[AMRadio] Cw

[Eddy Swynar]

Hi All,

I've been pounding brass on the bands more or less regularly for over 40 years now, and it has become my opinion that the "quality" of much of the CW that I hear on the air has deteriorated over what it was decades ago...

Back in the day there were, certainly, "swing artists" & sloppy senders, for sure...but it seems to me that the BIGGEST divider in CW operators then was that which separated the FAST CW senders, from the SLOW ones. To-day there are still slow senders---for whom I gladly & deliberately QRS to accommodate---but far more poor ones...and the WORST of these seem to be those guys who have no concept whatsoever of PROPER SPACING.

Am I complaining, though...? NOT ON YOUR LIFE! By far the vast majority of these ops are senior citizens: who am I to criticize someone who may be less than stellar in their fist due to the onset of some medical condition...? At least they're out there trying---and the least I can do is work them the best I can...and even if what I can extract from their transmissions is less than 100%, I can still benefit from the gist of what they are saying...

That about says it all, though: if anyone really & truly aspires to becoming a good CW operator, FORGET about speed, and instead, CONCENTRATE ON PROPER SPACING BETWEEN CHARACTERS, AND BETWEEN WORDS. The speed will take care of itself---and you'll be absolutely amazed at how fast you can copy someone who has a smooth, well-spaced fist!

~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ