Hi Scott, Five times "yes" - one for each of the points you raise. I am a huge proponent of "if everybody's listening, nobody's going to make a QSO." I'm on the southern end of my fifties and I'm realizing now that although I really love Morse Code, I seriously doubt that I'll be able to be as productive as quickly as I can with things like computer assisted code translation.
Heck, Wayne and company must have thought so too, or they wouldn't have spent time implementing a decoder in their firmware, right? Doesn't stop me from wanting to do it. I just unboxed a Vibroplex single lever paddle I bought on the Zed and I'm trying to make my way through "Just Learn Morse Code" and LCWO. And yes, I know all about CW Academy but I don't have the spare time to do it justice, so I am working on alternative means. Thanks for a refreshing, reassuring note of support. On Sat, Jun 2, 2018 at 1:28 PM Scott <[email protected]> wrote: > Wayne, > > I'll give answering your question a try. Hopefully I won't piss off > everyone... and it won't be too long. > > 0). First, monitor beacons or participate in the RBN for band openings > and then call CQ on open bands. Heck, call CQ on "closed" bands... one > never knows. I suspect there are more band openings than most would > admit or even know about and maybe we need more hams willing to set up > beacons. I once copied a SSB qso of ON4UN and a stateside ham on 15m > when all the prop computer programs said 15m was closed. > > 1). CW ops should make MORE use of the computer... especially for > calling CQ. Once a reply is heard switch to "manual" cw mode (this is > nothing new) AND adjust speed to station answering your CQ. Nothing > worse than an experienced cw op who won't bother to "talk" to a slow > sending station... nothing. It just sends the inexperienced cwop to > digital and/or ssb where someone will likely answer no matter the "speed". > > 2) CW ops need to not be prejudiced against keyboard sent code, > especially at slower speeds or even someone using cw decoding sw. I > think younger hams might actually do more if there wasn't such "stink" > put on ops using a keyboard and decoding sw. Besides you do want to get > younger hams interested in ham radio and especially CW... right? And as > time goes on those young or even old keyboard cw warriors may or may not > learn to send with a paddle or a key but you've got to get them > interested in CW first. For some, it's an age vs. memory issue > especially hams who started late in life. > > 3) Now to beat up the computer geeks. Someone could set up a twitter > or gab account and advertise it to the ham community at large via > reflectors and use the account specifically for reporting band openings. > Then you could get notified on the ubiquitous smart phone and who > knows maybe there is or will be soon a rig remote control app for your > phone. > > 4) Digital mode software can be a bear to configure. Clearly there > should be just one or two "tabs" max to get it working quickly and all > the other program integration configuration is icing on the cake. > Complexity in a basic "getting it working" configuration is not good. > And how about making the program/app window and fonts larger for crying > out loud... I don't see as well as I used to and with the proliferation > of large monitors these programs are a pain to even see anymore. While > this may increase digital ops I also believe that at some point even > some digital ops will want to try and learn cw. > > 5) Finally, I've noticed that a lot of younger millenials like "old > school" stuff from LP 33 records to radio. IF you can get them > interested in Ham radio (a shameless plug for expanded tech privileges) > there's a good chance they'll eventually want to learn cw one way or > another. The point is, more hams equals more chances for someone to > answer your cw CQ. > > I doubt any of that helps much except maybe paragraph 3, but there it > is... thanks for letting me give it a shot. > > Scott > AD5HS > > On 6/1/2018 10:46 AM, Wayne Burdick wrote: > ...<snip>... > > > Yeah, I get the whole sub-noise-floor-and-not-automated-(wink)-QSO > thing. But I’d like to figure out how those of us who enjoy the occasional > gear-grinding manual-transmission contact can find each other on this brave > new highway. Ideas? > > > > Wayne > > N6KR > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[email protected] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [email protected] -- 72, Rich Hurd / WC3T / DMR: 3142737 PA Army MARS, Northampton County RACES, EPA-ARRL Public Information Officer for Scouting Latitude: 40.761621 Longitude: -75.288988 (40°45.68' N 75°17.33' W) Grid: *FN20is* ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [email protected]
