[SixClub] CW SK

[John Carson]

I am pleased to  say that  i amone who has  taken
Morse Code classes with mikea/w5ego (THANKS
MIKE!!!!...we need many more like you...) and as one
who has had a problem in getting the code down pat, I
can say it has really frustrated me a great deal. (I
know it is not supposed to, but it does indeed tend to
make me feel like less of Ham in the fact that I can't
just pick it up like many I know...). I have
determined that inspite of the change, I will continue
to persue my goal of knowing the code. (Code Quick
which I am working my way through seems to be working
well so far.) I will also comtinue to study and
preparing for my  General written test. I can't deny
that for one I am pleased with the upcoming change. As
I said in an earlier post, perhaps it is better to let
those who want to learn (and use) the code to do
rather than having it as a "barrier" of sorts to any
form of advancement. 
I also, get a bit upset when I hear other Hams dress
down the Techican  Class Hams  asa  whole by saying WE
are dumming down the Amateur Radio community. I beg
your pardon...I for one hold 2 undergraduate degrees
and work full time in  broadcasting, yet I am" DUMMING
DOWN" the Ham community as a Techinican...give me a
break! 
 I do heartily agree with a  previous poster in that
all you really need do is hear how the 6 meter
fraternity operates on the air. THEY are the ones that
make me proud.(for the opposite reaction, I would
point your attention to those who frequent 160 and 49
Meters...talk about some very POOR examples!) 
Perhaps the rest of the old line Hams should take
notice...but in reality THEY won't. (who are we
kidding anyway...) 
In the end we want to draw more and more folks in to
the Amateur Radio community (don't we...) We must
realize that todays Hams are computer literate,
technically compident and that new modes and standards
are a good thing rather than any perceived threat to
tradition. For example, I know little about PSK, yet I
am not threatened by those who like and use it. Am I
any less of a ham because I don't (yet) persue PSK? 
In the view of the hardliner CW folks, if you follow
their reasoning then the answer to my question is a
resounding YES.

CW definately has its place...but it is NOT the be all
and end all of Amateur radio.

In the words of my favorite broadcast journalist,
Charles Osgood...

"I'll see you on the radio!"

73de kd5srw





--- mikea <mikea at mikea.ath.cx> wrote:

> On Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 12:34:19PM -0500, kd4e
> wrote:
> >  > mikea wrote:
> > > I just got word from William.Cross at fcc.gov that
> the effective date on this
> > > R&O is the standard "30 days after publication
> in the Federal Register".
> > 
> > Did he happen to mention when they plan to get
> > it published in the Federal Register?
> 
> No, but my experience has been that publication
> generally requires 
> about 2 weeks, +/- a bit.
> 
> As someone who teaches a Morse class and sees folks
> who _really_ have
> extreme difficulty learning Morse (mostly due to
> hearing problems,
> various forms of dyslexia, and to auditory
> processing problems in the
> speech-and-hearing centers), and who works almost
> exclusively CW, I
> really do see both sides of the argument.
> 
> I wish the FCC had kept Morse as that little "Extra"
> in "Amateur Extra
> Class".
> 
> -- 
> Mike Andrews, W5EGO
> mikea at mikea.ath.cx
> Tired old sysadmin and CW dinosaur
>
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