FCC Drops Morse Code Requirement!

[hellosailor]

In an unexpected act of rationality, the FCC made a last-minute announcement today that they will be issuing a correction to a recent order AND formally dropping the Morse Code requirement for all amateur radio license classes in the immediate future. A formal announcement should be issued in the next couple of weeks with the new rules taking effect 30 days after that, i.e. sometime in February.

This was totally unexpected news, since the order being revised has been in process for almost two years "ahead" of the Morse Code considerations on their agenda, leading many of us to expect it would be two more years before any announcement or change in CW was coming.

Kudos to the FCC, someone must have accidentally been drinking real coffee this week!

[labatt]

Is this for the ham certification? So how difficult will it be now? The morse requirement is one reason I haven't gone for mine...

[sailingdog]

HS-

Do you have a link??

[Culinary411]

here's the link...its true


http://www.fcc.gov

[kavakava]

We'll be cruising to the Bahamas next year. Would SSB or Ham be a better choice? Also, what's the best method of rigging an antenna on a boat with no backstay? Thanks.

[sailingdog]

I think I'm going to get my ham license and get an SSB that is type approved for both Ham and SSB use.

[hellosailor]

Labatt-
This is for ham licensing--it's not called certification. (Equipment gets certified for use, hams only get certified when two attending psychiatrists commit them.)
The exams remain unchanged, exactly as hard as they were six months ago. The only change is that you will no longer need to take Element1, the Morse Code test, for any/all exams.
Note that you cannot get a license that currently requires Morse, until *after* the change is official. If you take it before then, you will have to hold your proof of passing and then resubmit it after the change goes into effect, or have the examiners submit your test results to the FCC after the rules go into effect.

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-269012A1.pdf
For the official annoucement on the FCC web site.

[camaraderie]

kavakava...for the bahamas you don't NEED an SSB or HAM rig (for the Abacos, Exumas or major tourist centers)...so you may want to skip the purchase entirely and save the $3k or so. With the VHF nets and internet/wireless available now in so many spots you can get all the info you need about weather and local conditions.
If you do decide you want a HF radio or are going out island or further south and NEED one...then SSB is what most would get....BUT...now with the code being dropped...getting a Ham license will be relatively easy so you don't need to make a choice. Get an SSB with Ham Band capability and get your Ham license when you feel like you want to and use the radio accordingly.
Without a Backstay...you could use Trayfors idea about the antenna/halyard combo he uses OR get a big whip antenna like a lot of the catamarans use.

[Bill Mc]

Cam,

I repaired the link that I previously posted for a ssb backstay antenna. For a SSB antenna on a sailboat I think this one rules.

http://gamelectronicsinc.com/ssb.htm

Fair Winds,
Bill

[hellosailor]

Bill, there are a limited number of documented antenna designs using two feed lines from one end. And, speaking as a cynic, if your design isn't already documented and known...I'd be surprised if there's anything that performs better than what years of documentation have already shown.

So, what's the mystery and how come you don't simply state what type of antenna design you are using? What kind of antenna is it, really?