Definitely a problem if you do not have a HF reciever at all. And those Rat
Shack ones suck for that too. There used to be publication of VHF
rebroadcasts of the w1aw transmissions, but I have yet to hear any around
here in Michigan. Where the hell is the so-called field organization they
are so proud of on this one? Even if it is a members-only thing, still you
would think that the local (state-wise) field organizations would think that
was important enough to rebroadcast.........



--
Ryan, KC8PMX
FF1-FF2-MFR-(pending NREMT-B!)
--. --- -.. ... .- -. --. . .-.. ... .- .-. . ..-. .. .-. . ..-.
... --. .... - . .-. ...
(snippage)

I still recommend W1AW over any of the "canned" aids. Two downsides of
course are that W1AW does not send Farnsworth and one needs a
half-decent HF rcvr.

http://www.arrl.org/w1aw.html#w1awsked


You sit there with your pen and paper, and struggle to get it
all right. But moving it into the background makes it less important,
and perhaps by simply getting used to the sounds before struggling
to get it all, it might all come easier.

w3rv






Michael VE2BVW

I would actually have to agree with Kim on this one. I have many times
asked (tactfully and politely) certain questions of blind hams as to their
experiences as hams dealing with the loss of sight as it relates to the
hobby. They were definitely helpful and supportive in "educating" me to
their circumstances. A definite thank you at the end of the questions with
an explanation that I was trying to understand what it is like to be in
their shoes definitely helped.



--
Ryan, KC8PMX
FF1-FF2-MFR-(pending NREMT-B!)
--. --- -.. ... .- -. --. . .-.. ... .- .-. . ..-. .. .-. . ..-.
... --. .... - . .-. ...


Keith, why don't you solicit the opinions of some deaf hams? There is a
group called HandiHams that you could ask--if they would respond. You
could
also get on eHam.net, and qrz.com and pose the question in the forums.
The
question, I suppose, would be: Do you, as a deaf ham, agree that the
government should require that you pass a minimum CW requirement for
amateur
radio privileges at that level?

My guess is most deaf hams are not going to mind a bit. Note that I said
*most.* I am sure there are some out there that may object.

Kim W5TIT


---
Posted via news://freenews.netfront.net
Complaints to

A completely different issue I had and/or have is not the speed as much as
the audio pitch of the code being sent. It's hard as hell to get a VE team
to adjust the pitch/tone sound at all if they even bother to send with a
key. Hell, a couple of them are only using premade CD's, which are played a
fixed rate and since most VE's are not frivolous (at all), they usually only
have a "basic" cd player, and would not have equipment capable of code at a
lower tone but keeping the same speed.

I say this because my hearing loss makes me hear "normally" sent code at its
"proper" pitch rate as one long solid tone, as if you placed a finger on a
straight key and never lifted up at all while sending. In other words, if
there was a 2 minute QSO in morse code being sent at its "normal" pitch, it
sounds like a 2 minute long T to me. If I lower the frequency of the tone
of the amount of at least 200-250hz less, to where it starts becoming a more
rich, bass(y) sounding tone, then I can distinguish the difference between a
dit and a dah.

On a lighter note, I think my ex-wife had a voice in the same range as being
sent at most VE sessions...... she said I never listened to her!


--
Ryan, KC8PMX
FF1-FF2-MFR-(pending NREMT-B!)
--. --- -.. ... .- -. --. . .-.. ... .- .-. . ..-. .. .-. . ..-.
... --. .... - . .-. ...
All I ask for is to know what speed I need to be studying as it all
sounds different to me at each speed....


Don't email. TELEPHONE them. Ask them what is the character speed and
what
is the overall word speed. They can have the character speed at 13 (or
faster), but the spacing must be adjusted to end up at 5wpm overall. It
is
not proper test procedure to have the test at an actual 13wpm when it is
supposed to be 5wpm.

Talk to the VE team leader that you will eventually be testing under so
that
you do get the correct character speed for the test that you will be
planning to take.

Finally try to find someone who is knowledgeable in correct training
methods
to "Elmer" you if at all possible.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

"Dan/W4NTI" wrote in message ...
"Brian" wrote in message
om...
"Dan/W4NTI" wrote in message
...

Yeah its tough now Dee. When I took mine is was solid copy at 20 wpm
for
one solid minute out of five. Oh well.

Dan/W4NTI

And uphill both ways in 6 foot of snow...

You know Brian I don't give a rats ass if you believe me or not. Ask
ANYBODY that took it in the 70s and earlier.

Dan/W4NTI

Dan, sob stories can be true or false, really doesn't matter. But if
the exam is unnecessary, why tell your sob story?

Do you want sympathy?

wrote in message
...

Which group is he in? I know it's not rec.radio.cb, and I know his
drivel has no purpose here. Leg humper.

--
GO# 40

I am not sure cross post to all of them so you can be more of a hypocrite...
assclown

wrote in message
...
"Cool Breeze" WA3MOJ Georgeie wrote:
wrote in message
...

It's clear that you don't care about anything but yourself, and you're
still a cross-posting idiot.

--
GO# 40

So are you assclown.

Here's for you and Dan.

http://amishrakefight.org/gfy/



Yawn, your still a cross posting queer.

"Ryan, KC8PMX" wrote in message ...
Definitely a problem if you do not have a HF reciever at all. And those Rat
Shack ones suck for that too.

Amen, don't even think about one of those turkeys. One advantage I/we
had back then was a profusion of quite inexpensive but usable HF rcvrs
which are not available today. Mostly military surplus gear and some
commercial cheapies like the Hallicrafters S-38. In this respect maybe
we had it much easier than the newbies today have.

There used to be publication of VHF
rebroadcasts of the w1aw transmissions, but I have yet to hear any around
here in Michigan. Where the hell is the so-called field organization they
are so proud of on this one? Even if it is a members-only thing, still you
would think that the local (state-wise) field organizations would think that
was important enough to rebroadcast.........

Too much work. Plus once VHF comes into play CW becomes a no-interest
thing. We've had sporadic attempts around here to get 2M code practice
sessions going but they didn't last very long.


Ryan, KC8PMX

w3rv

"Dick Carroll;" wrote in message ...
Brian Kelly wrote:

When I studied for my earliest tests there were no consumer-level
recording methods let alone computers. My only options for practicing
Morse were having somebody hand-send it or copying it off the air.
Which, as a practical matter, meant copying it with a rcvr or forget
it.

Exactly, and with my old ARC 5 receiver you NEVER heard only one signal, the thing was wide open and you
had to pick out which signal you wanted to copy and learn to ignor ethe rest. Sure was good training, I
developed a very
good 'internal filter' at the outset and still retain that skill.

Yessir. Ya had to learn operating skills along with learning just the
code. Whether ya wanted to or not. There was no "pause" button on W1AW
and ya couldn't replay it either.

I saw some *really* off-the-wall Novice rcvrs. One buddy of mine
comandeered an old wooden case Philco BC/SW rcvr which didn't have a
BFO. Musta had a 15 Khz "bandwidth". So he copied the thumps the
speaker cranked out. Some time later he managed to pick up a
half-working grid-dipper and tuned the dipper just off the sides of
the incoming signals and viola, hetrodynes he could copy. As long as
he had his mitts on both tuning knobs. I came along and had a
brainfart. I fished an insulated wire down inside the last IF can and
wound the other end loosely around the GDO coil and tuned the GDO to
455 kHz. Instant BFO. He took it one step further yet and added a
gawdawful narrow passive surplus audio filter and cruised all over
40M with that lashup. The homebrewed TX was another Rube Golberg gem,
some xtal oscillator tube driving a 6146, all of it in a cigar box.

Imagine any nocode even considering jumping thru those hoops just to
get on the air.

The upside was that the Novice bands were absolutely packed with slowspeed code and finding lots of
practice was no problem. You also learned to copy the many and varied 'fists', it was all hand sent, no
one had a keyer, though some used bugs. That provided another experience which developed lifetime
skills that no one today gets. I still enjoy copying hand sent or bug sent code, unless it's *really*
butchered.

Absolutely correct. It goes farther than that though.

As much as a pain in the butt as those days were in a number of
respects that regime had a number of huge advantages over what is
available today to newbies. The Novice bands were actually a very
successful "support group", we had no options but to clump together
and work with each other toward the same objectives. We climbed all
over each other trying to get our speeds up and beat the one-year
clock on our drop-dead tickets.

Boy there was the incentive licensing move from Hell! But it worked
and the only bitching I ever heard was from a few of the OFs who
turned their noses up at the mere thought of allowing newbies to get
on the HF bands with a lousy 5wpm code test. Turned out to be a
non-sequeter for them 'cause the FCC tossed us into our isolated
playpens 'way up the 80 & 40M bands where they didn't have to put up
with us. We *had* to work each other. Clever arrangement in
retrospect.

And in many if not most cases getting a Novice station took a bunch of
self-taught knowledge and work just to get on the air. All of which
were more learning experiences. One did not use a rubber-duckie or any
otjer catalog antennas on 80 . . autotuners . . as if . . digital
*nothing* . .

No doubt a dumb-down proponent or two will scan this diatribe and get
some giggles out of the ramblings of another stuck-in-the-past grouchy
OF. But in the end who will be the **real** losers?

Yeah, there's a "cultural gap", fuggem all, I hope they get just
exactly they want.


I'm still a very strong supporter of learning Morse via the W1AW
code practice sessions.

It's probaby the best training resource around if one owns a receiver, especially after one has learned
basic Morse.

Yup. Lotta newbies have used zero-cost borrowed rcvrs. I'd loan one of
my "spares" to anybody who was genuinely interested in copying W1AW.
I "loaned" my old HQ-120 to the kid accross the street, he then loaned
it some other kid . . . I have no idea wher it finally landed.


Today they transmit computer-generated code
and back then I believe they used tape-generated code so it has always
been quite precise. I'll concede that I'm only around 150 miles from
the station so they boom here on 80M and QRM wasn't/isn't a problem.
Might be more difficult from the west coasts but I don't know.

I've heard them one one band or another everywhere in the USA
that I've listened for them including out on the west coast.

Good. Then they do have big coverage.

w3rv

"Dan/W4NTI" wrote in message ...


Since were on a trip down memory lane. This is how I received my FIRST HAM
SIGNAL.

I had a 6 transistor jap radio. I started 'tweeking' the coils and heard
this booming CQ CQ CQ this is W*xx.....He was down the street on the next
block.

There ya go! How many variations on that theme do ya wanna guess have
been played out?

I got my first dose by landing on 75M with one of the old
floor-mounted living room multiband wooden console radios owned by a
couple of old maid aunts. Was around the time of the broadcast of the
atom bomb tests on Bikini atoll.

Its been downhill eversince

As if!

Dan/W4NTI

w3rv

"Ryan, KC8PMX" wrote in message
...
Yep, As I was aware of that. And I never expected them to change for me
at
the last minute. BUT, I do believe that with enough warning ahead of time
it should be considered more than fair for a VE team to make an
adjustment.
It should be no problem for a VEC to be able to send via code practice
oscillator!!!!!! Wouldn't that be a shame if the VEC's have become so
lazy
they can't even send a code test via a key because they are relying on the
code CD's and tapes.

Where the hell did you think I expected to walk into a test session in the
past, and at the last possible moment expect a major change?


--
Ryan, KC8PMX
FF1-FF2-MFR-(pending NREMT-B!)
--. --- -.. ... .- -. --. . .-.. ... .- .-. . ..-. .. .-. . ..-.
.. --. .... - . .-. ...

Arrangements for a different tone have to be made in advance so that
they
have time to obtain a CD or tape of the needed pitch from the VEC. You
can't just drop into a test session and expect them to have anything
different than the commonly used tone.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE




Not sure if a "code key/Oscillator" applies here, but if a person needs to
have special testing done, the rules I"ve seen written state that the
examinee is the one who must furnaish the equipment to the VEs in which to
use to accomidate that persons handicap. Perhaps the VEs didn't have one.
Not every one does.
JMS