[ILQSO] slow CW suggestion

[Hank Greeb]

Anyone who doesn't slow down when receiving a call from a slow operator 
should get a big certificate engraved with "Lid of the Year."

I know for a fact that the best way to learn how to copy CW is to engage 
in a contest - my first "go for the guts" contest was the ARRL SS at my 
school club station.  Members cajoled me into running SOLP from the club 
station.  I was at a plateau between 15 and 18 WPM.  After 20 or 24 
hours (maximum permitted for the contest in those daze), I was thinking 
in Morse code.  I'd hear English, but have to translate it into code 
before I could understand it.  After that 20 WPM for the extra class 
license test was a sn*p.  This lasted for almost a half a day.  
Translating class lectures was a real challenge.  Fortunately I didn't 
have any tests that morning!

So, tell the slower operators to persist - there's slow CW on the bands 
- look around the QRP frequencies of 3560, 7030, 14060, etc. in 
particular.  Many QRPers send with hand keys, and/or prefer QRS to be 
sure to get info across when running <5 watts.

73 de n8xx Hg

Danny Pease wrote:
> I had a suggestion from one of our ILQP participants about a set frequency for slow speed CW operators (he mentioned 10 wpm). I know, I know, all you CW operators say you have no problem slowing down if someone asks, but I know from experience most of you do not adjust the keyed speed back, you just space the characters out more. OK if the other station can copy 20 or 25 wpm not so good if your best speed is quite a bit slower. Plus, if you are looking for CW contacts on that given frequency, you will be looking for the slower speed operators (trying to get their speed up), so you should be already running at the slower speed. I know from my own experience that I have to listen to someone's report a few times at 35 wpm (my own comfortable copying speed being somewhere closer to 17 wpm) before I can be sure I have it right and I do not like to ask a faster CW op to slow down for me and break his rhythm. 
>
> Anyway, back to the suggestion. Does anyone have an opinion about s specific frequency be suggested for slow CW for ILQP. Maybe really high up in the bands, like in old Novice territory on 40 meters. I think it could stir up a lot more CW QSO's, but better yet, it may get a lot of stations on CW that would not normally.
>
> Danny  NG9R