Alun L. Palmer wrote:

5wpm isn't very fast, but why is it required to operate phone?

And there we have the crux of the situation, expressed in a simple
question.

If a person wants to operate phone, and that is it, then what do they
need to do that?

Nothing. The Citizen's Band is adequate proof of that

Buy a rig, an antenna, and pay some people to put it up. Presumably the
only requirement is to know how to read, talk and mash the PTT button.

But the problem is that the ARS isn't simply about operating phone. It
is about all kinds of operating modes. It is about all manner of
technical endeavors that we may engage in.

Operating phone is only one part of the hobby, and is arguably the
easiest part to do, as we have all learned to talk, so the prerequisites
have been met for most people.

The test requirements are there to give us some basic exposure to
elements of the hobby that are considered important by knowledgeable
people. While there may be argument about how well the tests function
for that purpose, there they are.

And what of people who only intend to operate phone QRP? The RF
exposure questions are kind of a waste of time for them. Satellite
operations? Just how many Hams do satellite operations? Why test on band
allocations, we can look them up in a book. Why should a person have to
do any basic electronics questions if they only want to buy a rig and
antenna and operate phone?

We can eventually argue away most of the test.

It is interesting that two people who have some similarities in
experience can draw such different conclusions from that experience.

Whereas you have chosen to be bitter about your experience (bitter may
be a bit strong of a word - at least you're not to happy about it)
regarding Morse code testing, and I actually ended up being pleased that
I was able to overcome my own physical limitations and pass the darn
thing. I don't advocate changing the rules because I had trouble with
one of them.

- Mike KB3EIA -