K=D8HB wrote:
wrote

I don't believe one bit of it.

Gospel truth!

Learned Morse off the old 6V farm radio (a "cathedral" style Zenith with =
5 or 6
bands ---

Geeez, OK, understood, that's roughly the same way I ran into
on-the-air Morse for the first time. A couple old-maid aunts had a big
wooden console radio which tuned bands above the AM BC band which I
messed with and heard the "beeps and boops". Which did not particularly
light my fires. Listening to the BBC and hams yakking on AM phone did
light my fires.

we didn't get REA until I was in high school) at about age 8 or 9.

Ye gawds Hans, no 115vac until you were 8-9 years old??! That would
have been in the 1958-59 timeframe and REA had just gotten to your
neighborhood then?? WTF . . ?!! Or were you in Guatemala??

I was in my early twenties at that point in history and already had a
gazillion confirmed and my *grandparents* had been getting around on
'lectric trains and trolly cars most of their lives.

Sheesh: This 'ole city boy can't even start to imagine . . . . ! Talk
about "coming up" in different worlds.

Where did the six volts come from out in your boonies?

Wanted to know what all those beeps and boops were about on what turned o=
ut to
be the 8 and 12 MC marine bands. Fascinating stuff for a kid thousands o=
f miles
from any ocean.

Of course, but something is missing here. How did you learn to copy CW
by just *listening* to the stuff?

I've been wracking (what little is left of) my brain about when and how
I started to learn the code. I dimly remember a Christmas around the
end of WW2 when I got a pair of widgets made by, I think, Lionel. They
were battery powered "code buzzers" which were connected by a pair of
the usual cotten-wrapped copper wires normally used between the the
Lionel or American Flyer xfmrs and the clips on the track.

The idea was to connect the two code buzzers located a room or two away
from each other and yak via the code with somebody. The code was
printed on the box next to the key. Problem was that I didn't have a
sombody to join the fun so I buzzed to myself and finally started to
get it.

Ham radio interest came much later, introduced by my roomate as a college
freshman.

10-4 that Hans, every beeper out here has a different war story about
how we got here. Helluva a lotta fun eh?

=20
73, de Hans, K0HB

w3rv . . . dit . .

Radio Hero wrote:
"KØHB" wrote in message
link.net...

wrote


Where did the B+ come from? Dynamotor, vibrator, batteries?

I have no idea. To a preteen farm kid the B+ came from getting a good
score on a history test. What did I know about dynamotors?

73, de Hans, K0HB




Looks like Buzz nailed you again Hans, and don't try to change
the subject to school work.




Nailed him how, could you explaing that?

KØHB wrote:



Actually only about 3/4-mile. Wildwood School, District 28, one room grades
1-8, but rarely kids in every grade, average enrollment about 10 kids. Teacher
was Mrs. Isabelle Schneider. At 9th grade you went to "town school" on a yellow
bus. During blizzards the bus didn't take you home, so you stayed at your
"storm home" --- all the farm kids were assigned one of those.

73, de Hans, K0HB





Often houses that had the 32V system were wired with standard 110v
outlets, then when REA came along all one had to do was disconnect from
the 32V system and hook up to REA. Those 32V radios would have 110v
plugs and it isn't too unsual to find one where somone plugged it into
110 volts.

"Michael Coslo" wrote in message
...
What is more important:

1. Having a license that allows HF access.


2. Not having to learn Morse code.

IOW, is standing on principle, and refusing to learn Morse code a better
thing than learning it to get the priveliges?

- Mike KB3EIA -


Hi Mike:

I think you know I don't "hate" Morse Code. I, personally, never really
wished to try it out; just like I have never really tried SCTV, anything
digital (except for APRS--if that can be considered digital), ATV, etc. I
think you get my point. Since I have ever first perused this newsgroup,
except for a few real jerks, I'd believe that most of "us" who just don't
wander into other means of communication--including Morse Code--are pretty
much the same as I am. I absolutely support those who use the mode (as I do
anyone who uses and/or invents any other modes), am willing to honor the
tradition of Morse Code (as I honor the tradition of other steadfast things
in amateur radio), and hold no animosity for anyone--OTHER than the "idiots"
on both sides of the floor (as it would be stated in political terms :o).

For me, it was never a matter of wanting HF privileges that much, and I
learned the 5wpm needed to get the privileges I was happy with. So, could
you do me a favor? Please rethink your phrase "Morse Code Haters." I don't
think most of us feel that strongly about it.

Kim W5TIT

Dee Flint wrote:

"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...

an_old_friend wrote:

Michael Coslo wrote:


What is more important:

1. Having a license that allows HF access.


2. Not having to learn Morse code.


YMMV

I do not face that choice at all Itried for years to learn

Was there a specific problem? I had a lot of trouble with Tinnitus, and
getting hung up on one letter, and letting the rest of the message go by
("flying behind the plane")

- Mike KB3EIA -


As I have mentioned before, my ex had a 70% hearing loss in each ear and
tinnitus in both ears. Yet he passed the code. He just cranked the volume
up and used headphones. If he can do it, anyone can.

I won't deny it can be done - obviously, since my problems are similar.
I doubt I'll ever be proficient at Morse though. To get an idea of what
it is like for me, imagine concentrating as hard as you can on
something. Can I do it? Sure. But not for extended periods.

Certainly turning up the headphones helps, but the levels I use are
fatiguing, and they sometimes annoy the other ops.

- Mike KB3EIA -

bb wrote:


Michael Coslo wrote:

What is more important:

1. Having a license that allows HF access.


2. Not having to learn Morse code.

IOW, is standing on principle, and refusing to learn Morse code a better
thing than learning it to get the priveliges?

- Mike KB3EIA -


Some choices! Is that anything like having sex with the boss and
having a job, or not having a job? ;^)

I guess it depends on the boss! ;^)

- Mike KB3EIA -

Kim wrote:

"Michael Coslo" wrote in message
...

What is more important:

1. Having a license that allows HF access.


2. Not having to learn Morse code.

IOW, is standing on principle, and refusing to learn Morse code a better
thing than learning it to get the priveliges?

- Mike KB3EIA -



Hi Mike:

I think you know I don't "hate" Morse Code. I, personally, never really
wished to try it out; just like I have never really tried SCTV, anything
digital (except for APRS--if that can be considered digital), ATV, etc. I
think you get my point. Since I have ever first perused this newsgroup,
except for a few real jerks, I'd believe that most of "us" who just don't
wander into other means of communication--including Morse Code--are pretty
much the same as I am. I absolutely support those who use the mode (as I do
anyone who uses and/or invents any other modes), am willing to honor the
tradition of Morse Code (as I honor the tradition of other steadfast things
in amateur radio), and hold no animosity for anyone--OTHER than the "idiots"
on both sides of the floor (as it would be stated in political terms :o).

For me, it was never a matter of wanting HF privileges that much, and I
learned the 5wpm needed to get the privileges I was happy with. So, could
you do me a favor? Please rethink your phrase "Morse Code Haters." I don't
think most of us feel that strongly about it.

Yeah, "haters" was the wrong choice of word in retrospect.

- Mike KB3EIA -

wrote

Where did the six volts come from out in your boonies?

Wind-powered charger on the roof of the barn. (Not all windmills pumped water).

K=D8HB wrote:
wrote

Where did the six volts come from out in your boonies?

Wind-powered charger on the roof of the barn. (Not all windmills pumped =
water).

Where did the B+ come from? Dynamotor, vibrator, batteries?

---

Most of the classic windcharger systems I know of were nominally 32
volts. When I lived in a rural part 2-land, windmill towers were still
plentiful, although most held TV antennas.

73 de Jim, N2EY

"Cmd Buzz Corey" wrote

Just curious, what did you use for a BFO to copy Morse?

Hey, I was a pre-teen kid, not a ham. Didn't know WTF was a BFO, but if you
held a finger on the metal skin of the third tube from the right in back the
Morse would be heard as a sort of buzzy hum. Worked for me and my brother.

73, de Hans, K0HB