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

[Bill Frantz]

I sympathise with Andy's view, but there's another way of 
looking at it:

Suppose you like tha ancient art of conversation with strangers, 
which I do. In fact, I'm doing it now. Now, what strangers do 
you want to select from? There are the people next to you in 
line at the airport (or at least there were BC). There are the 
people on long distance trains. etc.

But to select for people who are interested and knowledgable 
about radio communications, other hams are a pretty good choice. 
And what better place to find them than on the air?

Yes, you can find them on this list, and we are blessed with 
some true experts. But what happens here is more like letter 
writing than conversation. For conversation you need faster 
response. Pick up a mic, key, or an interactive digital mode and 
have a conversation.

73 Bill AE6JV

In this case CW, PSK, RTTY, SSB, FM etc. etc. etc. are close to 
the end itself.

On 7/12/20 at 5:51 PM, a.durbin at msn.com (Andy Durbin) wrote:

>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.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz        | Re IOT: "How many access control systems 
does it take
www.pwpconsult.com | to change a light bulb?" - Dean Tribble