When I got my novice back in 1956, it was good for only one year and
not renewable. I hated the thought of code, but was forced to use it
for a year. My speed built quickly through having QSO's, and before
the year was up, I was ready for the general. I really think the FCC
had the right idea making the novice nonrenewable. Now I am only on
phone when there is a DX station I need that isn't on CW or I am
rag-chewing with a friend. The multiple choice CW test is
laughable. I have a friend who passed 20 WPM and couldn't carry on a
QSO with me at 5 WPM. It's too easy to guess the answers from a few
characters copied correctly.
73 de W7OQ, Dave
At 08:19 AM 8/29/2006, you wrote:
>I'm almost exclusively code and love it! The thing is, sometimes I go
>for months and months (sometimes a year!) without any hf, because I
>hadn't got an antenna up. *LOL* But wow is it ever fun. And for me,
>code is very therapeutic and relaxing in a way that not many other
>things are. I know, some people probably think that this is probably
>one of the strangest things they've ever heard of, but it's
>true...and has been for ages. (I mean, besides being completely
>silent with headphones, which means I can operate and not bother
>anyone if I like.)
>
>I've said several times that I love code in spite of my best efforts
>to hate it. Some people may think that that's an odd statement, too.
>When I got my license in 1987, i was 14. I thought the code would be
>hard to learn, but it wasn't. When I got my novice, I said, "Oh! I
>can do 10 meter phone!" But once I got more antennas, I found myself
>on 15-meter cw! When I got my general, I said, "Oh! I can do 20 meter
>phone!" And guess where I was only five hours later? 20 meter cw! I
>couldn't believe it! Why was I so drawn to cw? All I could think of
>was operating phone, but all I found myself operating, mostly, was
>cw! It was fun, it was exciting, it required a skill that not
>everyone had, I didn't feel like a fool shouting "Lima victor!" into
>a microphone trying to get through a dx pileup full of rude jerks.
>What's not to like? Indeed, what's not to absolutely adore?! I can do
>cw for hours and hours. I can do phone for. ... Uh. Not hours and
>hours, for the most part, unless I manage to find an interesting net
>or more interesting ragchew. Certainly not a contest (of any sort,
>any mode, except field day maybe).
>
>--
>Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV : Executive In Training! Watkins Manager #361534
>Shop our catalog of timeless Watkins products at www.tastyshop.net
>And see how becoming a Watkins associate will improve your family's
>quality of life at www.tastybiz.com
>
>
>
>--
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