>>What do you base that on? I've been licensed for 25 years and have met
>>quite a few hams that have remained Techs despite having worked for years
>>to get there code speed up to 13 WPM. Most have demonstrated technical
>>abilities far beyond many Extras I know.
Ugh. It's the same arguement over and over. The fact is that CW is a
skill and like any skill it can be learned and practiced. Yes it comes
easier to some than others, but how many of those who "worked" at the 13
wpm actually got on the air and had QSOs with other hams? Did they just
listen to hypnotic code tapes or did they actually use it. Let me tell
you, the way I got to my 13 wpm was through DAILY CW QSOs with hams all
over. I will gladly slow down to 5 wpm to help a new ham get used to
sending and receiving code. I don't buy the "I can't learn it
arguement." HORSE PUCKEY!
If the absense of a Morse code requirement will save ham radio, then it
has already been saved. We have a no code license. Yet since its
introduction almost 10 years ago, ham radio has "declined."
I say "declined" because ZL9CI just set a new expedition record of
96,000+ QSOs. A dying hobby won't set records like that. I use the term
"declined" tounge in cheek.
>oh well, it
>is still a fun mode, and has hundreds, yes
>thousands using it about the globe daily. How many
>CW operators contacted ZL9CI I wonder? They
>logged 90+ thousand QSO's!
Well, I had not worked a DX station on CW in YEARS. My code is not the
best. In fact, I bitched on my local DX cluster when they started
operation that all they were operating was CW. Several people responded
back that I not be such a pansie. Well, I worked them on CW on 4 bands!
I would have worked them on 30M had I had a good antenna and on 40M if
they had listened in the non-extra portion of the band. I was nervous, I
was apprehensive and I dove in.
The funny thing was that there were times they were operating CW AND SSB
in the same band at the same time yet, I couldn't hear the SSB op! CW
DOES get through when nothing else will. This past weekend I
participated in the Jan VHF contest. I ended up doing a significant
number of CW QSOs. Many of them were from grid squares far from my own.
Their signals were so weak, I would not have been able to copy them on
SSB. CW was the only way. I even for the first time in my life had a CW
pileup from my calling CQ. Frankly, I surprised myself at my copy
ability. OK, so I am braggin, but I just want to show that anyone can
learn code and use it. I have not passed 20 wpm. I tried last September
and failed miserably. I've been waiting for 10+ years to get up to 20
wpm. Do I give up? No! The fact is I don't practice enough.
CW is a language just like English, French or Chinese. And as with all
languages, it must be practiced.
BTW: Anyone hear the old timer on 80 meters the other night doing 80 wpm
CW? What an art! WOW, it was amazing to hear even if I understood none
of it.
OK, we are WAY off the topic of amplifiers! :-) Sorry, Mr. Moderator. I
just get my hackles up when someone suggests the reason ham radio is
"failing" is because of a morse code requirement. Perhaps the current
code requirements aren't up to date and need to be revised. However, the
lack of code will not suddenly save us all and bring an inrush of hams
into the hobby.
73,
Jon
KE9NA
-------------------------------------
Jon Ogden
KE9NA
http://www.qsl.net/ke9na <--- CHECK IT OUT! It's been updated!!!!!
"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."
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