[CW] Re: CW in Emergency HF Comms System...

[George, W5YR]

----- Original Message -----
From: <ah7i@atl.org>
To: "George, W5YR" <w5yr@att.net>
Cc: "Alan W." <n5lf@qsl.net>; <cw@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2003 7:20 AM
Subject: Re: [CW] Re: CW in Emergency HF Comms System...


> Is this true?
> That they number of CW ops is dwindling?

I think that generally it is.

Consider that new hams coming onto the CW bands are starting from 5 wpm and
a non-trivial number of them will likely tire of the effort required to get
up to the 15-20 wpm range where operating is more comfortable, etc.

And, in my case, like so many of our current CW ops, we are *old* and
getting older and are not being replaced at a rate even close to the rate at
which we are disappearing.

So, on those two points alone, I conclude that CW operators are fading in
their numbers.

I probably should qualify here a little, in that I am calling a "CW
operator" someone who can comfortably and accurately communicate with CW at
a speed of at least 15 wpm and more often in the 20-25 wpm range.

This is NOT an elitist attitude saying that unless you can do 15-25 you
aren't a "CW operator," but as a point of comparison, when we think of "CW
operator" today most folks have in mind the 20 wpm and up fellows, not the
lads struggling along at a few wpm holding a QSO.

Not a thing wrong with that, and given enough time and effort, those folks
will improve their speed and accuracy.

But, it is simply an attrition game: are there enough of them coming along
fast enough to compensate for the rate at which we old timers are fading
out?

I suspect not . . .

> The QRP guys seem to be crazy for CW and it appears as if
> there are plenty of them about...Just not very strong signals
> so the bands seem quiter.

Right, and yours truly is one of the most enthusiastic - hear me in every
Fox Hunt, Truffle Hunt, Spartan Sprint, etc. etc. But look at the ages of
most of the QRP gang . . .
73/72, George
Amateur Radio W5YR -  the Yellow Rose of Texas
Fairview, TX 30 mi NE of Dallas in Collin county EM13QE
"In the 57th year and it just keeps getting better!"
<mailto:w5yr@att.net>






>
> On Sun, 22 Jun 2003, George,  W5YR wrote:
>
> > ... As CW operators continue to
> > fade in number, that mode becomes less of an option.