[Elecraft] Making Interesting QSOs (WAS: Signing "/QRP")

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Sandy, those are *great* points! 

I have had a lot of new ops say that they have a very hard time "chewing the
rag" on CW because they can't really formulate things to say AND concentrate
on sending good CW. I suggest they write down some mini-bios that would fit
into a transmission that they can just copy as need be and append an "open
ended" question to the comment! For example:

BN POUNDING BRASS FOR 5 YRS NOW ES LOVE IT X HW DID U GET INTO HAM RADIO?

Or (for the "Married with Children" fans)

IM AN EX SHOE SALESMAN X MY TV SERIES WAS CANCELLED, MY KIDS GREW UP ES MY
XYL WANTED ME OUT OF HER LIVING ROOM SO I GOT MY HAM LICENSE X SHE LIKES CW
BECAUSE I CANT SEND AND STICK MY HANDS IN MY BELT AT THE SAME TIME X HOW DID
YOU GET INTO THE HOBBY?

Of course, one of my favorites is "RIG HR ELECRAFT K2 X BUILT IT IN 2000. LV
BUILDING. WHATS UR FAVORITE HAM ACTIVITY?"

I got a reply once, "RIG HR KX1. BUILDING. BUILDING. BUILDING. DON'T KNOW
WHAT'S NUMBER FOUR YET." 

For folks out there who have a hard time thinking and sending each one on a
card so you can pick one out quickly. And, I can tell you from experience,
one day you'll realize you aren't using the cards any more. You're just
talking with a new friend on the air...

Ron AC7AC

 

-----Original Message-----

Can't agree with you more Ron!  I think I've had more polite QSO's with 
QRPers than other random contacts.  Another bunch that will spend some good 
QSO time with you other than the:  "Good meeting you", RST, QTH, "Op", 73 
QSO, is the FISTS group.  Way too many fellows these days who plain don't 
want to "talk" and "ragchew" on CW.  I have run into a lot of "shooters", 
pilots, ship operators accidently while laying out fragments of my "bio" on 
CW QSO's.  I feel VERY uncomfortable getting a 589/599 report when running 5

watters, then finding out the guy on the other end, who is maybe 349 or 459 
is running 100 watts!

72/72,

Sandy
Mostly W5TVW/QRP