Text 376, 75 rader
Skriven 2007-01-25 05:57:10 av Raymond Quinn (311.fidoamateurr)
     Kommentar till en text av Fidonet.AMATEUR_RADIO
Ärende: It's Official! Morse Code Requirement Ends Friday, February 23
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REVISED Jan 24, 2007 16:55 ET

It's Official! Morse Code Requirement Ends Friday, February 23
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 24, 2007 -- Circle Friday, February 23, on your calendar. 
That's when the current 5 WPM Morse code requirement will officially 
disappear from the Amateur Radio Service Part 97 rules in accordance with 
the FCC's Report and Order (R&O) in the "Morse code proceeding," WT Docket 
05-235. Beginning at 12:00 AM local time on February 23 (ie, after midnight 
Thursday), applicants for a General or Amateur Extra class Amateur Radio 
license no longer will have to demonstrate proficiency in Morse code. 
They'll just have to pass the applicable written examination. Publication of 
the new rules in the January 24 Federal Register started a 30-day countdown 
for the new rules to become effective. Deletion of the Morse requirement --  
still a matter of controversy within the amateur community -- is a landmark 
in Amateur Radio history.

"The overall effect of this action is to further the public interest by 
encouraging individuals who are interested in communications technology or 
who are able to contribute to the advancement of the radio art, to become 
Amateur Radio operators; and eliminating a requirement that is now 
unnecessary and may discourage Amateur Service licensees from advancing 
their skills in the communications and technical phases of Amateur Radio," 
the FCC remarked in the "Morse code" R&O that settled the matter, at least 
from a regulatory standpoint. The League had asked the FCC to retain the 5 
WPM for Amateur Extra class applicants, but the Commission held to its 
decision to eliminate the requirement across the board. The R&O appearing in 
the Federal Register constitutes the official version of the new rules.

Until 1991, when a Morse code examination was dropped from the requirements 
to obtain a Technician ticket, all prospective radio amateurs had to pass a 
Morse code test. With the change the US will join a growing list of 
countries that have dropped the need to demonstrate some level of Morse code 
proficiency to earn access to frequencies below 30 MHz.

The new rules also put all Technician licensees on an equal footing, whether 
or not they've passed a Morse code examination. Starting February 23, 
Technicians will gain CW privileges on 80, 40, 15 meters and CW, RTTY, data 
and SSB privileges on 10 meters. When the new rules go into effect 
Technicians may begin using their new privileges without any further action.

On or after February 23, an applicant holding a valid Certificate of 
Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) for Element 3 (General) or 
Element 4 (Amateur Extra) credit may redeem it for an upgrade at a Volunteer 
Examiner Coordinator (VEC) exam session. A CSCE is good for 365 days from 
the date of issuance, no exceptions. For example, a Technician licensee 
holding a valid CSCE for Element 3 credit would have to apply at a VEC test 
session and pay the application fee, which most VECs charge, in order to 
receive an instant upgrade to General.

ARRL Regulatory Information Specialist Dan Henderson, N1ND, cautions that a 
license upgrade is not automatic for those holding valid CSCEs for element 
credit. "You must apply for the upgrade at a VEC test session, and you may 
not operate as /AG or /AE until you have upgraded and have been issued a 
CSCE marked for upgrade," he stresses. "A valid CSCE for element credit only 
does not confer any operating privileges." Henderson also advises all radio 
amateurs to know and fully understand their operating privileges before 
taking to the airwaves. Some Technician licensees reportedly started showing 
up on 75 meters December 15 in the mistaken belief that they had gained 
phone privileges there.

The FCC R&O includes an Order on Reconsideration in WT Docket 04-140 -- the 
so-called "omnibus" proceeding. It will modify Part 97 in response to ARRL's 
request to accommodate automatically controlled narrowband digital stations 
on 80 meters in the wake of other rule changes that became effective last 
December 15. The Commission designated 3585 to 3600 kHz for such operations, 
although that segment will remain available for CW, RTTY and data. The ARRL 
had requested that the upper limit of the CW/RTTY/data subband be set at 
3635 kHz so there would be no change in the existing 3620 to 3635 kHz 
subband.

The ARRL has posted all relevant information on these important Part 97 rule 
revisions on its "FCC's Morse Code Report and Order WT Docket 05-235" Web 
page.
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