[Elecraft] Boldly OT: 6 meter Sporadic-E season and the FT-8 microjuggernaut

[rich hurd WC3T]

Hi Scott,

Five times "yes" - one for each of the points you raise.  I am a huge
proponent of "if everybody's listening, nobody's going to make a QSO."
I'm on the southern end of my fifties and I'm realizing now that although I
really love Morse Code, I seriously doubt that I'll be able to be as
productive as quickly as I can with things like computer assisted code
translation.

Heck, Wayne and company must have thought so too, or they wouldn't have
spent time implementing a decoder in their firmware, right?

Doesn't stop me from wanting to do it.  I just unboxed a Vibroplex single
lever paddle I bought on the Zed and I'm trying to make my way through
"Just Learn Morse Code" and LCWO.    And yes, I know all about CW Academy
but I don't have the spare time to do it justice, so I am working on
alternative means.

Thanks for a refreshing, reassuring note of support.

On Sat, Jun 2, 2018 at 1:28 PM Scott <netbsd21 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Wayne,
>
> I'll give answering your question a try.  Hopefully I won't piss off
> everyone... and it won't be too long.
>
> 0).  First, monitor beacons or participate in the RBN for band openings
> and then call CQ on open bands.  Heck, call CQ on "closed" bands... one
> never knows.  I suspect there are more band openings than most would
> admit or even know about and maybe we need more hams willing to set up
> beacons.  I once copied a SSB qso of ON4UN and a stateside ham on 15m
> when all the prop computer programs said 15m was closed.
>
> 1).  CW ops should make MORE use of the computer... especially for
> calling CQ.  Once a reply is heard switch to "manual" cw mode (this is
> nothing new) AND adjust speed to station answering your CQ.  Nothing
> worse than an experienced cw op who won't bother to "talk" to a slow
> sending station... nothing.  It just sends the inexperienced cwop to
> digital and/or ssb where someone will likely answer no matter the "speed".
>
> 2)   CW ops need to not be prejudiced against keyboard sent code,
> especially at slower speeds or even someone using cw decoding sw.  I
> think younger hams might actually do more if there wasn't such "stink"
> put on ops using a keyboard and decoding sw.  Besides you do want to get
> younger hams interested in ham radio and especially CW... right?  And as
> time goes on those young or even old keyboard cw warriors may or may not
> learn to send with a paddle or a key but you've got to get them
> interested in CW first.  For some, it's an age vs. memory issue
> especially hams who started late in life.
>
> 3)  Now to beat up the computer geeks.  Someone could set up a twitter
> or gab account and advertise it to the ham community at large via
> reflectors and use the account specifically for reporting band openings.
>   Then you could get notified on the ubiquitous smart phone and who
> knows maybe there is or will be soon a rig remote control app for your
> phone.
>
> 4)  Digital mode software can be a bear to configure.  Clearly there
> should be just one or two "tabs" max to get it working quickly and all
> the other program integration configuration is icing on the cake.
> Complexity in a basic "getting it working" configuration is not good.
> And how about making the program/app window and fonts larger for crying
> out loud... I don't see as well as I used to and with the proliferation
> of large monitors these programs are a pain to even see anymore.  While
> this may increase digital ops I also believe that at some point even
> some digital ops will want to try and learn cw.
>
> 5)  Finally, I've noticed that a lot of younger millenials like "old
> school" stuff from LP 33 records to radio.  IF you can get them
> interested in Ham radio (a shameless plug for expanded tech privileges)
> there's a good chance they'll eventually want to learn cw one way or
> another.  The point is, more hams equals more chances for someone to
> answer your cw CQ.
>
> I doubt any of that helps much except maybe paragraph 3, but there it
> is... thanks for letting me give it a shot.
>
> Scott
> AD5HS
>
> On 6/1/2018 10:46 AM, Wayne Burdick wrote:
> ...<snip>...
>
> > Yeah, I get the whole sub-noise-floor-and-not-automated-(wink)-QSO
> thing. But I’d like to figure out how those of us who enjoy the occasional
> gear-grinding manual-transmission contact can find each other on this brave
> new highway. Ideas?
> >
> > Wayne
> > N6KR
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72,
Rich Hurd / WC3T / DMR: 3142737
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