Attention All Amateurs... End of an Era: FCC to Drop Morse Testing for All Amateur License Classes (Dec 15, 2006) -- In an historic move, the FCC has acted to drop the Morse code requirement for all Amateur Radio license classes. The Commission today adopted a Report and Order (R&O) in WT Docket 05-235. In a break from typical practice, the FCC only issued a public notice at or about the close of business and not the actual Report & Order, so some details -- including the effective date of the R&O -- remain uncertain. Also today, the FCC also adopted an Order on Reconsideration, in WT Docket 04-140 -- the "omnibus" proceeding -- agreeing to modify the Amateur Radio rules in response to an ARRL request to accommodate automatically controlled narrowband digital stations on 80 meters in the wake of rule changes that became effective today at 12:01 AM Eastern Time. The Commission said it will carve out the 3585 to 3600 kHz frequency segment for such operations. Prior to the long-awaited action on the Morse code issue, Amateur Radio applicants for General and higher class licenses had to pass a 5 WPM Morse code test to operate on HF. The Commission said today's R&O eliminates that requirement for General and Amateur Extra applicants. Full Story ----- Original Message ----- From: Leslie Elliott To: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, December 15, 2006 10:03 PM Subject: [digitalradio] Re: Effective Date ? FCC Drops Morse Code
I'm pretty sure that anyone who is a technician class, such as myself, will still have to take the written test, element 3 or 4 depending on whether we want General or Extra license, in order to operate on HF Voice. Even those that are Tech + would have to take element 3 to operate voice on HF except for the small segment already available to Tech + on 10 M and the small CW only segments on 15 M, 40 M & 80 M. I read that they are going to combine Tech and Tech + now, and while I may be wrong,I guess that means that a Tech could operate on HF CW where the Tech + were allowed. Of corse, that is a moot point, as most Tech's don't know Morse anyway Hi Hi! Either way, I'm sure that they/we will have to wait till published etc. I hope those in the group that were opposed to the elimination of Morse will not hold it against those of us that will benefit from this. I for one love Ham Radio, and just wasn't interested in CW, but was going to learn it anyway because it was looking like this rule change was not coming soon enough. I may still learn it someday, but for now, I am mainly interested in the "other" digital modes like PSK etc. 73 de KCØPTO --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, "Andrew O'Brien" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > When does this take effect? Can no code hams start tonight on HF or do > we have to wait for the rules to be published in the Federal Register > plus 30 days ? > > Andy K3UK >
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