[Elecraft] restrictive CQs? SKCC, Fists etc. - protocol on who we can play with

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

I pass by the "CQ FISTS" out of respect for the person calling, just as I
don't reply to a "CQ DX" by a US Ham or "CQ-whatever contest" if I'm not
interested in giving the other station the exchange and a "vy 73 dit-dit". 

I enjoy promoting CW. When I encountered FISTS I thought it was a great idea
and joined up. I let my membership go when I discovered that a huge
proportion of the FISTS operators want only to exchange numbers. If that
boosts CW competence and popularity, that's fine, but it's not my operating
style. Since I never called CQ FISTS, I didn't see any point in continuing
to hold a "number". Considering its popularity, I still consider FISTS a
great idea. 

Those FISTS members interested in doing something besides exchange numbers
don't call "CQ FISTS", just as I didn't when I was a member. I've worked a
number of them and had some nice rag chews with some FB operators, but not
when they were calling "CQ FISTS". 

Years ago I lost my Novice logs and a number of certificates. Among them was
a certificate I was very pleased and proud to display when I was a Novice.
Signed by "The Old Sock" it was my "RCC" certificate from the ARRL. "RCC"
stands for "Rag Chewer's Club" which one got when nominated by another
member for an enjoyable QSO lasting more than 30 minutes (I believe it was).
In my first days on the air I had an endless number of Name-QTH-RST-73" QSOs
like I suspect most of us have done. My certificate said I had progressed to
the next level of learning to think and talk in CW without working from a
rote script in each QSO. 

Three years ago "The Old Sock" put away his pen for the last time at ARRL
Hq; The once-coveted RCC award is no longer issued due, they reported, to a
lack of interest. Perhaps what those of us interested in developing a
fluency in CW as a language need to promote is a renewal the Rag Chewer's
Club or something similar.

Ron AC7AC

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

Well, I just gotta ask.
It really seems a lot of the CQs I hear are CQ FISTS and CQ SKCC. Are these
persons bothered if I reply and just want a QSO/rag chew/contact 
and don't need their number and won't send one in return - or don't favour a

hand key?

I just don't see the sense in sending numbers - and I really don't need to 
collect them. That's OK for those that do... but to not 'accept' those who 
don't?
And the straight key guys.... do they really only want to have contacts with

someone enamoured of the straight key. I have a number of old hand keys... 
they look nice, but my keyer and paddle are easier on the arm that has had  
a lot of jolts from carpentry/bicycle riding/motorcycle throttling....

I know I can pass them by I guess - but gee, I want to have a contact, plain

and simple and it seems so many possible operator calls are restricting 
themselves to someone with a number or old fashioned key. Can't we just 
agree to all talk and THEN say, oh by the way I have a nice old key here I 
am using, or I have a number.

Or maybe it should be - CQ FISTS? or CQ SK? - which is to say... I have a 
number if you want one but otherwise call me anyhow... or I use an old key 
and won't send all that fast with it (nice if you are afraid to have to QRS 
the fellow).

Anyhow, not much of a rant as a query on protocols of calling and answering,

as well as just wanting to be able to work a lot of fellows on the radio.
Otherwise, I guess I will just have to let them alone in their respective 
sandboxes and go play with those who feel more open (wherever and whenever).
I do realize they DO have their calling frequencies... but I am hearing more

broadly than that. Seems to me to be a weird imbalance.

On the other hand.... my copying of numbers is getting good from 'reading 
the mail' on those QSOs for practice :)

tnx

Brian
Toronto
VE3VAW


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