Morse Code requirment is dead. R.I.P. 12-15-2006

The requirment for Hams to know Morse code is being dropped. Some people will be saying this is the death of amateur radio but I do not.

I think everyone is missing the point. I do not think we are losing anything. I feel we are going to gain a large group of new hams and hams upgrading their licenses. These will be people who will advance the hobby. Not all but some. I was a no code tech for a long time. I decided to buckle down and study the code and pass it. I got my 5wpm out of the way and 28 days later I was an Extra class license holder. Do I feel that the guys who will pass the test and upgrade without having to learn code are cheating or something? NOPE. I feel they have just as much right to use the frequencies as the rest of us. That is like saying that not having to parallel park on a driving test now means you are not a real driver. BS. You studied the question pool (or memorized it) and passed thats what counts. You hold a valid license and thats that.

Link to the article on the ARRL's website
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/12/15/104/?nc=1