[CW] Keeping CW alive

[D.J.J. Ring, Jr.]

And this award.
https://skccgroup.com/operating_awards/marathon_award/
The SKCC Marathon Award

To earn the Marathon Award, one must engage in 100 QSOs, each 60
minutes or longer, and each with a different SKCC member using their
assigned call, SKCC member number, and SKCC qualified keying devices.
There is no time limit to earn the award but only QSOs logged after
0000Z 1 January 2008 count.

Members who achieve the Marathon award will have the option to receive
a printable certificate or a special commemorative plaque. After
achieving 100 confirmed marathons, a plaque, similar to the one shown
above, will be mailed to an Awardee who had 25 or more confirmed
marathon QSOs as of April 12, 2023. These plaques will be paid for by
the Club. All other Awardees will have the option of the printable
certificate (at no cost), or a commemorative plaque with the costs
paid by the awardee.

Rationale: The Marathon Award has been deliberately designed to be a
challenging achievement for an Amateur Radio Operator by creating a
true operating challenge that involves the fundamental ideals of ham
radio as celebrated by SKCC: operating skill, a good station,
conversation skill, and a consistent, quality fist. Create an award
that cannot be achieved easily yet promotes quality content in every
contact. The Marathon Award requires people to use and develop
conversational CW skills to build camaraderie and long-term
friendships.

A typical Marathon QSO should result from a CQ, or answering a CQ. It
would extend beyond the typical, brief exchanges that have become the
starting point for today’s QSOs, and proceed to engaging the other
station in an extended, informative, and entertaining exchange for a
lengthy period. Anyone can send a brief exchange in a few seconds and
move on. A Marathon requires real skill, a quality station, and a
creative mind.

The Award, as envisioned by the originator, was to enhance the ragchew
skills needed to turn a formatted, quick exchange QSO with another
member into a real bond with someone who is essentially unknown. And
to recognize these rare and special talents of those with the highest
level of ragchewing recognition created to date. Few will be able to
earn this award. That remains the spirit and intent of the Marathon
Award today.

73

DR

On Wed, Feb 14, 2024 at 12:31 AM Ken Smith <kennymoses at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Straight Key Century Club (SKCC), if you are not already aware, offers two awards, more like challenges, for conversational QSO's lasting 30 minutes or longer and 1 hour or longer. The longest I've made it so far is 42 minutes.
>
> Ken - N0VA
>
> On Sun, Feb 11, 2024 at 11:54 PM Richard Knoppow <1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>>
>>     Oh, yes! ROTFL!
>>
>> On 2/11/2024 10:26 PM, Fabian Kurz wrote:
>> > On Sun, Feb 11, 2024 at 12:35:39PM -0800, Richard Knoppow wrote:
>> >>     Reminds me of those conventions where everyone has a lapel badge saying
>> >> "Hello I'm BRAD" or whatever. Each shakes hands and walks on. Perhaps there
>> >> should be a signal for "I want a rag chew" , maybe there is and I don't know
>> >> it.
>> >
>> > https://cqrc.us/
>> >
>> > 73
>> > Fabian, DJ5CW
>> >
>>
>> --
>> Richard Knoppow
>> Los Angeles
>> WB6KBL
>> SKCC 19998
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> CW mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/cw
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:CW at mailman.qth.net
>> CW List ARCHIVES: http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/cw/
>> Unsubcribe send email to
>> cw-unsubscribe at mailman.qth.net
>> Subscribe send email to cw-subscribe at mailman.qth.net
>> Support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>
>> =30=
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> CW mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/cw
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:CW at mailman.qth.net
> CW List ARCHIVES: http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/cw/
> Unsubcribe send email to
> cw-unsubscribe at mailman.qth.net
> Subscribe send email to cw-subscribe at mailman.qth.net
> Support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
> =30=