[CQ-Contest] NCJ Article: Sweepstakes Change Suggestions - slow CW

[Barry]

John - When I saw the terracotta warriors in Xi'an last year, there was 
one wearing headphones and tuning a radio.  maybe it was just an Ipod  :-)

Barry W2UP

On 3/23/2018 12:48 PM, John Geiger wrote:
>   "A slow QSO is better than no QSO."   ("The Art of War", Sun Tzu, ca.
> 544-496 BCE)
>
>
> Wow, I didn't know that had amateur radio and QSOs back in the 500s BC,
> guess I learned my new fact for the day!
>
> 73 John AF5CC
>
> On Thu, Mar 22, 2018 at 4:30 PM, ktfrog007--- via CQ-Contest <
> cq-contest at contesting.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>
>> Hello,
>>
>>
>> I don't think slow CW sub-bands in the SS will be the salvation of either
>> it or CW itself.  It won't hurt, though, to try it and newcomers to CW
>> should be advised to ride high in the SS-active parts of a band and the
>> faster ops should be encouraged to dial it back for slower ops everywhere.
>> It should mean more contacts overall.  Folks complain about not enough
>> activity, but as it is said:
>>
>>
>> "A slow QSO is better than no QSO."   ("The Art of War", Sun Tzu, ca.
>> 544-496 BCE)
>>
>>
>> CWops runs three, one hour mini-contests every Wednesday.  I think a
>> better way to encourage new CW ops is for the CWops group to establish
>> permanent slow CW sub-bands at the high end of their normal operating
>> frequencies, maybe 5 kHz at about 45 kHz  (e.g., 7045- 7050).  Every
>> session, every week.  Newer, slower ops should start out there and faster
>> ops can visit, both running and S&P, and everyone should always match their
>> speed to the slower side of a QSO.
>>
>>
>> To some extent people do this now informally, but it could become a CWops
>> standard.
>>
>>
>> Right now CWops has occasional slow CW days but they are difficult to keep
>> track of, not everyone slows down, and fast and slow are intermixed.
>>
>>
>> The exchange, while shorter than the SS, is still challenging enough for
>> good training: Call, name and #/S/P/C (member number/state/province/country
>> prefix).  Newcomers should be encouraged not to use a call history file.
>> True, there are enough regular repeats that you start remembering things in
>> your head after a while.  I'm pretty good with calls, not so much with
>> names, and as for numbers, forget it.  (If you are too good at remembering,
>> refer to the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" for
>> unassistance.)
>>
>>
>> Scores are reported to the 3830 site.
>>
>>
>>
>> Rate obsessed CWops regulars might resist going to the sub-bands, but they
>> should go because:
>>
>>
>> 1. CWops is dedicated to advancing the art and use of CW and this is right
>> in their charter:
>>
>>
>> "CWops encourages the use of CW in Amateur communications, and it supports
>> CW activity through planned events.  CWops promotes goodwill among Amateurs
>> throughout the world, and it fosters the education of young people and
>> others in matters related to Amateur Radio."
>>
>>
>>
>> 2. The top ops have already established their reputations and now do
>> almost the exact same things, session after session, week after week,
>> sometimes on almost their exact same frequencies.  Each op could devote
>> part of the hour of at least one session per week to promote their
>> organization by helping new CW operators.  Mix it up.  Mentoring is good.
>>
>>
>> The CWops weekly contests are very popular and well known, but extra
>> promotion would be necessary to establish this extended program.  CWops is
>> a capable and effective organization and I believe they could do this.
>>
>>
>>
>> 73,
>> Ken, AB1J
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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