Yea for cw.  


 
-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Lou Kolb
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2011 6:12 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: New Ham Creed?

That's at lease partly why I work so much CW these days.  It's a lot more
civil.  lou WA3MIX
----- Original Message -----
From: "Barbara Lombardi" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2011 9:52 PM
Subject: Re: New Ham Creed?


> Yeah that's not so new actually.  There used to be a group on 3.999 
> called the 99ers who pretty much insisted you join them with an amp.  
> Different strokes for different folks I guess hi hi.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators 
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Phil Scovell
> Sent: Friday, March 18, 2011 8:16 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: New Ham Creed?
>
> I think I discovered a new ham's creed listening to a big group of W5 
> = stations this week that I wanted to run by you just for fun.  From = 
> Colorado, I copy no fewer than a dozen, normally quite large, with big 
> = signals, of W5 stations from 36 30 up to almost 4.0 MHz any given 
> night = of the week.  Few of them are less than S9 and most are 20 
> over S9 and = occasionally, some are 40 over S9 but that doesn't 
> happen often on my S = meter even with local Denver Stations.  I 
> always enjoy listening to = these open round tables because often, 
> during the joking and = reminiscing, I learn a lot about DX activity, 
> amplifiers, and especially = antennas.
> Before I tell you what I learned must be a new ham creed, let = me 
> give you an example.  I was told by my Elmer 46 years ago, or longer, 
> = that when working CW, if you called CQ at 30 WPM, or regardless of 
> how = fast, if the calling station is running even 5 words per minute, 
> you = drop your speed to match his.  For example, I was just below 
> 3600 the = other night and I called CQ at about 25 WPM.  A W7 3 letter 
> call, which = normally would mean someone older than I and more 
> experienced, called me = at not much more than
> 5 Words Per Minute.  So, as I have for decades, I = dropped to his 
> speed and replied.  We talked for about 45 minutes at = that speed.  
> come to find out, he was in his sixties and retired and had = just 
> gotten his first ticket 3 years ago.  He was trying to get his = speed 
> up.  thus the slow 5 WPM.
> Once
> he upgraded, he applied for this 1 = by 3 callsign and got it.  Yes, I 
> enjoy CW even at 5 WPM and sometimes = lower if the guy is really 
> green.  After my brother in law, for example, = passed his novice, I 
> moved to western Colorado to be an assistant pastor = in a small town 
> church.  the town was about 800 people in population and = the church 
> had about 60 people.  I had weekly schedules with my brother = in law 
> and until he got his phone license, we each had a list a mile = long 
> from our wives, who are sisters, for which they wanted questions = 
> answered.  Once he got his phone license, we began weekly sideband = 
> schedules but guess who did all the talking?
> Yep, the two sisters.  = Anyhow, Bob, my brother in law, was so 
> nervous in a crowded 40 meter = novice band that I had to literally 
> send 2 and 3 WPM for him to get = everything I was saying.  In the 
> clear, of course, he probably could = have done better than 5 WPM 
> because he'd passed the test, but I didn't = mind sending 2 words per 
> minute.  After all, I'd done it for others and = dozens of times over 
> the years.  So, I'm just explaining that this was = how I was taught.  
> furthermore, if you heard someone splattering up and = down the band 
> on sideband, you politely broke in, told him about it, and = generally 
> the man thanked you for letting him know and made adjustments = to fix 
> the problem.  Don't ever do that now in today's ham world unless = you 
> know the person as well as your own kin.  I'm not joking.  So, now = 
> to the new ham's creed.
>
> I was listening to a group, I believe this was on 3930 but I listen to 
> = so many round tables when tuning the bands, some on a nightly bases, 
> it = could have been elsewhere on the band.  Anyhow, a half a dozen 
> guys were = 20 to 30 over.  big signals on my gage because on 80 
> meters, I have a = steady
> S9
> line noise so anything under 5 over S9, I can't copy well.  = these 
> boys were loud, in other words, and often such stations are = running 
> pretty big amplifiers which put out a lot more than the legal = limit, 
> if you get my meaning, than the 1500 watts we are allowed.  If a = 
> signal is clean, I could care less how much power he is running but 
> I'm = funny about that than , no, I have never run more than about 1.2 
> KW = output with the modified SB220 I had years ago.  For my first 300 
> DX CC = countries, I had an amp that only put out 700 watts.  Now I 
> run 500 = watts.  So, as I was saying, or suggesting, these W5 big 
> round tables, = everybody normally running vox so that's why I call 
> them open round = tables, are generally pretty friendly to new comers 
> but you have to be = loud or they forget you are there and this brings 
> me to what I heard one = of the big signals say just this week to 
> another ham on his frequency.  = That wasn't a typo.  These guys have 
> often commanded a particular = frequency for literally decades and 
> they ain't going to move for = anybody.  I've seen them literally move 
> off frequency, tell the station = too close to their quiet channel to 
> move, and if he does?  They all move = down on top of him and talk as 
> if he isn't there.  Yes, the offending = station, who didn't know he 
> was intruding on to someone private = frequency, ends up moving just 
> to get away from them.
> When he does, the = original group just goes back to their private 
> channel once again.  they = generally require at least 3 KHz above and 
> below them to consider their = channel to be quiet and called a clear 
> channel.  I've also seen traffic = nets start up, the net control to 
> be breaking in and asking them to move = for 30 minutes while they 
> conduct their net, and most of the time, the = big guns refuse to me 
> because they were there first.
>
> A guy would must have been just over S9, and was also a W5, but not = 
> running his amplifier and was a new comer to this group, got the big = 
> guns riled up a little because they claimed they could not hear him 
> well = due to his pour signal strength.  He was 20 to 30 DB weaker but 
> as I = said, if I could hear him, he had to be above S9 but not much 
> more than = that.
> Anyhow, they got to ragging on him because he wouldn't turn on = his 
> amp, if he even had one, which he claimed he did, but he said, if = 
> you are copying me now, what do I need all that extra power for.  
> Well, = shoot, the old boy does have a point because, if I'm not 
> mistaken, the = FCC rules and regs do say to use the least amount of 
> power necessary to = maintain communications.
> Nobody I know, in all my hears as a ham, ever = has practice that rule 
> and it is sort of a silly one anyhow.  Because, = unless you are 
> running 30 or 40 or 50 KW, whose going to be able to tell = how much 
> power you are putting out.  Even the FCC doesn't bother with = that 
> rule unless someone is grossly misusing it and causing loads of = 
> interference but I digress.  So, the low power guy, weaker station, 
> and = the big guns kept arguing that he should crank up the power 
> because, = these guys, running 2 holer amps, with 3 and
> 4
> K output, 100 to 180 foot = towers, and inverted vees hanging from the 
> tops of their towers, claimed = they couldn't copy this weaker guy 
> better.  I'm using a G5RV at 35 feet = with an S9 noise level and I'm 
> copying every freaking word the guy says. =  Sure, he was weaker, way 
> weaker, than the big boys, but the old guy, as = I said, had a point.  
> Plus, I thought it was sort of funny he was = pissing off the big boys 
> with his weaker signal.  I believe he was doing = it on purpose, not 
> turning on his amp, because he was trying to prove = that these guys 
> only like talking to new people if they have big = signals.  You don't 
> have to be a rocket scientist to figure out the old = boy, the weaker 
> station, was yanking their chain just a might.
> Well, = here is what a big gun on that frequency said to the weaker 
> station.
> He = finally gave his call, something often forgotten in these larger 
> round = tables that are open ended, and he told the little station the 
> = following.  "It is true," he said, "one does not need to be the 
> owner of = an amplifier.  If, on the other hand, you break in to talk 
> to a bunch of = guys, all running big amps, and putting out big 
> signals, it is easier to = communicate with the larger group, with 
> bigger signals, if you also have = a loud signal."  that's what he 
> said.  Does he have a point?  Of course = but the weaker guy still got 
> his point across.  This is one reason why I = would never break into a 
> big loud group like I have described.  You will = soon discover they 
> have forgotten you are even there.
>
> Phil.
> K0NX