I don't do much CW but I think it should stay. If they drop it, it 
won't be used much anymore. Digital modes are taking over for sure. I 
do mess with them though.

At 09:38 PM 04/01/2006, you wrote:
>I used to think they shouldn't drop the code for any reason but I have
>pretty much changed my opinion about that over the years.  Frankly, the
>digital modes are practically taking over the CW bands anyhow.  If HF really
>picks up during this next sun cycle peak, and it always does during those
>years, the phone bands are going to be super crowded so the whole issue of
>more phone band space is going to be coming up.  that normally means cutting
>off some of the CW bands again.  I think they should give the digital folks
>100 KHz and the CW gang at least 50 KHz of their own on all the major bands.
>If a person isn't required to learn the code and if he isn't tested on it,
>he won't be wanting to work CW anyhow.  It certainly doesn't make a person a
>better ham, or smarter, or anything else but I wouldn't want to go without
>it.  I haven't made an HF side band contact for years now.  In fact, I think
>Butch on here was my last phone contact.  I always work CW for some reason.
>To tell the truth, though, I sure had a blast during my novice days.  I made
>lots of friends because I worked 80 CW most of the time as a novice.  Of
>course, we only had one year to upgrade to general class so in six months, I
>took the general test and passed it by the skin of my teeth.  I was 14 years
>young at the time.  But, like I said, I really enjoyed my novice days with
>the old gear, hot tubes, crystals to plug in, low power, and World War Two
>receivers.  Now there is the name of a good ham magazine.  Hot Tubes.  Grin.
>
>Phil.
>K0NX