[CW] Morse Code Timing (LONG)

[Dennis Ponsness]

Very interesting and informative David.   Now that there are no 
"professional schools" of CW left - with the rare exception of some sort of 
SpecOps and/or "company" training - I think that it will fall to the "OT's" 
in ham radio to fill the void.

1.  Part of the problem, IMHO is that a lot of new CW ops are "told" to 
start out on a straight key.  I think that this is bad advice - I believe 
that they should start out with a paddle (single lever) and a keyer.  At 
least they will have a head start on inter-element spacing.  I will not go 
as far as suggesting that they use a keyboard, although some OT professional 
ops have said to me that is what they suggest to thier "students" - send by 
keyboard, receive by ear!

2.  Not all the "rotten fists" you hear on the air are the result of poor 
training and/or newbies.  I remember one Q that I had on 40m last winter 
with an op in Missouri.  His fist was bad, and I mean real bad.  It was a 
serious chore to make out what he was saying.  I put it down to a "newbie" 
and let it go at that.   I received a card from him about a week later and 
found out that he was 94 years old, an ex-landline telegrapher with the 
railroad and that he was "recovering" from a serious stroke he had a few 
years ago.  He loved CW so much that he just couldn't keep away from it.  
Now THAT is a CW operators operator!

3.  If you do hear a "rotten fist" calling CQ, and their are no takers, go 
back to them for a short QSO.  Send them a card with a _NICE_ note on it 
asking them if they would like some pointers and/or help with their fist.  
Bottom line is that we NEED as many CW ops as we can get on the bands - 
period.  At least they are showing an interest in CW and that needs to be 
nutured so they will become proficient CW ops.  All it takes is one 
"nasty-gram" from a CW op telling them that their fist sucks and they had 
better practice more before they get on the air, and you will most likely 
lose forever a potential CW operator.  Their impression will be that "those 
CW guys are a bunch of arrogant (insert favorite expletive here)!" and not 
only will you have lost a CW op, you will have probably made them "anti-CW".


Personally, I would rather see the band full of 5-13 wpm newbies working CW 
and learning how to be better CW ops than see a couple dozen "OT's" running 
at 35 wpm+.  It is all about numbers now folks, the more we have, the better 
our chances of holding onto a place that we can work CW...


73

Dennis - WB0WAO

EN84ij Iosco County, Michigan
MultiPig+ #3 - K2 #3555
DSW-II-20 - SW-40+ - SW-30+
RM-20 - RM-40

NJQRP #329 - FPQRP #-347 - SOC #499
GACW #622 - ARS #1363 - QRP Canada #248
FISTS # 9299
Charter Member - Michigan DX Association
www.qsl.net/wb0wao
:=)

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