Charles,   
      
   CS>I'd like to hear some history and personal comments about it, I'm really   
   CS>curious!   
      
     I got into it originally for Skywarn Severe Weather operations in   
   1991, when the FCC removed the Morse Code requirement (5 wpm exam) for   
   the Technician Class license.   
      
     In 2000, the FCC reduced the Morse Code Requirement to just 5 WPM for   
   the Technician Plus (Technician with 5 wpm code exam credit), the   
   General, and the Amateur Extra (it was originally 13 WPM for the General   
   and Advanced, and 20 WPM for Amateur Extra). In 2007, the FCC removed   
   the Morse Code requirement altogether. People are learning the Morse   
   Code now because they WANT to...and NOT because they HAVE to.   
      
     The funniest story I heard on that (I likely have posted this in other   
   echoes) was these 4 hams sitting around a restaurant table in Annapolis,   
   Maryland...telling each other dirty jokes in CW (it stands for   
   "Continuous Wave", another name of Morse Code). This drop dead gorgeous,   
   curvaceous female, walked up to them, and admonished the group "You boys   
   need to watch your language. I teach CW at the Naval Academy across the   
   street", and walked out!! They were as red as tomatoes!!    
      
     Three months after my wife died (2 months after the FCC dropped the   
   Morse Code requirement) in 2007, I decided for grins, to try to upgrade,   
   and become a Volunteer Examiner, to give and grade the exams. I signed   
   up with Ham Test Online (www.hamradiolicenseexam.com), and studied 2   
   hours a day for 2 weeks on each one. I went from Technician to General   
   in 14 days...and from General to Amateur Extra 13 days later. It was THE   
   BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT in amateur radio.   
      
     For more information on what I've done in ham radio, go to www.qrz.com   
   and search for WX1DER -- unless you're logged in, you won't see my   
   personal information, but you can read the biography.   
      
   Daryl, WX1DER   
      
   ===   
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