[SFDXA] 2.5 More Years of CW

[Al S.]

That was nice. Thank you for sending it out.
73,
Al kj3q

On Sat, Nov 28, 2020 at 9:40 AM Bill <bmarx at bellsouth.net> wrote:

> From the CWops List:
>
>  From Mike Duke, K5XU:
> Dan’s story about 2.5 years more for CW operating VS dementia reminded me
> of a QSO I had about 30 years ago.
> I was living in an apartment, and running a much beloved, very well used,
> Yaesu FT7 with an almost hidden multi-band dipole called a “Mor-Gain.”
> One Saturday morning I answered a CQ on 10 meters from a very strong,
> obviously local operator whose call I did not recognize,
> . He was sending at around 15 WPM, so I replied at his speed.
> During the QSO, I learned that he was in his mid-80s, and lived about a
> half mile from me, thus the strong signal.
> He asked me if I could give him the address for the W5 QSL bureau.
> I did not have the address, but told him I would get it and call him on
> the phone.
> He gave me his number, and we signed.
>
> Later that morning, I got the address from another local on 2 meters, then
> called him.
> “Please give it to me slowly,” he said. “I have to pay close attention
> when I write things down over the phone.”
> He read the address back to me correctly, and then said:
>
> “I don’t work phone any more on the radio, only slow speed CW. I can no
> longer process information very quickly, and cannot think fast enough to
> have an intelligent qso on phone.
> I still do fine with conversations on CW as long as people answer me near
> my sending speed.”
>
> We never met, but crossed paths on 10 and 15 meter CW a few more times
> before he became a silent key about 2 years later.
> That candid explanation of his slower sending speed has remained with me
> ever since.
> Mike Duke, K5XU
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