Fwd: RE: [Fists] Re: Slow-speed Nets? Elmers needed.

[Dan Harriman]

Hello all;

Slow speed nets, wow!

I am not a net type person myself, as I just can't set a time for
any number of weeks in advance.  So I get into some nets, sometimes,
and sometimes not.  Most nets are at a mind boggling speed of
25 - 30 wpm. They just go right on past me!  Even the so called "Slow nets"
run upwards of 18 - 20 wpm.

So I belong to a group of hams that have devoted a bunch of
time to slow speed.  I mean 5 - 16 wpm, most at about 10 - 12 wpm.
We have a web site that we can go to and schedule long term and real time
qso times.  I have made several contacts that I would never have made
without the site.

My confidence has been built up quite a bit from making CW contacts
with other hams that use our site. We are all there to help each other get
more proficient at CW. And we are getting better at it all the time.

To my way of thinking, that site and FISTS are what will allow the
slower ops a chance to get on the air and make contacts with folks that will
not try to embarrass them.  I think that is what FISTS was trying
to achieve when it was first formed.

Most of the hams that use that site are members of FISTS, as am I. Most of
us frequent the FISTS calling frequencies  too.  We just know that we can
have a qso with someone that will go at a speed that we can copy most as
we practice CW and become better at it. (Accuracy transends speed)

There has been so much talk about who should and should not be allowed
to use CW.  Some say that if you can't go at least xx wpm then you should
stay home and not get on the air til you get faster.  It is really hard to get
any practice if you don't have someone to practice with.  At least the members
of   http://www.hamhq.com  know that they can practice with 
others.    'Elmer' is
a term that comes to mind. CW 'buddy' is another one. One of our members is
a FISTS code buddy. He helps 2 other hams with CW.  I think it is great! We 
need
more ops willing to donate time and patience to those that are not as adept at
CW as others.

  Maybe slow speed nets are a good thing. I don't know. I just know
that most are faster than I can copy enough of to make any sense from and 
that I
just simply don't have the time to devote to a net week in and week out. I 
can get
on the air, call CQ and have a qso most of the time if the bands are open.

Anyway, if someone were to start a slow speed net, I would probably check 
it out
and check in when I got the chance to.  Glad someone has been talking a bit 
about
the slower speed CW users.   Thank you for that.  Anyway, enough of my 
rambling.

As Gilda Radnor used to say. "Have a good day today and a better one tomorrow."

73,

Dan Harriman
Orange, Texas

>Al said:
>snip............
>
> > When is your net starting?? What freq??? What day of the week?? I
> > am ready.
>Al/W8FAX 2192   EH
Then Mark said
>Al,
>snip.............
>As far as nets, although I had thought about starting one I have instead
>been doing my best to participate in existing nets. I have no reason to
>believe that a net I would start would be any better, or any more sucessful
>than an existing one.
>snip.............
>I'm also putting a webpage together with a list of CW nets, and specifically
>slow nets. Yes there are lists on the net but I've found them to be old and
>inaccurate and often you can't even raise the list editor/creator because
>the email address is no good. Hardly a good way to promote slow nets!
>
>Just so you know, here's what I do to promtoe CW:
>
>* Get on the air as often as I can (I only do CW) and have a QSO
>* Active in FISTS code buddy program.
>* Participate in slow-speed nets as my schedule allows.
>73,
>
>Mark W1EOF

.

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