[CW] Newbie to CW

Sun, 6 Jul 2003 14:49:57 -0400

Well, at the risk of sounding like some of the old tales our folks used to
tell us about having to walk to school in knee deep snow, etc......let me
say this, please.

I have been a ham for 50 years.  I work mostly CW but I do work SSB at
times.  In my 50 years,
I have never personally met anyone that "COULD NOT" learn the code.  I have
met numerous
folks that for whatever reason DID NOT learn the code, but never anyone that
was so
challenged (I believe that is politically correct today) that they could not
learn the
code.  If you don't like code, that is OK, but I'm terribly afraid there are
literally
thousands of hams running around here with "shacks on their belts" that are
missing one
of the great aspects of this great hobby.

One may ask why?  Well, the elimination of code requirements is one big
factor for folks
not wanting to learn code.  If the requirement for 13 (minimum) WPM still
existed, there
would be a lot more CW on the bands because many would "accidentally" find
out how much
fun it is, and in my own opinion, find out how much more interesting the
QSOs are!

As a NEWBIE to CW, my advice is very simple...get on the bands and start
making some
CW contacts.  OK, so your hands sweat and you forget what you were going to
say, and so
on and so on.....make up a few "cheat sheets" with what you want to say on
them.  Chances
are that the guy you are going to be talking to at 5WPM is a newbie too and
he is
probably gonna tell you his name, qth, rst, rig, antenna, weather, age,
occupation and
then say "my wife is calling me, so I must QRT".  Try a QSO instead of
fearing it, you
might just love it.

I dare you!

Tony, W4FOA

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
                         -Frank Outlaw

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On
Behalf Of Louise Eberhart
Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2003 12:05 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [CW] Newbie to CW

I have to disagree with some of you regarding CW.  It is a bit of a story
but here goes: I am now 55 years old.  When I was 10, my Dad and I started
to study for our
Ham Radio license.  We mastered the theory pretty well but the code was
beyond us".  Remember, this was 45 years ago...  My Dad went to be with the
Lord in 1979...neither of us had succeeded in
obtaining our licenses. Fall of 2001, I decided to finally get my Technician
license.  I studied for
it and passed in February, 2002.  True, it was no code but at least I had my
license.  I knew my Dad would be very proud of me if he knew of my success.
For over a year I was content with my Technician license.  But one day I
decided I wanted to upgrade to General and expand my privileges but THAT
involved learning CODE! Off I went on an Internet search to find the "best"
way to learn code..
remember, I did NOT learn it years ago when it was just "dit/dah". I ordered
a download of NuCode but it didn't seem to be doing the job.  So I
bit the bullet a couple of weeks later and bought Code Quick, CD's and the
computer software. A month later, I know all my characters, still having a
bit of problems with
the prosigns however but working on it, and hope to be able to pass my
General July 26. What I am getting at is that I went from a No Code Tech,
having NO desire to
learn cw to wanting to upgrade.  At this point I have NO desire to increase
my speed from 5 WPM but who knows...that may change.  At least I will have a
taste of CW, just like I had a taste of Ham Radio and like before, enjoy it
so much that I may WANT to increase my speed.  I will have my feet wet so to
speak and this may be the start of a great CW experience. Not everyone wants
to do the same thing on Ham Radio.  Some are into the CW,
some prefer using their computers in conjunction with their radios, etc.
Some are content to communicate around the block, others prefer to talk the
world. As a relative newbie to Amateur Radio, I have found that a lot of
hardcore
CW operators tend to be "clanish" and it is a bit unnerving to those not of
the same mind.  It is a bit intimidating to hear everyone speak so
negatively of those not CW inclined and it COULD...I am saying COULD, not
would...send some people running the other way.  Find ways of introducing CW
to those who do not know much about and some of them WILL be interested in
learning more.  I hear VERY little on the CW lists to encourage those who
have a BIT of interest in CW.  In other words, ENCOURAGE more since y'all
who are in the know could be of GREAT help to folks like myself who are
interested in learning CW, be it 5 WPM or 25. I am not saying everyone on
the lists are negative but there are centainally
some that are. Thanks for listening to me.  Encouragement speaks a hundred
times louder
than condemnation and if you think back a few years, CW IS a bit
intimidating when your first start out. 73! Lou N5LOU   "Any man who has the
brains to think and the nerve to act for the benefit of
the people of the country is considering a radical by those who are content
with stagnation and willing to endure disaster."  William Randolph Hearst

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