[CQ-Contest] Use of CW decoders in contests

[Timothy Coker]

I honestly don't have enough CW skills at this time to feel confident in
handing out QSOs to you boys. I must say, that CW Get has given me the
confidence this weekend to get on and hand out some points to the CW boys
who I imagine are glad to have my points as opposed to not having them.

I am finding that, as others have stated, it is helping me gain confidence
in making the QSO and also helping me check my head copy. I am obviously not
competitive at this time, but who know's where I will be in a year? I did
pass my coded General back when I was 13 (32 now) but breaks from the hobby
have me learning cw all over again.

I was talking to another pilot today about how an 18 year old friend of mine
should study for his ground school. My buddy (an active flight instructor)
told me his students are learning by technology (online interactive
software) vs. him drawing pictures on the dryboard. I learned on the
dryboard and bound books eight years a go.

My point? The younger guys are into technology, not always the old way that
a more experienced guy might have learned. If you want young blood, your
going to have to be accepting of how it comes into the hobby... not exactly
a lot of guys in my peer group that are into ham radio, let alone cw.

Lastly, thanks to all the guys who are making out my horrible number
exchanges this weekend... I am trying my best to send it by hand and not
computer.

Tim, N6WIN.