[TenTec] 'Real CW?' - What's TT to do?

[Ariel M. Elam]

Hi Scott --
I, too have told others the same thing about the low end of 40. It 
worked for me. I could have been QCWA while I still held a Tech. I just 
had to make my mind up to upgrade. I have no problem with using the 
Delete button if I get tired of reading.

73, Ariel, k4aal

Scott / W4PJ wrote:

> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <K4IA at aol.com>
>   What would be your favorite  recommendation for a newbie?
> 
> I have told numerous 'newbies' over the years.  I say, get any HF rig or
> receiver and tune down near the bottom of 40 or even 20 Meters and find a
> couple of good CW ops ragchewing at a speed that is way too fast for you to
> copy.  Just let it run while you go about your business.  Wash dishes, or
> cook dinner, or play with the dog, whatever.  Anything but concentrate on
> trying to copy the code.  Just forget about it and let it run in the
> background.  After a while you'll start catching bits and pieces. "ing"
> "er" "ous"  those suffixes that are everywhere, and after that you'll start
> hearing words.  "The" is the most common, but you'll start getting those
> whole words without trying to get dits and dahs and spelling things out in
> your head letter by letter.  When that starts to happen, congratulations.
> You are finally starting to speak the "language" just like any other
> language.
> 
> Congratulations, and welcome to a world-wide fraternity of CW ops where our
> spoken languages, cultures, religions, races, all those things that seem to
> divide us, no longer matter and where we all share a common bond.  Morse
> Code, like a secret handshake, you're now a member of a very special "club."
> And anywhere you go in the world, you will have friends.
> 
> Best rig these days for a newbie?  That's hard to say without knowing the
> newbie.  I had a Hot Water 16 and one 40m rock.  And a Laughin Idiot HE-30 ?
> I think that was the number.  Call CQ and then tune all up and down the
> band.  What a blast!  Today?  I might recommend a Scout.  Not too expensive
> if the newbie loses interest after a while since it doesn't take a whole lot
> of effort to get a ticket anymore.  Anything too easily acquired these days
> has little value to the holder.  Maybe recommend a kit and be an Elmer
> helping them to build it themselves.  That would create "value."
> 
> Cheers
> PEACE
> Scott / W4PJ
> 
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