[CW] Dissing the ARRL

[Bob Wilder]

Have been reading all the comments about CW over the past several days and just had
to put in my two cents worth.

Now that the armed forces have dropped CW as a mode of communications, the need for
a ready force of CW operators in the event of national emergency no longer exists.  At the
beginning of WW2, hams became the source for CW operator needed until it was possible to
train operators for all of the services, now that the need is no longer there, it is not
necessary for this readily available source to be ready to go.

Granted, I did not get involved with the Military until just before Korea and being a ham
got me MOS 756 and 766 ( the old CW MOSs for CW manual and High Speed semi-automatic)in
the New York Air National Guard.  This was in the days before the AF set up its own system
of AFSC's (Old MOS's)

As far as ham radio is concerned, I think that knowing CW at some speed in the 5-10 WPM
is still viable and should be retained if for no other reason but to place some skill into
obtaining a license.  Also I believe that the old method of having experience before
upgrade helps improve the technical base of the ham community.  As example.  Tech + 1 year
to General and General + 2 years to Extra.  The old Class B + time before Class A was a 
good method.

Even today I can remember some of the questions on the Class B exam.  Draw and label
a Hartley Oscillator, A full wave rectifier circuit, a push-pull power amplifier, an
a block diagram of a super het receiver.

Yes I took the 20 WPM code test for my Extra, BUT it was in the first week of April
just prior to the time that the code test was to be dropped to 5 WPM.  I had every
intention of taking only the written and wait the two weeks and get my Extra without the
code.

The final comment comes from all the discussion of slowing down when using a bug.  Do when
I do, just key the bug on the dash side and you can run 2 WPM if you need to.  Have been
doing it for years and it sounds just like a straight key.  I only use a straight key
or a bug and have given up trying to learn to use paddles.  You know the old saying about
new tricks and old dogs...This old dog is 74 and I do just fine with my bug and paper log
books.  Never learned to type fast enough to run a computer log book.

Well this is enough and should get a lot of laming satrted...hi

73



Bob Wilder
6032 Idlemoore Court
Theodore, AL 36582-4117
251-653-5274
http://home.earthlink.net/~bwild
Asst USAF State MARS Director- Alabama
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