[Fists] Fists QRS OPS

Sat Jul 17 00:08:51 EDT 2004

Mike,

I know many excellent operators who are members of FISTS, some of who would
put me to shame they are so good.  Everytime I contact them, I am in awe of
just how good they are.

One that comes to mind - and he won't get all puffed up because he is now a
silent key (dead) is Bob, W2LYH.  Bob was one of the best operator's I've
ever worked.  If Bob heard a slow ham, he would take out his hand key and
practice sending SLOW code with it;  if he heard a fast bug, he'd answer it
with his blue racer.  The code he sent was pure music.

His character formation, word spacing of code was fabulous.  Bob worked at
Radio Central for RCA then he worked for ITT - both as a CW operator.  His
last job was sending traffic to ships at sea at radio station WSL in New
York.

He could send with any kind of key you'd want to mention.  He could send and
copy both American Morse and International Morse by tone or sounder.

He would copy all sorts of JUNK sending from diverse nationalities of
ships - Pakistani, Greek, Phillipine, and each country seemed to have it's
own distortion of the code.  He just copied it down - perfectly.

If you've ever seen his station - or a picture of it - you would be amazed.
It was a hetrodyned VFO, half-kilowat, sequentially switched home built CW
transmitter and receiver - the stuff looked better than Collins equipment.
Bob designed it, fabricated the chassis and built the circuits.

As someone once told me:  "Bob would be the man to HATE - he is a perfect
operator, can copy anything, can send smooth as silk, and when you think
'heck, he probably can do only that...', you learn that he is a top-notch
engineer; and then to top it all off, he was very unassuming and modest.  He
would stop and help anyone with a question, or who needed advice.  He would
also listen to the new comer - both the builder or the code operator.  He
was a very likable guy and didn't think himself better than anyone else.

Perhaps that is why he was a FISTS member?

I wish you knew him, he was a powerful example to follow.

A few weeks before he died, he and I had a QSO on 40 meters - we spoke for
almost five hours - we talked about everything.  He started the conversation
with "I was hoping I'd find you on the air..."

During the QSO, he told me "David you have a excellent fist, easy to copy at
any speed."

Coming from him, it was quite an honor.  I am grateful for his being a FIST
and for knowing him.

I hope the less experienced FISTS members can look at the more experienced
members in the same way I looked at Bob, W2LYH.

73

David J. Ring, Jr., N1EA

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Zbrozek" <k8xf at netzero.net>
To: <fists at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 9:06 PM
Subject: [Fists] Fists QRS OPS

Hello Fists -

As a member of Fists since 1999 I am surprised at the consistancy of this
group.
Fists continues to attract slow ops like metal filings to a magnet. In the
beginning
I was very
active collecting fist numbers and cc numbers for various awards. I noticed
the same
ops
on a daily/weekly basis. The people that ask you to qrs back in 99 still ask
you to
qrs
in 04. And their sending is just as poor. Arent you learning anything by
now? I am a
much
better driver than when I started as a teenager. Practice helps. Why doesnt
this
concept work for
Fists? I doubt if this type of conversation would be conducted on FOC
website? Why?
They have a higher standard for members. I am not a member and have not
attempted to
join them.

Too many Fists are  slow fumbling ops and there isnt much we can do about
it. I have
known
a few ops that have left the club for the above reasons stated. What amazes
me are
guys that dont know how to
send  numbers.....you know who you are,,,guys sending a 3 like ...--- , what
was
that? I have found
that its difficult for some to even send their fist membership nbr. What
more can you
say.....
The only thing a  good opr can do is stay away from .58 if that is what
makes you
upset.
I sometimes listen to .058 while doing work in the radioroom and it doesnt
take long
until its time
to spin the Wheel of Misfortune.......sad to say but I know that this is
what many
people have
to do...............

73

Mike, K8XF
Viva CW

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan KB6NU" <kb6nu at w8pgw.org>
To: "Fists" <fists at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 2:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Fists] QRS

> Let's not go overboard. It's lamentable that there are bad operators on
the
> air, but FISTS should in no way become the "CW cops." Putting these kinds
of
> measures into place would be the downfall of FISTS, and not make the bad
> operator any better.
>
> If another operator won't slow down for you, simply sign off with him or
her
> and go find someone else to chat with. If someone is hogging 14.058, call
CQ
> FISTS on 14.056 instead.
>
> FISTS should continue to stand for good operating practice and lead by
> example. Being punitive is a waste of time and energy.
>
> 73!
>
> Dan KB6NU
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
> President, ARROW Comm. Assn. (www.w8pgw.org)
> ARRL MI Section Affiliated Club Coordinator
> CW Geek (FISTS #9342)
> Read my ham radio blog at www.blurty.com/~kb6nu
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <YoDoc at aol.com>
> To: <fists at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 11:27 AM
> Subject: [Fists] QRS
>
>
> > Having just read the message quoted below, I recall many encounters
> on-the-air with CW operators, all FISTS members, who failed to QRS or QRS
to
> my speed -- usually slowing down to twice the speed at which I was
sending.
> Such behaviour is absolutely unacceptable for members of an organization
> which has, as it's motto -- "Accuracy transcends speed."  I cannot copy
> accurately when half the characters received fly by me at a rate way
beyond
> my comprehension.
> >
> > I've been an avid CW operator throughout my ham "career," but am now
> primarily a digital mode operator.  I still enjoy CW QSO's, but due to the
> "diversity" of my amateur radio pursuits, I have not developed copying
speed
> beyond 25 WPM, max.  I have had a lot of QSO's with OM's who started out
> clicking away at 50 WPM, but very gladly slowed to my speed, whatever it
was
> at the time.  Lately, nobody seems to want to do that anymore.  I've had
one
> OM try to explain it away be saying he is "pushing me to try to copy
> faster."  Thanks, OM, but I'll push myself be SENDING faster so the other
OM
> I'm working can match MY speed, as should be the case.  The priority
should
> always be given to the slowest operator, at least within the FISTS
> organization.
> >
> > I like the idea of setting up a system for booting people out of FISTS
> upon receipt of "x" number of complaints.  Of course, this would require
at
> least two or more complaints on the same operator.  I'd also like to
> sanction other FISTS transgressions like "hogging" the .058 frequencies
> (especially 14.058) and run-together sending at ANY speed.
> >
> > I also like the idea of requiring future FISTS members to be "nominated"
> for membership.  This would require working on-the-air and receiving
> nominations from at least 3 FISTS members.  Let's see some more discussion
> of this concept.
> >
> > 73 de Larry, K3LT
> > FISTS 2008
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >A FISTS member ought to not only know better than for be an arrogant CW
> op,
> > >a FISTS member should strive to set an example of what a good op is
like.
> > >Perhaps a change in bylaws is in order. How about if a set number of
bad
> > >reports come in, dropping a member from FISTS?
> > >
> > >Think about this: IF A NOMINATION FOR FISTS WERE REQUIRED, WOULD ANYONE
> > >NOMINATE YOU?
> > >
> > >A person shouldn't even have to ask for someone to slow down! A good
> > >operator should do that automatically. Arrogance (by refusing to slow
> down)
> > >is not the sign of a good operator.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Fists mailing list
> > Fists at mailman.qth.net
> > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/fists
> >
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Fists mailing list
> Fists at mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/fists
>
>

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