[CW] cw operator's age

[Jan Robbins]

Like Mike, I am saddened by Al's figures.  Here is a little more 
optimistic point.

 As an old social scientist, I'd suggest that FREQUENCY (40m) and TIME 
(daytime) are partially determining variables in Al's results.  If you 
checked the DX bands--esp. 20 and 15--on, say, Sat. during a big DX 
contest, I'd bet you'd knock at least 10-15 years off Al's average, 
maybe more.  As long as I can remember, 75 phone and 40 cw have been 
"old local" ragchewing bands and times, and contests have drawn young 
hotshots (as have DX bands; some of us oldtimers "been there, done that" 
in DXing and go to ragchewing as a more relaxed way to deal with the 
hobby when there are few or no new ones to work).

Jan N0JR

mikea wrote:

>On Fri, Apr 28, 2006 at 10:56:05AM -0700, Alfred Lorona wrote:
>  
>
>>I recorded the ages of the past 26 ops I contacted on 40 meter CW who volunteered their age. The average age for the 26 ops is 65. The youngest was 49 and the oldest was 91. Six were in the 50's age group. 13 were in the 60's age group. 3 were in the 70's age group. 2 were in the 80's age group. One each in the 49 and 90 age group. What do you make of this?
>>
>>73, AL, w6wqc
>>    
>>
>
>40-49            1
>50-59            123456
>60-69            123456789abcd
>70-79            123
>80-89            12
>90-99            1
>---------------------------
>total            26
>
>I find it is easier to make it out as a histogram. 
>
>I'm not surprised, though I'm a bit saddened. I'll be 60 in
>August. I _like_ CW, though I'm not as good at it as I'd like to
>be, and may never get there. The good news is that we've had a
>bunch of folks pass Element 1 recently, and I'm teaching another
>Morse class right now, with some hopes of them passing Element 1
>in June. Only one of the students in my class is over 50; three
>are in their 40s, and the other three are ni their twenties.
>
>  
>