FCC to Drop Morse Code Requirement from General Licenses

[Kaido]

Looked at OP date. Super necro revival! This can only mean one thing!

But if you meet
a friendly horse
Will you communicate by
mo-o-o-o-orse?
mo-o-o-o-orse?
mo-o-o-o-orse?

How will you speak to that
ho-o-o-o-orse?
ho-o-o-o-orse?
ho-o-o-o-orse?
What does the fox say?!

 

[cavemanmoron]

K2HAT-@ 14263.0 J88HL 59++ fn32 UP 10 2234 15 Nov St. Vincent
K2HAT-@ 24935.0 ZF2AH 59 here fn32 2226 15 Nov Cayman Islands
K2HAT-@ 14192.0 FO4BM 57-59 Phillipe 0433 15 Nov French Polynesia
K2HAT-@ 24940.0 T33A up 15 24.965 57-59 here fn32 2148 14 Nov Banaba Island
K2HAT-@ 24940.2 XR0ZR up 5-10 at +10 1912 13 Nov 3G0Z
K2HAT-@ 28405.0 AI0L 59+40 here fn 32 near Albany NY 1806 13 Nov AA
K2HAT-@ 28465.0 XR0ZR UP 5-10 57-59 fn32 1754 13 Nov 3G0Z
K2HAT-@ 28496.0 EA8OB 59 here 1526 13 Nov Canary Islands
K2HAT-@ 7105.0 K9W split 7.160 58-59 here fn32 1222 13 Nov Wake Island
K2HAT-@ 7172.0 XF1P UP 5 59 here fn32 0432 13 Nov 4A
K2HAT-@ 14230.0 N2PEQ 59 0304 13 Nov AA


K2HAT-@ 24970.0 N7DZI 57-59 2112 11 Nov United States
K2HAT-@ 7182.4 W4BXI Western Electric QSO prty 59 fn32 0201 10 Nov United States
K2HAT-@ 7149.0 5J0R up 6 to 7.155 59 fn32 0154 10 Nov San Andres &
K2HAT-@ 14213.0 GB1AD 57 armistice day spec. event 1149 09 Nov England
K2HAT-@ 14215.0 GM100RSGB 57-59 here fn32 1136 09 Nov Scotland
K2HAT-@ 28480.0 A92HK 59 + here calling North America 1357 08 Nov Bahrain
K2HAT-@ 14225.5 VU3WIJ 59 here Upstate NY 1235 08 Nov India
K2HAT-@ 14187.0 EA3CC 59++ Thanks Frank 2311 07 Nov Spain
K2HAT-@ 14179.9 9H5DX 59 here Thnx Mike 1828 07 Nov Malta
K2HAT-@ 28485.0 SU9VB 59 here looking North America 1444 06 Nov Egypt
K2HAT-@ 147060.0 W2SFD test disregard please 1402 06 Nov United States
K2HAT-@ 14269.9 ZS1VV 59+ Thanks Vessy. 1934 05 Nov South Africa

 

[cavemanmoron]

Not as busy the past week.

K2HAT-@ 7186.0 W1G qsl via WO4L Bob Gettysburg 150 2241 22 Nov AA
K2HAT-@ 28500.0 CX3TQ 59 here fn32 2009 22 Nov Uruguay
K2HAT-@ 28472.5 FJ/VA3RA moved to here 59 still 1954 22 Nov St. Barthelemy
K2HAT-@ 28475.1 FJ/VA3RA 59 here fn32 1942 22 Nov St. Barthelemy
K2HAT-@ 7136.0 YN2CC 59 here fn32 0312 22 Nov Nicaragua
K2HAT-@ 28452.3 DK1QH 59 looking for rare Counties 1339 21 Nov DA
K2HAT-@ 7176.5 9Y4LAS 59+ fn32 Andy 0218 21 Nov Trinidad & T
K2HAT-@ 14150.0 XR0ZR UP 5 Thanks 59 fn32 0151 21 Nov 3G0Z
K2HAT-@ 7165.0 J88HL UP 5-10 59 here fn32 0040 21 Nov St. Vincent
K2HAT-@ 3799.5 OX3KQ 57-59 fn32 Thanks Jesper 0026 21 Nov Greenland
K2HAT-@ 14220.0 5V7TH UP 5-15 2313 20 Nov Togo
K2HAT-@ 14.2 FM5FJ 59+ fn32 2027 20 Nov Martinique
K2HAT-@ 28470.3 XR0ZR 57-59 fn32 Thank You 1853 20 Nov 3G0Z
K2HAT-@ 28403.0 EV1R 57-59 here fn32 1404 19 Nov Not Found
K2HAT-@ 7150.0 UA6BRD 57-59 0403 19 Nov European Russia
K2HAT-@ 28480.0 FO4BM 57-59 fn32 1759 16 Nov French Polynesia
K2HAT-@ 28472.8 CT9/DK7YY 59++ 1755 16 Nov CQ2
K2HAT-@ 28534.0 IS0DCR 57-59 1318 16 Nov Sardinia
K2HAT-@ 28521.0 YL3BF 57-59 fn32 1245 16 Nov Latvia
K2HAT-@ 28453.0 K4D 59 Special Event Call 1238 16 Nov United States

 

[SunnyD]

The only thing I have any desire to do with my license these days is come up with a system to get long range high speed data communications to the internet so I can tunnel back to my home network and use my VOIP system and LAN resources. How sad is that.

Anyone remember the good old autopatch days?

 

[cavemanmoron]

The only thing I have any desire to do with my license these days is come up with a system to get long range high speed data communications to the internet so I can tunnel back to my home network and use my VOIP system and LAN resources. How sad is that.

Anyone remember the good old autopatch days?

http://www.broadband-hamnet.org/

If you have your Amateur Radio License;
Look into this for that, I went to a forum the other day,
you could use 2 routers, one stock and one Firmware flashed for Amateur Radio use;
to talk to each other at both ends of the antenna's. IF your close enough for
the UHF to see both antennas. 2.4ghz is DIRECT line of sight.

One at Home one at your remote location.

 

[cavemanmoron]

I took my test as soon as I could after the Morse Code mandate was dropped,
in Feb 2007.

I had wanted to do this since 1970.

I passed my Tech and General tests Feb 28, 2007, and then passed my Extra test
March 10,2007.

Who else here is a "Ham"?

I will ask again, who else is an Amateur Radio Operator.

I have been for 10 years now and have had a lot of fun talking DX and earning DXCC too.

73 K2HAT

 

[Red Squirrel]

The requirement has been removed for a while here in Canada as far as I know. I think there is still a higher end qualification you can do that requires it though, but for your basic or basic plus (which is basically your full license) you don't need it.

Been wanting to start studying for it myself. Unlike stuff like Cisco certs etc, this does not expire. So even if I don't use it much it's still something cool to have. I'd like to play around with APRS mostly, probably setup an iGate. I'm in a good location for that as I don't think anyone even close to me has one setup. When I setup an ADS-B receiver for adsbexchange.com I realized I'm actually the only one feeding my area to the site!

Sending up a weather balloon that transmits telemetry would be cool too. Maybe even photos. Those birthday balloons that are shiny will last very long and you can pretty much go around the Earth a couple times if you're lucky before it bursts.

 

[John Connor]

I would love to learn Morse code. It's like a language on its own. I've read you don't listen for each dot and dash, but rather how it sounds. Which makes since because when you hear that famous beep, beep, beep, beeeep, beeeep, beeep, beep beep beep, you know it's SOS. Learning Morse code would help also in flying when you tune the LOC and hear the Morse code ident. It's not required to know Morse in aviation, but I think it could help.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I was listening to morse code on a web SDR, it's crazy how fast you need to be to interpret it, like I was trying to just type . / while listening to it but it's hard to keep up, like by the time your brain tries to register if it was a long beep or short beep you're already several beeps in. Had to record it in audacity so I can interpret it at my own leisure. I imagine those who do learn morse train their brains for this and can just interpret it in real time.

 

[cavemanmoron]

The requirement has been removed for a while here in Canada as far as I know. I think there is still a higher end qualification you can do that requires it though, but for your basic or basic plus (which is basically your full license) you don't need it.

Been wanting to start studying for it myself. Unlike stuff like Cisco certs etc, this does not expire. So even if I don't use it much it's still something cool to have. I'd like to play around with APRS mostly, probably setup an iGate. I'm in a good location for that as I don't think anyone even close to me has one setup. When I setup an ADS-B receiver for adsbexchange.com I realized I'm actually the only one feeding my area to the site!

Sending up a weather balloon that transmits telemetry would be cool too. Maybe even photos. Those birthday balloons that are shiny will last very long and you can pretty much go around the Earth a couple times if you're lucky before it bursts.

There is a local Amateur Radio Club that sends up a balloon with GPS and a camera once in a while, it carries
a 2 way radio that relays the telemetry and can be tracked in close to real time.

I am not good with CW but have used it to contact over 100 different DX "Countries".
I am at 287 DX Countries confirmed in all. It has been a fun hobby.

 

[MtnMan]

This could be the next encryption to keep the government from intercepting messages.

Send a message in morse code and write it down in cursive..... completely secure.

 

[Sonikku]

I would love to learn Morse code. It's like a language on its own. I've read you don't listen for each dot and dash, but rather how it sounds. Which makes since because when you hear that famous beep, beep, beep, beeeep, beeeep, beeep, beep beep beep, you know it's SOS. Learning Morse code would help also in flying when you tune the LOC and hear the Morse code ident. It's not required to know Morse in aviation, but I think it could help.

It can also be helpful when your ship has been commandeered and you need to tell your commanding officer locked in the brig that he should step back before you blow up the brig wall and let him escape before initiating an epic come back to take back the wessel.

 

[Elixer]

.- / -. . -.-. .-. --- / .--. --- ... - ..--.. / .... --- .-- / -.-. --- ..- .-.. -.. / -.-- --- ..- ..--..

 

[John Connor]

I was listening to morse code on a web SDR, it's crazy how fast you need to be to interpret it, like I was trying to just type . / while listening to it but it's hard to keep up, like by the time your brain tries to register if it was a long beep or short beep you're already several beeps in. Had to record it in audacity so I can interpret it at my own leisure. I imagine those who do learn morse train their brains for this and can just interpret it in real time.

Like I already stated. You don't listen for the dots and dashes. You listen for the way it sounds.

There are programs that you can run the audio into and it will decode the Morse code.

 

[John Connor]

This could be the next encryption to keep the government from intercepting messages.

Send a message in morse code and write it down in cursive..... completely secure.

 

[John Connor]

.- / -. . -.-. .-. --- / .--. --- ... - ..--.. / .... --- .-- / -.-. --- ..- .-.. -.. / -.-- --- ..- ..--..

wdJp7FsBITAhITAhLS82IqJn

 

[Exterous]

This could be the next encryption to keep the government from intercepting messages.

Send a message in morse code and write it down in cursive..... completely secure.

Ha - I I used to write everything in cursive. I turned in a college assignment written in it and got a 0 because it was 'unintelligible' and I had to prove to the professor that cursive writing was actually a thing.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Ha - I I used to write everything in cursive. I turned in a college assignment written in it and got a 0 because it was 'unintelligible' and I had to prove to the professor that cursive writing was actually a thing.

I find it hard to believe there's anyone old enough to teach in college who can't read cursive.

 

[Craig234]

I doubt people today can imagine how far the world felt back in the day before modern telephone technology, how exciting a radio connection was.

International phone lines have existed, but a long time ago international phone calls were awfully rare. 'Long distance' calls - that phrase no longer even sounds right.

 

[Rubycon]

Speaking of long dx...

Anyone remember microwave long lines?

Fiber killed this tech.

 

[Red Squirrel]

We still have plenty of microwave, mostly up north where it's too expensive to run fibre (though I still think they'd save in the long run, lot of those sites run on diesel generators 24/7). I can't recall where but I have seen towers with horns just like that when traveling out of town. Though most microwave stuff is using normal round dishes now. They probably use higher frequencies now days too and it's probably a total different tech. MDR500 I think they're called. Some RD6 too. Oh and SR500.

We've had issues with hunters shooting at the wave guides for fun. Really messes up the signal. Or one case the entire north was isolated because a stray bullet entered through the door and into a rack of equipment. Tech fount the .22 right in the equipment. Replaced the cards and it was up and running again.

Those AT&T vids are great. Something about that old style sound/voice and the cheesy sounds some of them have.

 

[Rubycon]

That narrator is called the film strip guy.
When the lights go bright, quiz time and time to smell wet dittos!
Ah yes, the sweet smell of duplication fluid!

 

[Fenixgoon]

how are we going to unite in the event that an alien invasion takes out our modern communication systems?

 

[Rubycon]

Infiltrate their system and use their technology to defeat them.
With a mac of course.
Some nutbag will claim that Steve Jobs told them how.

 

[cavemanmoron]

I don't do CW or Morse Code very well, but have used it to make a short contact with folks in other Countries.