MPR: Comparing Notes: No victory for di-di-dit-dah

MPR: Comparing Notes: No victory for di-di-dit-dah:

"No victory for di-di-dit-dah
Posted at 9:07 AM on December 28, 2006 by John Zech (0 Comments)

The opening notes of Beethoven's 5th Symphony have been described as 'Fate knocking at the door.' It just so happens that the pattern of 3 short notes followed by one long corresponds to the Morse code for the letter 'V.' During WWII Winston Churchill was famous for giving the two-fingered salute of 'V is for Victory,' and in June of 1941, the BBC began using the opening of Beethoven's 5th as a theme for radio shows beamed across Europe to boost morale during the Second World War. "

Lincoln News Messenger : Top Stories

Lincoln News Messenger : Top Stories:

"Lending a helping 'ham'
Lincoln Hills ham radio group use hobby to aid local law enforcement
By: D.E. Kern, The News Messenger
Wednesday, December 27, 2006 4:48 PM PST

Karina williams/the news messenger Lincoln Hills Radio Group members, Larry White, left, and Roger Brunnquell, test the emergency radio equipment at the Del Webb Lincoln Hills station.With good reason, emergency personnel tend to get the least bit hoggish when it comes to developing backup resources in case of catastrophes. So it comes as no surprise that Lincoln fire and police officials have found a friend in the hams.

Hams, for the uninitiated, are amateur radio operators, and under the auspices of the Lincoln Hills Amateur Radio Group they provide communications support to local departments."

Morse Code: A Fading Signal

Morse Code: A Fading Signal:

"Morse Code: A Fading Signal
It may be the ultimate S O S — Morse Code is in distress.

The language of dots and dashes has been the lingua franca of amateur radio, a vibrant community of technology buffs and hobbyists who have provided a communications lifeline in emergencies and disasters.

But that community has been shaken by news that the government will no longer require Morse Code proficiency as a condition for an amateur license. It was deemed dispensable in part because other modes of communicating over ham radio, like voice, teletype and even video, have grown in popularity."

(A Fading Signal) - New York Times

(A Fading Signal) - New York Times:

"The language of dots and dashes has been the lingua franca of amateur radio, a vibrant community of technology buffs and hobbyists who have provided a communications lifeline in emergencies and disasters.

But that community has been shaken by news that the government will no longer require Morse Code proficiency as a condition for an amateur license. It was deemed dispensable in part because other modes of communicating over ham radio, like voice, teletype and even video, have grown in popularity.

While the decision had been expected, some ham radio operators fear that their exclusive club has been opened to the unwashed masses — and that the very survival of Morse Code is in question. "

Amateur radio enthusiasts fight to save Morse Code - Business - International Herald Tribune

Amateur radio enthusiasts fight to save Morse Code - Business - International Herald Tribune: "Amateur radio enthusiasts fight to save Morse Code
By Miguel Helft Published: December 26, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO: It may be the ultimate SOS.
Found this article

published in the "International Herald Tribune"

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/12/26/yourmoney/morse.php?page=1

Amateur radio enthusiasts fight to save Morse Code
By Miguel Helft Published: December 26, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO: It may be the ultimate SOS.

Morse Code is in distress.
......
......
While the decision had been expected, some ham radio operators fear that their exclusive club has been opened to the unwashed masses — and that the very survival of Morse Code is in question.
......
The demise of the Morse requirement, however, could be a boon for ham radio itself. After the FCC decision, demand for information about radio licenses surged from about 200 in a typical weekend to about 500, according to the American Radio Relay League, an organization representing ham radio operators.
......
"It's part of the dumbing down of America," said Nancy Kott, editor of World Radio magazine and a field representative for the Centers for Disease of Control and Prevention in Metamora, Michigan. "We live in a society today that wants something for nothing."

A female in a mostly male radio world, Kott is one of about 660,000 licensed ham operators in the United States and is the U.S. leader of Fists CW Club, an organization that calls itself the International Morse Preservation Society.
......

DITDIT

73 fer nw es gud DX,
QSL VIA: BUR, LotW, e-QSL
Bob AD5VJ(AAR6VM)
Old calls: WY5L/KH3-KE5CTY-N5IET
http://www.ad5vj.com/

Member: CTDXCC, NTCC, STXDXCC
FISTS: # 12637, SKCC# 2369
10X# 37210, FP#-1141
SMIRK#-5177, RARS #-149

BBC World Service | Discovery

BBC World Service | Discovery:

"Few people know it but 24th December 2006 marks the 100th anniversary of broadcast radio.
With the help of radio enthusiasts and children from Drumlemble Primary School, Richard Hollingham investigates the events that led to the world’s first true radio ‘broadcast’:

A programme of live music, readings and phonograph recordings that was transmitted to ships in the Atlantic Ocean."

HF/VHF/UHF BAnds Operating Guide

HF/VHF/UHF BAnds Operating Guide:

"HF / VHF / UHF Bands Operating Guide
Covering the most used bands
The very best and most compact Ham Band Operating Reference available!

Now updated with the new FCC amateur band plan changes
which are effective as of December 15, 2006"

Nifty! Ham Accessories Home Page

Nifty! Ham Accessories Home Page:

"Nifty! Quick Reference Guides
Condensed step-by-step guides that
Simplify Setup and Operation"

NASA - Solar Storm Warning

NASA - Solar Storm Warning:

"This week researchers announced that a storm is coming--the most intense solar maximum in fifty years. The prediction comes from a team led by Mausumi Dikpati of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

'The next sunspot cycle will be 30% to 50% stronger than the previous one,' she says. If correct, the years ahead could produce a burst of solar activity second only to the historic Solar Max of 1958."