[Johnson] CW and reality

[Richard Peterson]

Ham radio faces a huge challenge -- especially with young people. Given the 
choice of learning CW, or sending text messages with their cell phones, 
don't think for a minute that CW will win. It loses.

The fact that we are exchanging e-mail on this topic, rather than furiously 
pounding brass to discuss it on the air, shows that ham radio is in trouble.

In fact, you can even make the case that shortwave is in trouble You can 
listen to the foreign broadcasters on the air, and enjoy all the crackle and 
the fade, or you can listen to them on the Internet.

I know -- there are all sorts of exceptions. But the citation I received 
from the ARRL for emergency services was when all the communications were on 
phone -- not one dash and not one dit was sent. Not one.

CW is quaint. It's interesting. It's antique. It's about as antique as my 
Johnson equipment that I use that feeds my center-fed Zepp antenna. Remember 
those? The end-fed version was trailed behind Zeppelin airships.

I regret to say that I'm not even advancing the "state of the art."

But I have a lot of fun.

Richard, WB5NEN