jhs%Mitre-Bedford@sri-unix.UUCP (06/29/84)
Ref. - recent ARRL bulletin # 50 (below):
-----------------
qst de k9eui
hr bulletin nr 50 from arrl headquarters newington ct
june 22 1984 to all radio amateurs bt
the efforts of radio amateurs in meeting the challenge of
emergency communications readiness through participation in the
1984 american radio relay league field day and in the exercises
sponsored by the national communications system are greatly
appreciated. your communications skills are a vital resource
to our country.
signed, casper w. weinberger, secretary of defense. ar
-----------------
The amateur radio service is NOT handed all that spectrum just for our
amusement. The PRIMARY justification, in the face of a LOT of competition,
for all those Megahertzes we call home is that we are a major emergency
communications resource. Both us as operators and our equipment.
Read the back of your license, last sentence, for further clarification.
Morse code, with the most sophisticated signal processor known to Man
(the human brain) as receiver, is well known to be able to "get through"
under many kinds of highly adverse conditions in which most other modes fail
miserably.
Morse transmitters can be "jury rigged" in the field out of junk parts in
an emergency. Like a battery and a roll of wire. (Try to build a
computerized ASCII terminal starting with those resources!)
I know of one recent case (circa 1980) in which two people were rescued from
virtually certain death after an auto accident because one of them happened to
be a ham and happened to be able to send Morse code using the touch-tone pad
on his 2 Meter FM rig. I never learned just why he couldn't use voice;
probably either his injury or that of the microphone prevented it. But if he
had NOT known Morse, two people would now be dead unnecessarily. (Details
available on request -- it was a pretty dramatic incident.)
Morse IS a bit of effort to learn, and can't effectively be taught quickly in
an emergency situation.
For all these reasons, it is in the public interest that ALL of us be coerced,
wheedled, conned, tricked, and/or otherwise forced into learning the code
whether we are interested in doing so or not. The only exception I would
support is for people who REALLY are medically impaired in a way that makes
this impossible or an undue burden. And I think when one looks into this,
that's a VERY small fraction of those who seek relief from the code
requirement.
It is also in our PERSONAL interest, because knowing the code could (as in the
case mentioned above) save you own personal life someday.
Besides, Morse code is actually FUN, like skiing or ice skating, once you stop
grumbling and get some proficiency in it. And the way to do that is to USE
it, just for fun, once in awhile, even if your main interest in ham radio lies
somewhere else. Get into a CW "ragchew" from time to time. This takes away
the drudgery of practice and makes it actually interesting. HINT: As with
tennis or chess, you progress the fastest when you work with an "opponent"
more skilled than yourself.
-John H. Sangster (617) 271-7426
jhs at mitre-bedfordjhs%Mitre-Bedford@sri-unix.UUCP (07/01/84)
*** I GOT A SERVICE MSG THAT THIS DIDNT MAKE IT TO SIMTEL20. PLEASE
DISREGARD IF A DUPLICATION; ELSE DELETE THESE 2 LINES ***
Ref. - recent ARRL bulletin # 50 (below):
qst de k9eui
hr bulletin nr 50 from arrl headquarters newington ct
june 22 1984 to all radio amateurs bt
the efforts of radio amateurs in meeting the challenge of
emergency communications readiness through participation in the
1984 american radio relay league field day and in the exercises
sponsored by the national communications system are greatly
appreciated. your communications skills are a vital resource
to our country.
signed, casper w. weinberger, secretary of defense. ar
The amateur radio service is NOT handed all that spectrum just for our
amusement. The PRIMARY justification, in the face of a LOT of competition,
for all those Megahertzes we call home is that we are a major emergency
communications resource. Both us as operators and our equipment.
Read the back of your license, last sentence, for further clarification.
Morse code, with the most sophisticated signal processor known to Man
(the human brain) as receiver, is well known to be able to "get through"
under many kinds of highly adverse conditions in which most other modes fail
miserably.
Morse transmitters can be "jury rigged" in the field out of junk parts in
an emergency. Like a battery and a roll of wire. (Try to build a
computerized ASCII terminal starting with those resources!)
I know of one recent case (circa 1980) in which two people were rescued from
virtually certain death after an auto accident because one of them happened to
be a ham and happened to be able to send Morse code using the touch-tone pad
on his 2 Meter FM rig. I never learned just why he couldn't use voice;
probably either his injury or that of the microphone prevented it. But if he
had NOT known Morse, two people would now be dead unnecessarily. (Details
available on request -- it was a pretty dramatic incident.)
Morse IS a bit of effort to learn, and can't effectively be taught quickly in
an emergency situation.
For all these reasons, it is in the public interest that ALL of us be coerced,
wheedled, conned, tricked, and/or otherwise forced into learning the code
whether we are interested in doing so or not. The only exception I would
support is for people who REALLY are medically impaired in a way that makes
this impossible or an undue burden. And I think when one looks into this,
that's a VERY small fraction of those who seek relief from the code
requirement.
It is also in our PERSONAL interest, because knowing the code could (as in the
case mentioned above) save you own personal life someday.
Besides, Morse code is actually FUN, like skiing or ice skating, once you stop
grumbling and get some proficiency in it. And the way to do that is to USE
it, just for fun, once in awhile, even if your main interest in ham radio lies
somewhere else. Get into a CW "ragchew" from time to time. This takes away
the drudgery of practice and makes it actually interesting. HINT: As with
tennis or chess, you progress the fastest when you work with an "opponent"
more skilled than yourself.
-John H. Sangster (617) 271-7426
jhs at mitre-bedforddgary@ecsvax.UUCP (07/11/84)
<>
Morse code proficiency and swimming (preferably "drownproofing") should be
required for graduation from high school. Make that elementary school!!
A non-swimming, non-ham with many regrets re a misspent youth,
D Gary Grady
Duke University Computation Center, Durham, NC 27706
(919) 684-4146
USENET: {decvax,ihnp4,akgua,etc.}!mcnc!ecsvax!dgaryron@brl-tgr.UUCP (07/13/84)
The story I heard was an airplane pilot who used morse on his Push to talk switch because the audio was out in his radio. I'll admit that all I use CW for is decoding identifiers on repeaters and navigation transmitters but I'd feel better if the people who I'm sharing the airwaves with also know it. -Ron