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#9
April 18th 05, 11:05 PM
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wrote in message oups.com... From: "cl" on Sun,Apr 17 2005 11:33 pm "bb" wrote in message groups.com... cl wrote: The biggest problem with most is "laziness". Was that your problem? If you hadn't been so lazy you could have learned the code in under a week? Eh - I had the code down in 2 weeks for the Novice exam. AND I'm now an Extra. Been licensed since the early 80s. Yeah, I probably could have learned it in under a week, if I pushed myself. Most anyone will tell you - it isn't good to do such. Sorry, according to many in here you have to approach it as THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE!!! :-) Besides, at that time, I was chasing rug rats - so study time was premium. Excuses, excuses, excuses! :-) Most recommendations are 15 minutes to a half hour a day. That hardly makes it possible in a week. I used the words " "AT LEAST" 2 WEEKS". Some are faster learners than others, that is a given. BUT my point was, you have to get started to learn ANYTHING. You can't absorb it through osmosis. Back to the timing thing, I hope someone from the military can step in to tell us how much time they were given to get the code down. I think they had to "Cram". "Caveat," I was in the military, the United States Army, voluntary enlistment beginning 13 March 1953. Went from Basic to Signal School at Fort Monmouth, NJ. Amount of Signal School time spent on morse code? ZERO! NO class, NO "cramming." At that time the ONLY military occupation specialty in the Army requiring morsemanship was Field Radio. Field Radio then required passing 20 WPM, was taught at Camp Gordon (later Fort Gordon, now the home of the Signal Corps). Drop-out rate was roughly a quarter of all starting...that I know about. Those that didn't make it, but had some apitude for electronics, got to go to Inside Plant Telephone, Outside Plant Telephone, Carrier, Teleprinter Operator, Field Wireman...or the Infantry. :-) My Signal School classes taught Microwave Radio Relay (at a time when there was little of such operational). Radar was also taught at Fort Monmouth, had the same basic electronics as Microwave. I got assigned to a Fixed Station Transmitter site in Japan. Got all of about a day's worth of on-site "training" to operate one of three dozen HF transmitters having a minimum of 1 KW output. NO MORSEMANSHIP NEEDED THERE. NO MORSE USED at the third-largest station in the Army Command and Administrative Network. Maybe you never will use it again. Perhaps. I've found little use for it so far. Maybe once I'm an old fart, have loads of time, and wax nostalgic for things that never were, I'll take it up and enjoy it, and demand that all learn it. Probably the same age bracket as me. I do listen to call signs now and then on the scanner to pick out the services they represent - if I don't immediately know who the service is. I do listen some times to code on the H.F. Bands. ...or what you think is morse. :-) There's very LITTLE morse code on HF nowadays...EXCEPT inside the ham bands. There are many things you learn in life and may never use again, unless you plan to play on Jeopardy. Tell that to Ken Jennings! :-) Many people learned the skeletal system in health class, microorganisms in Biology class. It doesn't mean they use it now. Probably forgot it as soon as they graduated. But, it was "required". It's not a big deal people. Once you get past the "do I have to" and start doing it, you'll amaze yourself at how fast and easy it can be. Indeed. I never had the "do I have to?" attitude as there was no code-free license when I became a ham. Yet it took me about 9 weeks of daily practice. And you stuck with it!!!!!!!! You didn't quit, and it got you where you wanted to be. OR had to be - for your class of license. 2 weeks, 9 weeks, so what... you did it. A milestone to be proud of. No one can fault you for that effort. Riiiight, Coach Lector. :-) After my release from active duty in 1956, I thought it good to get a Commercial Radiotelephone License. Lots of job opportunities with that then. Couldn't find a Q&A book in town but I got a copy of the entire FCC regulations from a good guy at a local broadcast station, studied that and got my First 'Phone on the first sitting in Chicago, 90 miles away (didn't walk, rode the train, kept my shoes on even if there was no snow). Moved to L.A. at the end of '56, started at Art Center School of Design to become an illustrator. Worked during the day at Hughes Aircraft, found out that illustrators didn't make much money, liked electronics (already spent three years in Army communications) and switched to Electronics Engineering. Took me 15 years to complete that due to job requirements making me miss whole semesters. Got engineering responsibility, title, and pay before any "certificate" (suitable for framing) awarded (sheep did not sacrifice their skins for graduates, regardless of what is said). In between semesters, I thought it a neat thing to learn this morse code stuff, get a fancy callsign to "sign after my name" (youth can be misleading on what is important). Got to roughly 8 WPM clean copy using practice tapes (magnetic, reel-to-reel, cassettes had not yet been invented in those 60s days). Stopped after that plateau, wondered "whatinhell am I doing spending all this time on morse?" I'd already spent three full years on Army communications at a major station (220 thousand messages a month in 1955), had become a supervisor, did finally work on microwave radio relay operations in the service, was now an employee of Ramo- Wooldridge Corp. in electronic warfare group, and the Class D CBs had already started. I'd gotten the First 'Phone, worked on HF, was now working on more of the EM spectrum than any ham of today can use, already had a good home workshop and was coming along on professional design. I didn't "NEED MORSE" to GET ON THE AIR. I had already done that, perfectly legal, without fault. I had tossed the idea of getting a "title" (the callsign) since there was MUCH MORE electronics coming along. The first of the ICs had already hit the market and some of us were tinkering with the first personal computers, rolling our own without benefit of MITs or Apple or SwTP kits (hadn't come out yet). PLENTY of fun and games in electronics AND radio to be interested in. I DO use code now and then, but not daily like many others do. Everyone has their own thing. Some are into Packet, RTTY, AMTOR, etc, I'm not...To each his own. But we all had to learn "something" about those modes to pass an exam. Oooooo! "PASS THE (code) EXAM!" Geez, poor babies, like an amateur exam is "Nobel Laureate" material? Like "rocket science?" Yeah... a "life accomplishment!" :-) I used to "pass a test" every week...on payday. If I didn't KNOW what was needed on the job, to do the things my bosses had given me responsibility for, I wouldn't "pass that exam." No paycheck. Bye. I never failed such an exam. I never failed any exam in college courses, either. I just kept on working in engineering design...and having to constantly keep on learning. The state of the electronics arts have NOT ceased to advance...not one iota of stopping. Funny thing is, we're all arguing pros and cons and in the end, it won't matter. WE do not have control. NO NO NO!!! WRONG IN HERE!!! The NO-CODE TEST ADVOCATE extras "HAVE CONTROL!" At least three have "forbidden" any non-amateur to EVER say anything about getting INTO amateur radio! Such folk are, as these gods of radio put it, "NOT INVOLVED!" Damn the First Amendment (say those three). THEY "rule" on What Shall Be in U.S. amateur radio! Their clubhouse door is CLOSED to "outsiders." [so are their minds, BTASE...) So, if we're going to debate the issues we have no control over, may as well keep it clean. What is "clean?" Anything done the way the ARRL says is "clean?" Anything done to show "committment" and "dedication" to amateurism is "clean?" Does "clean" mean that ALL must obey the olde-fahrt amateur extras who cuss at all the (evil) no-coders? Does "clean" mean the usual Double Standard in this newsgroup? All the PCTA extras can cuss at others but everyone else has to be OH so polite, civil, obediant, and respectful to their MIGHTY personal accomplishments? Hardly any of us know the other and it isn't worth making enemies over. Quite true, but that is NOT practiced in here. Look at the labels of "PUTZ," "LIAR," "COWARD" that are tossed out freely by these MIGHTY PCTA extras! Certainly not worth name calling.... It MUST be "worth it" to these stalwart, noble, good and true MORSEMEN. They seem to thrive on it. Whether I'm right or wrong, I do value opposing view points. Everyone has a right to his/her own opinion. Commendable and should be the operative ethic in here. Unfortunately, it is NOT SO. Pro or con, it is a matter of time. May be a year, may be 5, but it will come to pass. Absolutely. But...that will be the END of the ARS (Archaic Radiotelegraphy Society). retired (from regular hours) electronic engineer person Correction - I'm "not" Caveat Lector........ I use small case cl, he uses capitals. See my address within! cl |
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