[nathanbedford]

I congratulate you on your successful result. I know nothing about ham radio but I do know the satisfaction I got as I passed three federal tests, private pilot's license, instrument rating, and series 7 examination. I am aware of the great things that ham operators have done, the many public services, the actual saving of lives.

My question to you is this, we are now in the digital age, what are the requirements for your test? Do they relate to a digital age? I ask because I presume you are communicating by voice and not by key. Is it still a requirement to have mastered Morse code? If so, or if it ever was, why?

In other words is the test related to the actual needs to operate the equipment as it exists today? Why have a test at all? Is the test designed to be deliberately difficult as a means of apportioning out a limited number of band spots? if so, is that the way the government should do it? Should it be by lottery? Should it be auctioned? Should be granted only according to a public service? Should be withheld from conservatives?

What impact does the Internet have on ham radio? Has it rendered ham radio to some degree obsolete?

[Right Wing Assault]

What impact does the Internet have on ham radio? Has it rendered ham radio to some degree obsolete?

In a natural or man-made disaster (to use obama-talk for terror attack) if there is any power failure, hams rule. Many have mobile units in their vehicles and battery powered hand-helds that can be recharged by the vehicle battery. Cell phones? The towers will be dead. Internet? Mostly dead unless you have a satellite phone hooked to your computer.

[jwparkerjr]

re: s it still a requirement to have mastered Morse code?

Nope! There is no longer any requirement to demonstrate a proficiency in sending and receiving code.

It was once a requirement simply because it was the major method for communication over the air waves. And, as an old ham friend of mine, K4KCW, used to say, “It keeps the riff-raff out!”

[dragnet2]

What impact does the Internet have on ham radio? Has it rendered ham radio to some degree obsolete?

Amateur radio will never be obsolete, due to the fact that one can communicate across the country or the world on 25 watts of power, with good conditions, and be totally portable, off the grid.

With the Fed gov wanting to regulate or do away with the Internet, ham radio will always be a nice alternative.

[AFreeBird]

There is packet radio. You can link computers via HAM radio. I don't know how (I'm not a Ham) it relates to Baud rates, or bps (like dialup-at 1200,2400, or 56K), but a packet is a packet. As long as you can deal with packet loss (error correction), data doesn't really much care what medium you're using.

If you receive HDTV over the air, then one computer (broadcaster) is talking to another (your HD set), only that's a one way communication).

[AppyPappy]

“What impact does the Internet have on ham radio? “

Internet is done alone. Hams get together. I remember going to the Ham radio hut next to the Greensboro NC airport to take classes. W4GG.

Ham is like the ultimate electronic gear geekdom.

[Clinging Bitterly]

Wow lots of questions. I'll answer in order, and my answers address practical issues more than political, where I might say an entirely different thing. There are plenty of more important issues that need serious political treatment at this time.

Question pool is available online as public record (reponse to first two questions, ignoring non-questioning parts of statements therewith).

Not presently.

I can't think of a bona-fide justification that existed in recent history (post WWII perhaps as a sort of coarse dividing line), but in years past it was the universal means of transmitting intelligence and absolutely necessary to know.

Yes.

It helps ensure an operator's ability to avoid causing harmful interference to other services and to one-another, among other things.

I don't think so.

Depends.

No.

No.

I don't think so.

Some might think so.

A lot in ways too numerous to mention in the time I have.

May appear so to some, but in reality not in any way that's important.

[calex59]

In other words is the test related to the actual needs to operate the equipment as it exists today? Why have a test at all? Is the test designed to be deliberately difficult as a means of apportioning out a limited number of band spots? if so, is that the way the government should do it? Should it be by lottery? Should it be auctioned? Should be granted only according to a public service? Should be withheld from conservatives?

To answer some of your questions, although I am not the guy you posted it too!:) The test are on digital electronics, the code requirements have been reduced for most grades and eliminated on others. The reason you must pass tests is because hams are supposed to be able to work on their own equipment and therefore must be able to keep interference down on the bands and not splatter across the bands and to avoid being on the wrong bands. This is an amateur license and thus is not subject to, and never should be, drawing by lottery, depending on service needs or any other idiotic reason, politics certainly don't enter into it. Your last question was especially on the stupid side, unless of course you were being sarcastic.