[Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Andy Durbin]

I'm as old as many here but, unlike most here,  I left amateur radio for 40 years after my initial teenage enthusiasm as a "G3".   My 15-17 wpm copy capability and a reasonable fist with an English WT-8A were completely lost.  When I started over I had to learn the alphabet almost from scratch.

I see CW as a "means to an end" and, for me, the "end" is chasing DX.   If the DX is working CW I'll call them with CW.  If they are working FT8 then I'll call them with FT8.  It now seems far more likely that the DX I need is working FT8 and not CW.  Despite that, in my 8.5 years chasing DX as a "K", I have more DX confirmed using CW than with digital or phone.

I still can't have a CW conversation at more than about 14 wpm and never rag-chew.  No problem reading my own call at 35 wpm though, so happy to chase DX at that speed if that's the speed the DX wants to work.

CW is just the "means".  If I want a conversation I can use Skype.

73,
Andy, k3wyc