[Fists] Some observations

[Stanley Wernick]

Thomas:
I am not an expert on all your questions but I will answer in my own 
small way. I can start by telling about a QSO I had earlier tonight with
a bran new ham. He wants to be on CW (God Bless Him0. I called CQ at 
about 25 WPM on 7.058 and he answered me at about 5 WPM and as he signed
his call, he said PLEASE QRS!! I sat there and knew that this was going 
to be very painful for me because at that speed I forget what I was 
sending in the first place. I cannot even think that slow, hi hi. But, I
realized that there, was I about 55 years ago when I had my first QSO
and my hands were shaking and sweat poured off my brow. It brought back
a lot of fond memories. I changed keys and went to the slow one and
proceeded to have a contact with him. I got down to where he could copy
and could tell when he copied me because he finally got my name and
QTH, etc. Finally, after 30 minutes I had to QRT and when I said that,
he paused for a long time and came back and said he had to look up what
QRT meant. It was a solid QSO and even thought difficult for me, I got a
lot of satisfaction out of that. He will also look kindly upon FISTS
now. I called CQ FISTS and he answered me but had no idea who FISTS
were.
Maybe this will give you an idea what I think the purpose of FISTS
is and why I belong. I have run into old friends I haven't talked to
in 30 or more years within FISTS like my old friend Cliff, N2FX, who
was my shipmate in the submarines during the Korean war. He passed
away a year or so ago but were it not for FISTS, I would have never
run into him. We all have one thing that binds us together, The Love Of
CW.
That is my opinion and hope that helps a little. I could go on for hours
but if I did, the moderator of FISTS would cut me off hi hi.
73 de Stan W5ZF No. 6183 cc 696, QRP ARCI 5582.