CW and the FCC

[kd4e]

 > LM Picard wrote:
> It seems to me that with amazingly powerful and cheap computers, cell 
> phones with all kinds of capabilities, not to mention the Internet, it 
> is going to be very hard to interest young people in HF radio.
> Once the number of HF users goes down, it will be hard to defend the HF 
> bands from BPL, truck telemetry or any other non-amateur use. 

Don't try to sell that to my computer-geek 26yr
old neighbor and my computer-geek 11yr old son.

Both are chomping at the bit now to pass their
General Class tests!  They were working on 5WPM
but are delighted to be able to bypass that and
get on HF sooner.  Both will be good Hams.

5WPM is not much of an impediment except to the
learning disabled -- one may memorize the printed
chart and convert from sound to visualized chart
and write down the letters 5WPM is so slow!

Doesn't seem to be much lost in eliminating it and
a likely gain of more young Hams who could not
see the sense in the CW requirement.

Digital modes, SSTV, DSSTV, satellite comms,
emergency comms, contests, WAS and the like
are fascinating to younger Hams and potential
Hams.  Don't write them off!

-- 

Thanks! & 73, doc, KD4E
... in sunny & warm Florida  :-)
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