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From: mcovingt@athena.cs.uga.edu ( Michael A. Covington)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Ham licenses without Morse code -- News item
Message-ID: <1990Dec13.220156.23970@athena.cs.uga.edu>
Date: 13 Dec 90 22:01:56 GMT
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens
Lines: 20

Anybody out there interested in radio technology, digital radio communication,
satellites, or simply a more civilized alternative to CB?

The FCC has announced that it will soon be possible to get a ham license
without having to learn Morse code. Instead of spending a month listening
to dits and dahs, you can spend your time studying technology.

The code test for the Technician Class license is being made optional.
Without the code test, you get full VHF privileges (50 MHz and up --
sometimes described as "above 30 MHz" but there are no ham bands between
30 and 50).

There is still, of course, a test on radio theory and regulations.
  
Afterward, if you want to take the 5 wpm code test, you can get the
right to use Morse code on some shortwave bands. And of course all the
other classes of ham license are still there.

I have no more information. Watch the news as it happens in rec.ham-radio
or contact the American Radio Relay League, Newington, CT 06111.