[CW] Newbie

[Mike Hyder -N4NT-]

Eugene, you know many find the code a challenge.  The magic of amateur
radio -- hooking a box to a wire and talking with folks in other places --
sorta dims when one uses a cellphone or a computer.  Amateur radio is a
science to some, but an art to others.  There is not much art (or science)
in talking into a microphone, any idiot can do it.  But there is an art to
being able to operate CW well.  Men are interesting in that each needs to
feel truly good at something to be happy.  Some of us are happy to feel good
about our CW, while others couldn't care less about it.

If we are to attract the kids, then they are going to have to feel like they
are becoming part of something special, learning something special and that
they can become good at it.  Talking into a microphone or typing on a
keyboard won't cut it.  So the biggest damage we can do to ham radio is to
denigrate the code.  It is about the only thing we have to attract new
blood.

Mike N4NT

-----Original Message-----
From: cw-admin@mailman.qth.net [mailto:cw-admin@mailman.qth.net]On
Behalf Of Eugene Rippen
Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2002 3:07 PM
To: cw@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [CW] Newbie


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