FCC Drops Morse Code Requirement

leighklotz writes to mention a story discussing what some might consider a historic event. The FCC has dropped the Morse Testing requirement for amateur radio certifications. The public announcement was made on Friday. Ham radio operators will no longer have to study Morse, in a move patterned after other western nations. Says leighklotz: "The U.S. joins Canada and other countries in eliminating the morse code testing requirement, after being authorized to do so on July 5, 2003, when the World Radio Telecommunications Conference 2003 in Geneva adopted changes to the ITU Radio Regulations."

CQ

[oz1cz]

dit-dit dah-dit dat dit dit-dah-dit dit dit-dit-dit dah dit-dit dah-dit dah-dah-dit

What about everyone else?

[Loconut1389]

ditdit ditditdit ditditdah ditdahdahdit ditdahdahdit dahdahdah ditditdit dit dah ditditditdit ditdit ditditdit ditdahditdit dit ditdah ditditditdah dit ditditdit dit ditditditdah dit ditdahdit dahditdahdah dahdahdah dahdit dit dit ditdahditdit ditditdit dit ditdit dahdit dah ditditditdit dit dahditdit ditdah ditdahdit dahditdah ditditdahdahditdit

Independence day Aliens

[xquark]

So how will we coordinate our counter attacks when the aliens from independence day come-a-knockin'?
sms perhaps?

Re:CQ

[i kan reed]

what the heck is a dat?

Re:Bad idea?

[tomjen]

No the hand gun, bullets and beer are reserved for Dick Cheney.

Re:CQ

[sbben]

Cut the leet.

Re:CQ

[Ngarrang]

Cut the leet.

I think this might be the first time in history someone has accused of Morse Code of being leet speak. Wow.

Thank God

[proxy318]

That was the one thing holding me back from getting my radio license.

Survivors Will Need Morse

[SkyDude]

After the nuclear holocaust, when we emerge from the caves, Morse code will be a necessary skill. So will knowledge of MS-DOS, hand cranking a Model T, using a buggy whip and reading an analog clock. The FCC is being very short-sighted.

Apparently, so is Slashdot. In an attempt to be humourous, I couldn't post a series of Morse words. It kept rejecting the posting with the reason "Please use fewer junk characters." Huh.

Damn nerds, what do they know.

Re:CQ

[Anne_Nonymous]

You kids and your damn rap music. Now get off my lawn.