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
|