One way to promote learning of code ...
 

Here's an interesting, but short-term, lmited lifetime idea for you folks
who want to promote code learning.

The Lehigh Valley Amateur Radio Club has ammassed $100.00 to present as an
award to the last *club member* to pass Element 1 for an upgrade at a
*club-sponsored* ARRL VE session before the new rules come into effect and
the Element 1 test moves out of the rule book and into the history books.

(Actually, it was announced last week at this month's club meeting that
"several benefactors" had contributed a total of $70.00 to the cause and I
just *had* to immediately kick in an additional $30.00 on behalf of NCI to
make it an even hundred :-)

As I said, this is a short-term (limited lifetime) opportunity. If you want
to *continue* to promote code learning, great, but you'll have to come up
with a new idea ...

73,
Carl - wk3c

One way to promote learning of code ...
 

Carl R. Stevenson wrote:
...
As I said, this is a short-term (limited lifetime) opportunity. If you want
to *continue* to promote code learning, great, but you'll have to come up
with a new idea ...

73,
Carl - wk3c

If only the CW'ers had the zealot-ism of the mooselums!

chuckle
JS

One way to promote learning of code ...
 

Carl R. Stevenson wrote:
Here's an interesting, but short-term, lmited lifetime idea for you folks
who want to promote code learning.

The Lehigh Valley Amateur Radio Club has ammassed $100.00 to present as an
award to the last *club member* to pass Element 1 for an upgrade at a
*club-sponsored* ARRL VE session before the new rules come into effect and
the Element 1 test moves out of the rule book and into the history books.

(Actually, it was announced last week at this month's club meeting that
"several benefactors" had contributed a total of $70.00 to the cause and I
just *had* to immediately kick in an additional $30.00 on behalf of NCI to
make it an even hundred :-)

As I said, this is a short-term (limited lifetime) opportunity. If you want
to *continue* to promote code learning, great, but you'll have to come up
with a new idea ...

73,
Carl - wk3c

That might be a problem. The Gulag system is all they know...

One way to promote learning of code ...
 

Carl R. Stevenson wrote:
Here's an interesting, but short-term, lmited lifetime idea for you folks
who want to promote code learning.

The Lehigh Valley Amateur Radio Club has ammassed $100.00 to present as an
award to the last *club member* to pass Element 1 for an upgrade at a
*club-sponsored* ARRL VE session before the new rules come into effect and
the Element 1 test moves out of the rule book and into the history books.

How will it be decided who is the last one?

(Actually, it was announced last week at this month's club meeting that
"several benefactors" had contributed a total of $70.00 to the cause and I
just *had* to immediately kick in an additional $30.00 on behalf of NCI to
make it an even hundred :-)

omigawd that's hilarious, Carl! I wish W3RV and I coulda been there
when
you did that....

As I said, this is a short-term (limited lifetime) opportunity. If you want
to *continue* to promote code learning, great, but you'll have to come up
with a new idea ...

Here are 10 ways to promote Morse Code. (The "you" in the following is
aimed at the person who wants to promote the mode):

1) Use Morse Code on the air. For ragchewing, DXing, contesting,
traffic handling, QRP, QRO, QRS, QRQ, whatever floats yer boat. If your

favorite band is crowded, try another and/or get a sharper filter. If
you contest, even a little, send in your logs, photos, soapbox
comments, etc. Our presence on the air is essential - one of the
reasons FCC took away so much of 80 is that they were convinced it
wasn't being used. Our presence on the air is more important than ever.


2) Work on your Morse Code skills. Got a CP certificate?

But not just speed alone. Can you send and receive a message in
standard form? Can you do it faster than someone on 'phone?
Can you do both "head copy" and write it down? How about copying on a
mill? Ragchewing? Contesting? Being able to have a QSO at slow as well
as fast speeds?


3) Find a local club that does Field Day and go out with them.
Particularly if they have little or no Morse Code activity on FD now.
Help with their Morse Code efforts however you can - operating,
logging, setting up, tearing down, etc. FD is one way to actively
demonstrate 21st Century Morse Code *use*. Talking to people about
Morse isn't nearly so effective as showing them.


4) Set up a Morse Code demo at a local hamfest/club meeting/air
show/town fair/middle school etc. Not as some sort of nostalgia thing
but as a demonstration that Morse Code is alive and in use today.


5) Conduct training classes - on the air, in person, over the 'net,
whatever. Help anybody who wants to learn. Could be as simple as giving

them some code tapes or CDs, or as involved as a formal course at a
local community center.


6) Elmer anybody who wants help - even if they're not interested in
Morse Code at all. Your help and example may inspire them.


7) Write articles for QST/CQ/Worldradio/K9YA Telegraph/Electric
Radio/your local hamclub newsletter etc. Not about the code *test* nor
about Morse Code history, the past, etc., but about how to use Morse
Code *today*. For example, how about an article on what rigs are best
for Morse Code use, and why? Or about the differences between a bug,
single-lever keyer, iambic A and iambic B? Your FD experiences with
Morse Code? (QST, June, 1994) Yes, you may be turned down by the first
mag you submit it to - but keep submitting.


8) Get involved in NTS, QMN, ARES, whatever, and use Morse Code there.
The main reason so much emergency/public service stuff is done on voice

is because they don't have the people - skilled operators - to use any
other mode.


9) Join FISTS & SKCC and any other group that supports Morse. Give out
numbers to those who ask for them even if you're not a contester/award
collector.


10) Forget about "the test". It will be gone soon and FCC won't bring
it back. Yes, a lot of us think they made a bad decision, but that's
nothing new, just look at BPL or their rulings on the sale of broadcast
radio stations.

FCC won't preserve our standards and values - we have to do it.

And our attitude is a key part of that (pun intended). If we're seen as

a bunch of old grumpy gus types, not many will want to join us. But if
we present ourselves as a fun-loving, welcoming,
young-at-heart-and-mind, helpful group with useful skills,
similar people will want to join us.

IMHO

73 es KC de Jim, N2EY

One way to promote learning of code ...
 

One way to promote learning of code ...
 

wrote:

And our attitude is a key part of that (pun intended). If we're seen as
a bunch of old grumpy gus types, not many will want to join us.

Ahem, it's going to be hard to shake that image.

But if
we present ourselves as a fun-loving, welcoming,
young-at-heart-and-mind, helpful group with useful skills,
similar people will want to join us.

IMHO

73 es KC de Jim, N2EY

Jim, you've got your work cut out for you. Don't want to hear excuses
about how hard it will be or that you already walked 5 miles uphill
both ways to school in the snow and don't want to put out the effort...

Consider it, ummm, character building.

One way to promote learning of code ...
 

John Smith I wrote:
wrote:
...
And our attitude is a key part of that (pun intended). If we're seen as
a bunch of old grumpy gus types, not many will want to join us. But if
we present ourselves as a fun-loving, welcoming,
young-at-heart-and-mind, helpful group with useful skills,
similar people will want to join us.

IMHO

73 es KC de Jim, N2EY


Ahhh yes, the old "Wolf In Sheeps Clothing" ploy!!!

Well, sad thing, but I don't think anyone expected 'ya to come up with
anything original ... heck, maybe on the umpteenth try it'll work!

What Miccolis came up with is NOT original. :-( It's a standard
boilerplate kind of "enthusiasm" which is spouted by all olde-tymers
in response to changes in any organization. He seems to think
that everyone "coming in" to amateur radio knows exactly nothing
about the REAL attitude of the olde-tymers. Seldom true.

"Similar people" will turn out to be xerocopies of themselves,
replete with eyeshades, sleeve garters, and "thousand yard
stare" as they concentrate on incoming beeps. Those trying
morsemanship will generally put aside the novelty of it rather
quickly, finding out that the "fun" wasn't really fun after all.

What is unfortunate (for pro-coders) is there smug arrogance
of the past and all they've said about those who don't love,
honor, and obey morsemanship. PEOPLE remember what
these "light-hearted, fun-loving, welcoming" pro-coders were
like in the very recent past. [Google provides, BTW]

What will be interesting to watch is the "new" attitude of the
ARRL, the national organization of the Archaic Radiotelegraphy
Society (ARS). :-)

LA

One way to promote learning of code ...
 

wrote in message
ups.com...

1) Use Morse Code on the air. For ragchewing, DXing, contesting,
traffic handling, QRP, QRO, QRS, QRQ, whatever floats yer boat. If your

favorite band is crowded, try another and/or get a sharper filter.

Actually, without skill in morse, you simply will not be able to participate
in QSO's with a large subset of the stations you listed. A lot of good DX
(and QRP etc.) is only available in Morse (sometimes only in the extra class
sections). I don't think the financial incentive Carl mentions is very
relevant (or humorous for that matter). If you learn morse, you will be
empowered to communicate with more people. If you don't know Morse, well,
trying to find good DX will be similar to visitng Miami and not be able to
speak Spanish...you can get by but will miss a lot. Too bad, Audios es 73

One way to promote learning of code ...
 

Stefan Wolfe wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...
1) Use Morse Code on the air. For ragchewing, DXing, contesting,
traffic handling, QRP, QRO, QRS, QRQ, whatever floats yer boat. If your

favorite band is crowded, try another and/or get a sharper filter.

Actually, without skill in morse, you simply will not be able to participate
in QSO's with a large subset of the stations you listed. A lot of good DX
(and QRP etc.) is only available in Morse (sometimes only in the extra class
sections). I don't think the financial incentive Carl mentions is very
relevant (or humorous for that matter). If you learn morse, you will be
empowered to communicate with more people. If you don't know Morse, well,
trying to find good DX will be similar to visitng Miami and not be able to
speak Spanish...you can get by but will miss a lot. Too bad, Audios es 73



Keep it up!!! All you lose is your credibility, but then, you guys are
already used to using that up, aren't you ...

Take a good look behind you, all you see is about to disappear.

Regards,
JS

One way to promote learning of code ...
 

"John Smith I" wrote in message
...

Take a good look behind you, all you see is about to disappear.

Why would you say that? Did the FCC make morse illegal?