[Fists] Honey vs. Vinegar

[YoDoc@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/24/04 4:03:52 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
fists-request@mailman.qth.net writes:
I reject the logic of the above posting; love of CW comes from the 
effectiveness and pleasure or using CW.  Further, while I encourage all to 
learn and use CW, it is no more essential to learn CW before using voice 
modes than it is to master using a manual transmission before learning to 
drive a car with an automatic transmission.  This is not a popular 
position within FISTS, so let me explain a bit of my own history.

Many years ago, I received my Novice license in my early teens, but was 
not able to get on the air.  Unable to master the jump to 13 WPM, I got my 
Technician ticket and stuck to VHF.  Fast forward to 2000.  With $6.50 and 
my old license, I became an instant General with no intention of using or 
learning CW.  My R-4A receiver turned out to be the "stone" in "stone 
soup" (another story), but in a few months I did get a pair of Drake Twins 
on the air, by this time having upgraded to Amateur Extra, and still no 
code.

I soon realized that running 100W SSB to a simple antenna often leaves you 
out of the running.  So I decided, I was going to learn CW - not because I 
had to, but because I wanted to.  After playing the CD (produced by the 
Newington No-Coders) on the NYC Subway I came to the delightful conclusion 
that I didn't need to learn code, at least not at 5 WPM, I already knew it 
(never having used it for a QSO, and last tested in 1965).

With a bit of effort, I configured my Drake Twins for CW - those of you 
with modern rigs may wonder what I mean by 'configure'; trust me, changing 
modes on a classic rig can be an elaborate procedure, especially the first 
time - and made my first CW QSO in early 2002.  Soon, I reconsidered my 
decision not to get an Elecraft K2 (which was limited to 15 Watts at that 
time) and got one.  I do have the 100 W PA and Tuner sitting in my shack, 
but 15 Watts of CW is very effective, so I'm not particularly rushed to 
install them.

It turns out, at least in my experience, that while learing 13 WPM from a 
record, tape or class may be difficult, once you start making QSO's at 5 
and 6 WPM, you quickly jump past 10, 13, 15, without effort.  Of course, 
where did I make these QSO's?, near FISTS QRG's, and soon I joined FISTS. 
In about a year, I pushed my code speed to near 20 WPM and earned my 
Century Club certificate.

And all the while, no one ever required, mandated, or demanded anything of 
me.
Robert:

In the days of 5, 13, and 20 WPM Morse Code testing for the Novice/Tech, 
General/Advanced, and Extra-class licenses (respectively), nothing was being 
"mandated" or "demanded" of anyone, either!   "Required" certainly -- but those of 
us with a mature, adult attitude understand the nature of "requirements."  In 
the case of the Morse code testing requirement, the result was that a 
significant number of prospective radio amateurs became proficient at an extremely 
useful communications skill -- and that is exactly the kind of outcome that is 
desired from a properly conceived set of licensing requirements.  The only 
difference with the code test is that this requirement necessitated the development 
of a type of skill which required a bit more dedicated effort than merely the 
short-term memorizations to a short list of correct answers to 
multiple-choice questions.  

The problem with the "I don't want the Code shoved down my throat" theory is 
that once the requirement goes away, those who didn't want it shoved down 
their throat STILL won't pick up a piece, bite it off, chew it, and swallow it on 
their own initiative.  You are obviously the exception, but that doesn't 
disprove the rule.  The total numbers of CW-capable radio amateurs WILL continue to 
decline in the absence of code testing as a licensing requirement -- that 
trend has already taken hold.  My own local radio club has virtually no CW users 
among it's numbers who were licensed under the No-Code or 5 WPM maximum 
licensing requirements.  They simply aren't doing it because there isn't any 
tangible incentive for them to do so.  They can now squeak past the 5 WPM code test 
with a 70% score on a multiple-guess test, plug in the microphones on their HF 
rigs, and get to talking -- which is all they end up doing on HF.  On Field 
Day and during contests, we have people piled up to work the phone stations, but 
the few CW operators get no help whatsoever from the newcomers.  

The bottom line, Robert, is: Nice try, but NO cigar!  Your personal situation 
proves nothing.  The allegedly "good people" who were "kept away" from ham 
radio by the code testing requirement are exactly what they seem to be -- CB'ers 
or ex-CB'ers who want a more powerful and frequency-agile microphone to blow 
into.  They are NOT leading the pack in the advancement of new digital 
technologies, they are NOT learning CW "for the fun of it," and, for the most part, 
they are NOT enjoying ham radio because they are deliberately refusing to get 
involved in the ONE mode which provides the greatest challenge, and 
consequently, the most fun!  
You are dead wrong, and I am telling you so!  

73 de Larry, K3LT
FISTS #2008


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