Any Hams Left?

[N1508J]

Good 4 u

Seems to me that 20 has been open longer into the night over the past few months. I'm not as active in the summer, though, because I like to be outside.

However, I did work HI3TEJ on 14.202 on 7/29 with 100w using my vertical, no problem. Catches like that keep you coming back!

As a 5 wpm Extra I am also thinking about re-learning CW this fall/winter when there's less to do. PSK31 to Venezuela on 20w has piqued my interest in trying QRP CW.

A tip of the Hatlow hat 2 u! As an almost dead extra, I'm glad to hear ur still a CW operator and working to increase ur speed!

Now that the FCC has dummied down the requirements for an amateur license, few operators want to learn cw. That benefits us olde timers in that there will be less krap on the cw only bands!

With more voice only operators crammed into existing spectrum, interference will increase like it did with the Cuckoo Band. No doubt the FCC will throw in the towel and stop enforcing all licensing requirements as it did for the Cuckoo Band. Glad I won’t be around to see it!

 

[WA1CRZ]

A tip of the Hatlow hat 2 u! As an almost dead extra, I'm glad to hear ur still a CW operator and working to increase ur speed!

Now that the FCC has dummied down the requirements for an amateur license, few operators want to learn cw. That benefits us olde timers in that there will be less krap on the cw only bands!

With more voice only operators crammed into existing spectrum, interference will increase like it did with the Cuckoo Band. No doubt the FCC will throw in the towel and stop enforcing all licensing requirements as it did for the Cuckoo Band. Glad I won’t be around to see it!

Phone band congestion? NAHHHH! They'll just take away 50 KHZ from us CW ops and give it to the microphone idiots!

Any idiot can push a mike key

 

[mkh]

Everyone has covered this pretty well.

I just wanted to say that I'm out there as are many other hams both new and old.

 

[FLATGUNPHIL]

Howdy from KG6ZIU

Depending on where you are, there could be a lot of man-made noise. Just keep listening!

Phil

 

[policeMonitor]

remember

when the power is out and all the computers are down

 

[elk2370bruce]

Our legacy of community service, proudly, lives on! Come on and join us!

 

[policeMonitor]

actually elk i passed my test last tuesday lol

 

[kingpin]

Phone band congestion? NAHHHH! They'll just take away 50 KHZ from us CW ops and give it to the microphone idiots!

Any idiot can push a mike key

Didn't realize you had 50 KHz to be taken considering you're bootlegging someone elses callsign according to http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showpost.php?p=542635&postcount=16

 

[Billk9kz]

As far as CW goes, MANY of the worst ham ops I have known are extra class. I really don't see how CW has a thing to do with whether a ham is a 'good ham' or not. Personally I'm glad to see the CW requirements go. I passed my 20 wpm exam easily, so it's not because I don't like the code.

Bill K9KZ

 

[N1508J]

Class don't matter!

As far as CW goes, MANY of the worst ham ops I have known are extra class. I really don't see how CW has a thing to do with whether a ham is a 'good ham' or not. Personally I'm glad to see the CW requirements go. I passed my 20 wpm exam easily, so it's not because I don't like the code.

Bill K9KZ

While the definition of a "bad" ham can cover many topics, I have found that operator privileges are not a classifier. Whether the definition of a bad ham is a "lid" operator or one that QRM’s your QSO or whatever, those operators are found within ALL operator classes. The 2 meter band seems well on it's way to becoming the new "chicken band" if you listen to some of the kerr-chunkers of repeaters and key-downs on QSO'S found in one particular metro area I'm thinking of!

Moreover, CW operation likewise has nothing to do with ascribing a title of "good or bad" ham to an individual unless you are talking about his technique. There is no supernatural criteria involved if you are a CW operator or not and being a good or bad operator. Your attitude was fixed before you took the test!

I personally think that some skill of CW should remain as a test requirement. It still remains the ONLY way, short of smoke signals) that can be used in absence of any electrical device. Remember the tapping on steam pipes to communicate? I would be a shame that should some emergency arise where NO radio voice traffic could be exchanged (however remote that may be nowadays) where the amateur community when called upon, could not transmit emergency traffic by CW. Can you imagine how embarrassing deplorable that would be?

 

[elk2370bruce]

N1508J: Once again, our views are alarmingly similar! While I did obtain my part One CSCE I do not have disdain for those who have only recently gotten into the hobby. I have found more new operators are voluntarily working CW. We learn what we enjoy far better and quicker than what we have been forced to do. As a re-tred amateur operator (after many hundreds of moons on other life activities) I return to find the overwhelming number of operators friendly and helpful; unlike the curmudgeons that seem to infest some of the websites.

 

[sjcscanner]

Also true is the fact the active ham population is aging and you younger guys have better things to do and more sophisticated stuff to do it with. It's a pity but a fact. There just isn't the interest in amateur radio any more, what with tests to take and the expense of equipment since we've gotten so far from the build-your-own-station days. It is a hobby and a service that is on the wane. And, I for one, regret it and wish I had -- at age 75 -- the energy to do something about it; stay on the back of the staid ARRL, push for trained and equipped emergency communications resources for local and area disaster commands, keep amateur radio in front of the public for what it is and can be to them. But my jousting days are now past too.

not me... as soon as i get out of college... im getting my ham

 

[N1508J]

Cw Learners

N1508J: Once again, our views are alarmingly similar! While I did obtain my part One CSCE I do not have disdain for those who have only recently gotten into the hobby. I have found more new operators are voluntarily working CW. We learn what we enjoy far better and quicker than what we have been forced to do. As a re-tred amateur operator (after many hundreds of moons on other life activities) I return to find the overwhelming number of operators friendly and helpful; unlike the curmudgeons that seem to infest some of the websites.

It's great that your views are similar to mine! After all, what better views for the world to follow than mine?!?!?!?!?!? Now that I have everyone's attention, it's great that some new operators thought about the advantages of CW and chose to learn it. They will find it helpful at times if and when they like working DX to get that needed country!

 

[wesct]

Didn't realize you had 50 KHz to be taken considering you're bootlegging someone elses callsign according to http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showpost.php?p=542635&postcount=16

BUSTED!!!!

wesct

 

[wesct]

Phone band congestion? NAHHHH! They'll just take away 50 KHZ from us CW ops and give it to the microphone idiots!

Any idiot can push a mike key

And any cw appliance operator can send cw with a computer......

wesct

 

[k9rzz]

And any cw appliance operator can send cw with a computer......

wesct

Send sure, but copying is a little trickier!