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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