrote in message
...
Keith wrote in
:

just completed my first 20m stateside QSO...

.... with W1EVT logged between 0011 and 0018 UTC. I was 579 (40 watts into a
quarterwave vertical) he was 599, his name was Clem, his QTH Boston......

and the mode? - A1A (CW) of course at about 14wpm, not bad for a "no-coder"


--
73 de G1LVN
Gateway details at: www.g1lvn.org.uk
(change "mycallsign" to reply by email)
send spam to

On 25 Jul 2003 15:20:23 GMT, Alun Palmer wrote:

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!).

Until you screw something up royally and then watch them.....

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon

"Phil Kane" wrote in
.net:

On 25 Jul 2003 15:20:23 GMT, Alun Palmer wrote:

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!).

Until you screw something up royally and then watch them.....

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon




That is highly unlikely (that I would screw up royally). However, I did
wonder about the wisdom of relying upon the words of just one Industry
Canada employee.