[K3PZN-List] CW's One Night Stand

[Al Bisasky K3ZE]

Well folks, it's that time of the year when we pay homage to the lost art of
working CW with a "Straight Key".  The night that seperates the Real Hams
from the
Vibraplex-bug-iambic-paddle-electronic-keyer-PC-keyboard-automatic-reading-c
anned-memory-UR 599 OM  five wpm girlie men.  You know, the greybeards and
old buffaloes that down a double shot of the hair of the dog to steady their
fingers and try to send a coherent message and relive those halcyon days
when the FCC actually required you to receive AND send at 13 and 20 wpm.

>From the ARRL Website: www.arrl.org

NEWINGTON, CT, Dec 27, 2004--Dust off that straight key that's been sitting
on the ham shack closet shelf and get ready for Straight Key Night 2005
(SKN). The ARRL-sponsored 24-hour operating event takes place every New
Year's Day (UTC), which means it begins New Year's Eve in US time zones.
It's an opportunity to operate at a slower pace, maybe using vintage
equipment, and recall the way many of today's master CW operators got their
start. It's also a chance for CW newcomers to venture out on a more level
playing field.

In this era of digital communication, keyboards, FM and electronic keys,
once a year many top operators take advantage of SKN to bring the past to
the present. It's not a contest. The object of this friendly event is simply
to enjoy some good, old-fashioned QSO fun using straight keys. The emphasis
is on ragchewing rather than rapid-fire contest-style exchanges. Last year,
227 entries were submitted for SKN--the most ever!

In some circles SKN provides an excuse to fire up that older equipment also
gathering dust in the shack, as well as hook up any of the wide variety of
hand keys developed over the years and do things "the old fashioned way."
SKN participants are encouraged to send "SKN" instead of "RST" before
sending signal reports. This not only indicates that you're taking part in
SKN but tips off passers-by that SKN is under way.



Hmmm, this gives me four days to relearn the code...  NOT!  Catch me on 75
sideband or 20 PSK31.



73 Al K3ZE