[CW] Newbie

[Eugene Rippen]

However that concept (code only entry level) is not very 'Newbie" friendly.

I thought the concept behind entry level licenses was to entice new Hams,
not merely preserve our old initiation rituals, because "we had to do it".

Reminds me of our old Ham club here in Auburn, CA (yes I'm publishing names)
complaining of a lack of new young members: while holding their meetings on
Friday nights (when young people are most often out of their homes, or doing
other social things), and the meetings consists mainly of a lot of  old
folks discussing:  Who Died, Who is sick,  Who is in the hospital and all
other discussions of bodily functions/non-functions/dis-functions.  Or,
bitching, in general, about change.  Not isn't very newbie or young-people
friendly, either.

Amateur Radio in the past has been rag chewing or technical or both.  Email
is fast taking over the rag chewers, see all the older hams who have given
up being a ham for the computer.  That leaves technical.  The technical part
of CW is that it gets through noisy conditions better.

Yes, CW is better for getting through, but we now have automatic sending of
CW.  Possibly some of us would like to eliminate that kind of cheating on
the code?  I can could certainly understand that feeling .... but
"understanding" is not necessarily agreeing.

Eugene Rippen




> This was why I always wanted the FCC to have a CW-ONLY, no-code-exam
Novice
> license. It makes perfectly good sense that if CW is your only mode
> available, you are going to have to learn the code to use it.
>
>
>
> > > Question:  I probably should be learning and developing my key
pounding
> > >  skills and practicing sending the letters on a key as I learn them.
Does
> > >  this make sense?
> >
> >Yes. Learning to send helps you learn the code, and you'll have to learn
to
> >send if you want to use Morse on the air.
> >
> >This is one good use for code readers. You send code to one under ideal
> >conditions and see how well it copies for an indication of how good/bad
your
> >fist is.
> >
> > >  What would be a good quality key to get?  Any guidance
> > >  would be appreciated.
> >
> >Start with a straiht key. Yes, it's more work, but it will develop your
> >rhythm. (Just my opinion). I use a surplus J-37 but those Wm. Nye keys
with
> >the "Navy" knob sure look and feel good.
> >
> >73 de Jim, N2EY
>
>
> 73 Ed Tanton N4XY <n4xy@earthlink.net>
>
> Ed Tanton N4XY
> 189 Pioneer Trail
> Marietta, GA 30068-3466
>
> website: http://www.n4xy.com
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