Last night, I heard an ABC News Radio update stating that the FCC finally dropped the Morse code requirement to obtain an amateur radio license, primarily because there are no longer any international treaties in effect requiring this knowledge of HAMs.

For many years, it has been possible to get a Technician license without knowing Morse code (I have had one of these for a few years). This license only allows operation on VHF and above. I presume that what the story really meant to say is that some of the more advanced classes of license that allow operation on HF can now be obtained without a knowledge of Morse code. This sounds pretty exciting (as I have a vintage AM/CW tube transmitter that I would like to put on the air).

IMHO, this is a good thing.

I've boned up twice for the General, having found my code requirement documentation. (Passed Novice in early 80's) Pretty sure I'll pass, but timing always seems poor these days.

My first rig was an old tube AM set. Loved using it. Should be fun!

Cool, never could "get" that code stuff! Practice tests here:

http://www.qrz.com/testing.html

No fair!

I had to learn code.
So should everybody else!

didahdidit dahdahdah didahdidit!

Well, apparently last week the Morse requirement has been lifted completely, or at least this is what I understand from reading Radio-Info.

About time. As using Morse code today as a main form of communication in a world of voice is about as efficient as typing entire form letters on a manual typewriter when more efficient word-processing programmes are available, this *may* actually provide impetus for getting a HAM license I have been talking about for the last ten years.

Now, how much do ya wanna bet the FCC will make knowledge of PSK31 or Baudot mandatory for higher-level licenses in the near future? *snort*

Couple of *somewhat related* query: I have heard rumoured the FCC requires Ham operators to keep a logbook of communications.

Apparently there are also arbitrary taste regulations on most bands as well, like the broadcast bands have.

Is any of this true? (If the latter holds true I think I would be better off sticking with my old CB......)

There was a reason for the morse code requirement, there could be an emergency where it might be necessary to jurry rig a transmitter, and only be able to send morse.

I guess the FCC has decided that possibility is to remote nowadays.

Historical perspective, when the Japanese overran the Philipines, a Philipano scout, was able to make a transmitter out of a bell and howell movie projector, that let Gen Fertig (Ltcol AUS) send messages to Gen McArther in Australia.

Perhaps it would be more fitting for today's environment to see how fast you can text every contract engineer on the list in the studio.....

In the world of vacuum tube electronics, you could make a low powered (<10 watt) CW transmitter from the beam tetrode tube (6L6, 6V6, 50C5) that was typically meant to function as an audio power amp. Here's one example of a really simple CW transceiver used by spies in the WWII era: http://www.mines.uidaho.edu/~glowbugs/paraset.htm

It is somewhat amusing to think that back then, this was considered a "miniaturized" design.

Sutton,

Check this out. I don't know if you've seen it before or not, but it's fun to see technology at work!
http://www.kkn.net/~n6tv/Text_vs_Morse_Leno_2005_05_13.wmv

Missing, Did you happen to upgrade your Novice to a Tech Plus when they changed the Tech to 5wpm? I think you still had to take the General technical test though. If you did, and you have the old copies of your license, you can now upgrade to the General without having to take the code (which is now a moot point anyway) so you should be able to upgrade to General with out any further testing.

I'm planning on doing that although I don't know why, I've had my license for almost 25 years and never really been on the air other than I had a 2 meter radio for about a year or so!

If you'd like, when I get the details, I'll forward them on to you.

Please do.

I've taken the practice tests a number of times. I think passing the General is no biggie, but travel and other things have kept me from the exam.

It's on the list this year. Kids are getting older and I think I'll have time.

I didn't upgrade --let it lapse a number of years back. I moved and didn't keep up with it.

Did a check and found out both my old callisign and the code test I took will suffice for credit --at least that's what I was told a year or so back.

Alfredo, I was working with tube transmitters in the late 80's! Actually my first rig was all tube and it was a complete kick! I've still got my hand made crystal oscillator and a few of the crystals.

The tube xmitter was a 1/2KW rig. Good for all of HF, plus AM / 160 meters. Receiver was a Hammerlund with variable bandwidth, BFO, the works. That was stolen a few years back --bastards! It worked well into 2000. Fantastic AM receiver. Hook that baby to a long wire, narrow down to about 3Khz and the entire dial was filled with stations from all over the place.

Missing, are you in Vancouver or Portland? I've got the info for Vancouver and am looking for the Portland stuff.

PDX!

Speaking of tube gear, I sometimes wish that I were a decade or two older. For a while, I wondered, "now why would people use TV horizontal sweep tubes as HF transmitter finals?" They have high breakdown voltages, but they can't tolerate a lot of plate dissipation. One day, it hit me: TV sweep tubes were CHEAP and READILY AVAILABLE between the 1950s and 1970s. The HAMs and electronics experimenters of those days could pick up these tubes at local department stores or even drug stores!

Even though there were relatively few tube types that were commonly available, you could do so much with them! Today, there are many more components available, but things are more application-specific and less "hacker friendly."

By the way one cool non-tube radio that I was just working on is the Heathkit HW-2036 2 Meter FM transceiver. I had been fixing some problems with the antenna connector (they used an RCA connector for this purpose) and cleaning up corrosion in the antenna. The radio is now back in my car, the antenna SWR looks pretty good, and I got a good report from another HAM who happened to be monitoring the 146.960 repeater.

Skybill, that was a great vid clip! Thanks!

Ah vacume tubes, remember when you could find a "Tube" tester in about any hardware or electronics store?

Something doesnt work, look in the back for the tube that doesnt glow.

>>>"Ah vacume tubes, remember when you could find a "Tube" tester in about any hardware or electronics store?"

I'll admit, I miss those days.

I remember seeing one at Fred Meyer when I was a kid (in the early 80s?) and asking my mom what the heck it was. I dont believe I've ever seen one in use.

I miss them too.

Used to be one of those testers, along with an assortment of common tubes in the Thriftway supermarket! Pretty sure it existed well into the early 80's.

I used the thing fairly often as a kid. There was a big book, or chart depending on the tester. You looked up your tube, found the socket, then set the dials to the right testing voltages. Press the test button, and the tube would light up and a meter would tell you good, bad or marginal.

...or if you had a coupla tubes to blow, just see how much the little bugger can take! Didn't take long for a good tube to forever show marginal or bad.

I used it to test a lot of tubes scrounged from old Radio and TV gear.

In the late 1980s, there was a guy who sold tubes by mail, and he also had an inventory of used and restored tube testers that he was selling for $30!! He gave out the schematic for free with his tube catalog; this was a deluxe tube tester that was capable of doing transconductance tests and detecting gassy tubes. The guy's name was KIRBY, and he advertised in Radio-Electronics. If I had had my own place back then, I certainly would have bought one of these puppies!

Simpler tube testers only checked emissions, and the cheapest ones could only measure continuity throught the filament and test for inter-electrode shorts. I picked up one of this last type of tester really cheap at a mail order surplus place. It just consisted of a neon lamp that lit up if there was continuity. You had to know the pinout of your tubes in order to use it (I still have this thing someplace).

The one I used was fairly complex. I'll bet it was the middle type for sure.

Despite the complexity of the tests, the KIRBY tester, as I remember was fairly simple to operate. According to the literature, there was a big dial that you would turn to select the tube types, and a chart would tell you which socket to plug the tube into and what buttons to push. There was a huge array of sockets which were arranged by filament voltage. You could even test nuvistors on this thing!!!

On most TV's the tube sockets were labeled as to their basic functions, IE audio, verticle horizontal etc. So you could just change the couple of tubes associated with the function that dident work.

Thats rather hard to do with a digital tv/radio.

In my AF days, I worked on the F4 D and E fighters radar, the D radar was vacume tube based, the E solid state. Most of the vacume tubes were soldered in, but were still easier to change than the multi pin solid state components of the E.

Missing, here is the info for the Amateur testing in Vancouver;
http://www.ccares.org/events/displaym.php?id=39

I had the Portland info at one time, but I'll be darned if I can find it.

However, if you call HRO (Ham Radio Outlet) in Tigard, 800-854-6046 or 503-598-0555 11705 SW Pacific Hwy [99W] Suite Z, Portland OR 97223, they can give you the dates and location for you to upgrade.

Enjoy!

I knew this would happen sometime but the question was when but I learned Morse Code and took the test anyway passed it on the first try too! Many comments I read were that amateur radio was going to turn into CB that is what was said about no code tech in 1991 but it did not end up like that. This might be a good thing I know of some tech licensees who struggled with code because of a hearing problem or other reasons and all the other technician class ops in my area do a good job on the air and follow the FCC rules I know this is most likely not representative of all the US but we will see on the 23rd how this turns out.

There was definately a tube tester at the Hawthorne Fred Meyer in the early 80's. Supermarkets (Safeway,etc) generally had them also, not to mention Radio Shacks. It was kind of a racket however, i think. Many tubes sold unnecessarly. Often a "weak" tube works fine in its circuit. I wonder how many of those testers were rigged to be overly critical, thus selling more tubes?

here is a list i found of official ham exams in the area (i don't know if they do the "no-code license upgrades" or not, but there is contact info for you to find out):
http://lists.topica.com/lists/PDXHamInfo/read/message.html?mid=1720754588&sort=d &start=930