* Gerry Hull <gerry@yccc.org> [2009 Nov 10 13:05 -0600]:
> I found many stations reluctant to ask for QRS. One guy said "QRM AGN
> PSE" It was a quiet frequency. I sent the exchange again. No response.
> I QRS'd to about 18 wpm, sent it again. and be got it 100%. No one should
> be embarrassed to ask for QRS.
It has been several years since I spent much time in SS let alone CW
SS. This year I had a little time to spend on it and my Morse ability,
while never very good, was and is rather rusty (and will likely never
exceed 25 to 30 WPM on my best days). I have to admit that it's rather
intimidating with most stations running around 25 WPM or so to ask them
to indulge my lack of skill. So I sat there copying along while they
worked a few QSOs until I had it all correct and then worked the
station. The rate was poor, but I can visualize constantly asking for
QRS would lead to my call being placed on a LID list somewhere. ;-)
I did expect the good operators to be ripping along at a good clip for
the first hours of SS. It did amaze me a bit that when I checked on
Sunday evening there were a lot of stations calling at 20 to 25 WPM
with no answers. I wonder if when the rate got low that they might
shake a few less skilled ops out of the bushes by slowing to 15 to 18
WPM rather than getting a 0 rate? OTOH, it never dawned on me to use a
code reader. I just muddle along on my own.
73, de Nate >>
--
"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
possible worlds. The pessimist fears this is true."
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