Ham Extra

[PistolBob]

Koch CW trainer is great. I have started a lot of new to CW guys with that program. PistolBob, if you would like to make a CW sked PM me. I can keep up with ya :-) I am a Amateur Extra class from back in the day you had to get your Advance first. I still do a bit of CW. Homebrewing is my real passion though.

W9AMR

The G4FON software is great for learning the Koch method. Have you ever used it? Not sure if he is keeping it updated or not though.

 

[1911ly]

Yes I have. It runs under Win7 and previous OS versions. I don't think is has been updated in awhile. But I think it works pretty well as is. I agree with you on people trying to follow CW by using a chart. It's a really slow and hard way to learn CW. It might work for a few. But not for the many.

 

[Wolffman]

PistolBob,
Thanks for the tip about the G4FON app. I passed the Technician test, so now Morse has moved up on my list.

 

[PistolBob]

PistolBob,
Thanks for the tip about the G4FON app. I passed the Technician test, so now Morse has moved up on my list.

Congratulations! Welcome to the hobby. Now find a close by radio club to go be active in and you will really start to learn about radio. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Also, if I can learn CW, anyone can....I have a slow motion, thick skull...hehehhe.

 

[jwh20]

The Advanced class has been gone for a long time now. Sadly, Morse Code is no longer a requirement for a amateur radio license.

Indeed the Advanced class is gone, but it wasn't all that popular anyway, but I disagree that ditching the code requirement is a bad thing. First off, I am an Extra Class license holder and I did learn code and passed that. But in the 20 years I've operated as HAM, I've never used code. It's just not my thing. The problem with the code requirement is that it discouraged people from becoming Amateur licensees. After many years of decline, the number of HAM operators in the US is growing again and that's a good thing. There is tremendous competition for scarce radio spectrum space and the fewer HAMs there are, the more likely the erosion of HAM allocated spectrum will occur.

 

[Grizhicks]

Indeed the Advanced class is gone, but it wasn't all that popular anyway, but I disagree that ditching the code requirement is a bad thing. First off, I am an Extra Class license holder and I did learn code and passed that. But in the 20 years I've operated as HAM, I've never used code. It's just not my thing. The problem with the code requirement is that it discouraged people from becoming Amateur licensees. After many years of decline, the number of HAM operators in the US is growing again and that's a good thing. There is tremendous competition for scarce radio spectrum space and the fewer HAMs there are, the more likely the erosion of HAM allocated spectrum will occur.

Well said, and I agree 100%!!!

 

[PistolBob]

When were the numbers of amateur radio operators declining? The Morse Code requirement was reduced to 5 WPM for General and Extra Class on April 15, 2000 as well as the end of the Novice, Technician Plus and Advanced licenses, and on February 23, 2007 the Morse Code requirement for any license was completely removed.

At the end of 1999 we had 677,392 hams. At the end of 2007 we were down to 655,842. So for 6 years after a no code license was introduced, and 10 months after code had been eliminated for all licenses, we still lost 3.1% of our licensees. By the end of 2011 we were back up...with 700,221 licensees. So it wasn't just CW requirements keeping people away...although there is no argument that the CW requirement was too much for some folks...they either couldn't do it, or had no interest in doing it. I don't credit the FCC with the end of CW requirements though, as it was the ITU in 2003 that made that decision for the world.

I will say this though, I have been on the air using CW almost exclusively since about 1997 (licensed since 1987) and I don't have any trouble finding someone to QSO with using CW on HF today. I'd say it seems like the number of CW operators today is as many or maybe even more than it was in 1997. It's fun, what can I say.

Now...what if we eliminated all questions about all modes we have no interest in? I would not be surprised to see the day come when an exam will no longer be required for an entry level license. Call me nuts but in 1960 no one would have bet on CW making an exit off the requirement list.

See: US Amateurs Now 700,000 Strong!