HollyKing's Journal

The FCC has updated my record in the ULS database. This means that I officially have a General class license. No longer do I need to append the words "acting general" after my callsign.

It’s official! Morse code requirement ends Friday, February 23.

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. On or after that date, 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. Federal Register publication January 24 of the FCC’s Report and Order (R&O) in the “Morse code proceeding,” WT Docket 05-235, starts 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. It is on the web in PDF format.

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.

Once the revised rules are in place, an applicant holding a valid Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) for Element 3 (General) or Element 4 (Amateur Extra) may redeem it for an upgrade. 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 may apply at a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) test session, pay the application fee, which most VECs charge, and receive an instant upgrade.

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 that 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.

Today the FCC released a Report & Order (R&O) that eliminated the Morse code (CW) requirement for all amateur radio license classes. It's only been 3 years since the World Radio Conference removed the international requirement. The rule changes in the R&O become effective 30 days after they're publishid in the Federal Register, so they should become effective sometime next February.

I know there are a lot of operators who are against the decision and would even go as far as to bump the CW requirement back to 20 words-per-minute. They can stuff it. As mentioned in the R&O:

The record is devoid of a demonstrated nexus between Morse code proficiency and on-the-air conduct," the FCC observed. "As a result, we concur with the observation that 'maintaining the code requirement does not purge Amateur Radio of bad operators. Education and self-policing does.'

Now, I fully support maintaining the ability to use CW as an operating mode. There are many times when it's the only mode that works in bad conditions and it's simple enough that you can make really small transceivers for back-country trips. Here's another quote that sums up my feelings pretty well:

We nevertheless believe that the public interest is not served by requiring facility in Morse code when the trend in amateur communications is to use voice and digital technologies for exchanging messages," the FCC said. "Rather, we believe that because the international requirement for telegraphy proficiency has been eliminated, we should treat Morse code telegraphy no differently from other Amateur Service communications techniques.

Another change I like in the R&O is removing the privilege differences between the Novice, Technician and "Tech Plus" license classes. Once the order is in effect Technicians will be able to operate on the same bands as Novices and Technicians who have passed the 5-wpm Morse code test. That means I'll get a taste of the 80-meter and 40-meter bands. However, I will only be authorized to use CW on a segment of those two bands. So I'll end up learning CW anyway.