Here's why I am 100% FOR CW!!

[kc2ifr]

One example..........if I were on a boat and that boat were in trouble and my radio had no audio or conditions were bad......Im sure CW would probably get me some help. Keying the mic to send cw is better than wishing I had some sort of computer generated bullshit device that probably wouldnt work anyway........if u get my drift.

[Herb K2VH]

True Bill, but of course what you say depends on the operator knowing Morse code at a minimum basic 5 w.p.m.  The same holds true for most any emergency situation.  It is beyond me what the problem is among some of us with this minimal basic code requirement.  Getting rid of it is not going to swell our numbers, and keeping it is not going to prevent growth.  As Bear and others have suggested, a good ad campaign rooted in engaging P.R. will do more than dumping the code requirement to inspire reasonable growth in numbers.

[AMroo]

Down under we got rid of the CW requirement years ago, it has made quite a change to the activity on HF, which had almost died off.

Personally, I am over 50 and, I am doing two courses and have a new micro to learn and am getting across GPIB and VXI programming, for work.
I dont have time to get involved inlearning CW it would do nothing for me.
 I also have arthritis in both hands so I use an electric driver.No chance of doing morse.

There is an argument that learing CW is satisfying and teaches disipline.
For me the same applies to learning macrami.

It is true that amateur radio is many different things to many people.
My local radio club club has many old timers that are into and good at CW,
  But this group generally take their rig back to the
 radio shop if it faults and their electronic theory is quite bad, they havent even meet micros yet.
 
There has been a lot of dumming down of the education system here, by leftist feminist teachers so much that the goverment is offering grants to males who want to become teachers (no one is touching it as they dont want to be cat meat). This has led to a lot of reward without effort values being formed. But the removal of morse was not seen as this - morse
was simply way past its use by date. None of the none morse calls have got into learning the code so its day has simply gone by.

[WA1GFZ]

We are dumbing down here in the U.S. also. Makes iteasier for the beltway bandits to run a $8T credit card balance.

Heck look at mr. dumb down himself at 1600 Pa.Ave.

we pay for oil twice. once to buy it then another time to protect ourselves
from the clowns who end up with oil money.

We feel sorry for all the poor people in the world,  we are kicking back so they can catch up.

That is our new conservative approach to things.

Love my country but fear for my Children's future

[W2VW]

we pay for oil twice. once to buy it then another time to protect ourselves
from the clowns who end up with oil money.

You win for best line of the year Frank!

Take the bux away and see just how much trouble they can buy.

[Jack-KA3ZLR-]

With me it's more of Responsibility Issue, In taking  License to qualify as an All Mode Operator there was the responsibility to qualify in all mode, No Big Deal, at least to me, I qualified , i got licensed, i got the priviledges.

OK, Today it's a Grab all you can society, avoiding responsibilities,  I'll make a point, in Sundays paper there is an article about "Same Sex" Medical coverage. OK a College female prof was interviewed and her "Same Sex" Partner, Penn Colleges need to keep up with Harvard and UCLA, in live in Same Sex medical coverage.

I sat back in my chair, an thought.. Really...  OK, First off we're talking about "Live In" Partners, used to be sharing medical coverage required Partners to be married legal couple,,"I Know I'm old Fashioned" I'm like that...OK, Now we have a Special Name,, "Same Sex" and a Special case, "Live In".. OK, they get Medical coverage...Just like that..!!! Awesum I thought... I questioned myself...Do Opposite Sex Partners "Qualify" in a Live in Atmosphere..?

So,

Then,.... I thought "How" that could be "Used" to network, Ah Key word "Network"...Medical Coverage... for no other responsibility other than living together "We Can Have Free Medical"... Dig That...

No Responsibilities Dudes... No worries man... Same Same...

There we have it.  It's not "Special' enough, it's Not a Special case, it's Not worth the effort anymore....

[Rob K2CU]

Well, I generally don't operate CW. Have done maybe 10 CW contacts in 40 years of having a ticket.  Buit I still believe in some requirement, and 5 WPM is such a piece of cake, you would have to be brain dead to not be able to learn it to at least pass the element, just once.  I would rather see a lessening of the CW-ONLY portions of certain bands.  Perhaps the sub-bands could be parcelled by mode bandwidth.  No, I don't want to open the can of worms of DSB vs SSB.  But let's just say that a mode using perhaps 300 HZ compared to 3000 Hz......

One relevant question as to the flood of LID's that will descend upon us: How many NEW hams have joined us since the HF bands were opened up to 5 WPM?  Or, have we mostly seen upgrades by people who have radio in the blood anyway?  

Being a SCI-FI/ Adventure film fan, I have found it interesting that "Morse" code is used as the back up communication method in many films. Even the BBC detective show "Morse" had his name running in code, in the music of the theme song.

Funny how OOK is a "New" wireless data modulation mode.

I watched the CW vs. IM contest on The Tonight Show, but was dissapointed that there wasn't a short interview with the CW ops to talk up Ham Radio.  Is is PR?  Almost everyone I know outside of Ham Radio has no knowledge that virtually every astronaut is a Ham.

[Glenn K2KL]

Right on the money Bill and Herb!... CW is the most basic form of communication and It's still useful, even today. I have helped quite a few people over the years learn the code... from all walks of life... Most of the folks I've helped have actually enjoyed learning the code...It was a challange, it was fun it was an acomplishment! even if they never planned to use it once they got their ticket.... I even taught my wife the code, she still remembers it today and never got her license, she thinks it's fun! as do many young people I've helped.

As others have said, removing the code requirement will do nothing positive for amateur radio. Why is there this need to change ham radio into a different hobby? because less people are getting their tickets? we need to "move with the times"?, connect ham radio with the internet? A big load of horse hockey!!

It aint broke.... don't fix it!!!
 

True Bill, but of course what you say depends on the operator knowing Morse code at a minimum basic 5 w.p.m.  The same holds true for most any emergency situation.  It is beyond me what the problem is among some of us with this minimal basic code requirement.  Getting rid of it is not going to swell our numbers, and keeping it is not going to prevent growth.  As Bear and others have suggested, a good ad campaign rooted in engaging P.R. will do more than dumping the code requirement to inspire reasonable growth in numbers.

[W1UJR]

As others have said, removing the code requirement will do nothing positive for amateur radio. Why is there this need to change ham radio into a different hobby? because less people are getting their tickets? we need to "move with the times"?, connect ham radio with the internet? A big load of horse hockey!!

It aint broke.... don't fix it!!!

Here, here, right on the money OM.

Why?
Why futs with a good thing, something that works and works quite well.

I am an OO and also instructor for Tech/General/Advanced license class.
I can share that all too many of my past General students just memorized the answers; they did not really "learn" the theory.
Most, but not all, did the least they could to get by, and if CW was not present we'd have even more LIDS on HF.

I'll make a standing offer. I will support remove of code when the following happen:

1) Question and Answer Pool is not published.

2) Answers are not multiple choice.

3) At least three test questions involve drawing a schematic and block diagram of a receiver and transmitter.

4) Instant license revocation and castration occurs if the following utterances are made by licensee, “10-4” and “Personal Here is”.

[Herb K2VH]

Bruce,

I agree.

Except for your #4, that's the way it was when I passed my General and Advanced.  Extra was a different story, though I did squeak through the 20 wpm code test, with the multiple guess questions.

Concerning your #4.......Hhhmmmmm, not a bad idea  :lol: