[Elecraft] Short QSO's (was Re: 6M CW)

[Bill VanAlstyne W5WVO]

You know, I've been a ham long enough (since 1962) to remember people 
complaining about this same sad trend nearly fifty years ago. "Nobody wants 
to talk anymore, it's just report, QTH, name, CUL!" Same lament, different 
era.

You remember the Rag Chewer's Club? It was established by the ARRL to 
promote longer conversations on the air. I haven't been able to find its 
date of origin in a quickie google of the Internet, but I did find an 
attestation in a bio of some guy who had the award as far back as the early 
1950s -- so it's been around at least that long! (And it's recently been 
picked up by SPAR, the Society for the Preservation of Amateur Radio, 
http://www.spar-hams.org, as a free award.)

Makes me wonder...

Maybe, just maybe, it has something to do with US. Like, the fact that a lot 
of us are getting, um, well... OLD. Not to put too fine a point on it, you 
know.

Maybe, when people get older, they tend to crave companionship, camaraderie, 
and communication more than they used to, when they were younger. Maybe they 
no longer yearn quite so passionately for the unique thrill of radio combat, 
under whatever guise it might take (contesting, award-chasing, what have 
you).

As Pogo famously said many years ago, "We have met the enemy, and he is US!"

In any case... I am close to 100% a 6-meter ham -- probably 95% or so -- and 
I personally enjoy and participate in chasing DX, pursuing operating awards, 
working all the VHF contests, and having long ragchews with friends new and 
old when conditions permit. I hear LOTS of SSB ragchews on 6 meters when the 
band is strongly open, as it is often -- for hours at a time -- during the 
summer sporadic-E months we're currently enjoying.

Seriously, folks, I really don't think ham radio has changed all that much. 
:-)

Bill W5WVO
DM65 New Mexico


--------------------------------------------------
From: "Don Cunningham" <wb5hak at martineer.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2010 8:04 PM
To: "Sandy" <ebjr37 at charter.net>; <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [Elecraft] Short QSO's (was Re:  6M CW)

> Although I understand the reason for shortness on 6m QSO's, I really don't
> see the reason on HF bands and I am joining you in lamenting the loss of
> them, Sandy.  I spend DAYS looking for a good, RTTY ragchew, unless one of
> my old friends shows up on frequency.  I had been off the air mostly, 
> living
> other parts of life, but when I returned in 2004 or so, long gone were 
> most
> of the long winded RTTY guys of old, and I miss it.  I thought maybe it 
> was
> a change in technology, so geared up for PSK, but got the very same name,
> location, gear, bye, CUL QSO's there too.  I'll keep looking though, there
> have to be some of the "old guys" still alive and looking.  Also, I was
> making a few converts on 20m RTTY before a winter ice storm took the quad
> down, so maybe I can "grow" some when I get the quad repaired, hi.
> 73,
> Don, WB5HAK
>
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