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 Previous: Section Manager Election Notice |  Next: Emergency Communications Course a Classroom Success |
NEWINGTON, CT, Jun 19, 2001--New Morse code exam standards go into effect July 1 for all Volunteer Examiner Coordinators. The new standards call for Farnsworth character speed in the 13-to-15 WPM range and the end of multiple-choice questions for routine Morse code exams.
The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators voted last July to set up the revised standards for the administration of Morse code examinations in the US. The move came in the wake of the FCC's December 30, 1999, restructuring Order that established 5 WPM as the sole Amateur Radio Morse code requirement.
ARRL VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, points out the required change to the Farnsworth protocol replaces the 18-WPM character speed ARRL VEC has used since 1989. "Standard 5 WPM messages with 5 WPM characters are available as an accommodation," he said. "Standard (non-Farnsworth) speed messages are available upon special request from the ARRL VEC for ARRL VE teams."
In addition, the Morse exam audio frequency range should be between 700 and 1000 Hz for routine exams.
Consistent with the revised standards, Jahnke said, ARRL VEC has set 15-WPM characters as its Farnsworth setting and 750 Hz as its audio-frequency standard.
Code practice transmissions from Maxim Memorial Station W1AW will reflect the new Farnsworth standard. W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, says transmissions using the new protocol will begin Monday, July 2.
"Any of our code transmissions at speeds below 18 WPM will drop from 18 WPM to 15 WPM character speed," he said. "We will maintain the standard method at speeds above 18 WPM--20 WPM at 20, 25 WPM at 25, etc."
Carcia said the W1AW Web code practice files also will be changed to mirror the W1AW transmission protocol. ARRL's Your Introduction to Morse Code cassette tapes and audio CDs also have adopted the new standards.
The new Morse examination standards also affect test administration. After July 1, Morse examinees will have to supply fill-in-the-blank answers for the 10-question Element 1 quiz. Multiple-choice type examinations no longer will be acceptable. Jahnke said ARRL VEC teams have been phasing in the changes over the past few months, and some teams already have stopped offering multiple-choice examinations for Element 1.
Under the new testing regime, Morse code examinees can pass the Element 1 test in one of two ways--either by correctly answering seven of the ten fill-in-the-blanks questions or by correctly copying 25 consecutive characters.
Jahnke reminded the amateur community that changes are on the horizon for the written examinations as well. Revised Amateur Extra question pool will go into effect July 1, 2002. Reworked Technician and General question pools will become effective on July 1 2003 and 2004 respectively.
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