[hfsig] Re: [Flexradio] The final nail in the coffin of Morse?

[Anthony.N.Martin at seleniacomms.com]

The fact morse is not a regulatory requirement will not
kill it; indeed it has not died in Europe where many
countries have changed the regs.

> I agree that people will continue to use it but you
> do have to admit that it is human nature not to
> take on difficult challenges that are not necessary.

It will remain an effective tool for DX nevertheless
and many will learn it for this reason.

I was previously discouraged from getting a ham licence
because I had no interest in morse; but having been
involved for a few years my interest is increasing.

There are still morse-only contests etc to keep morse
operators active - this is the right way; by encouragement
rather than compulsion when it serves no technical purpose
for lawmaking.

The real issues we have experienced are this:

When the licence changes, it will have a big impact on the
infrastructure that teaches morse and provides tests. The
focus must change to where the new students will be coming
from, and their different approach to learning. There will
still be people who want to learn skills and show a recognised
qualification. In the UK we seem to have lost most of the
capacity to do this, and that shouldn't have happened.

I'd like to see national radio societies establish some kind
of plan for an internationally recognisable certificate of
morse proficiency in the absence of one provided by
government institutions.

....

Note that the CEPT are planning a new intermediate class of
amateur licence for international recognition & roaming.
It would be nice for the US to have forethought and look
to align it's licence structure at this juncture with the
CEPT.

Ant M1FDE

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