"On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs

[Edward A. Dauer]

I agree fully with Victor; though the difference may be even simpler:  

Making a QSO using CW is a ham doing something with a radio.  Making a QSO with FT8 is a radio doing something for a ham.

Neither is better or worse; but they are different.

Ted, KN1CBR

------------------------------

Message: 8
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2020 10:41:41 +0300
From: Victor Rosenthal 4X6GP <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] FT8 - was "On Second Thought, I'll Take The
        Stairs"
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed

For me, it's simple.

When I make a CW contact, even if its total content is "ENN TU", I am
connected to history, to Jack Phillips on the Titanic, to all of the
military traffic men and airborne radio operators of WWII, to the
operators on the merchant ships on the high seas and the Great Lakes,
and to all the hams of the past, even Mr. Marconi, the first ham.

I like hearing the propagation change with my own ears and struggling to
capture an ESP-level call. I like the feel of the key and the sound of
the code. I like the idea that there is another person like me at the
other end with his or her hand on a key.

I consider myself extremely lucky to have caught the bug at a young age
and developed the skill needed to make CW as transparent to me as my
mother tongue. I see how hard it is for those who begin to learn at
middle age or older. They shouldn't give up -- it's worth it.

73,
Victor, 4X6GP
Rehovot, Israel
Formerly K2VCO
CWops no. 5
https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/__;!!NCZxaNi9jForCP_SxBKJCA!F4lkQrp7vnWsJyPT-T7iUPs1Sk1a79YI92FbY7WOC4FPuQvWxE1lsChUamJuUgiP$ 
.
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[Doug Turnbull]

Dear Friends,
      Nor are SSB, RTTY and PSK the same as CW but they all serve a purpose.
Any technology which allows one to work weaker signals with lower power is
going to make DXCC easier.    Even using CW it is infinitely easier to work
DXCC on multiple bands these days than back in the fifties, well maybe I
will make an exception for the 1958 era.    There are so many aids and
radios are better.    This is a technological hobby and now the guy with the
apartment and balcony might actually work DXCC.   Viva engineering.
                              73 Doug EI2CN

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email] <[hidden email]> On
Behalf Of Dauer, Edward
Sent: Monday 13 July 2020 15:39
To: [hidden email]; Victor Rosenthal 4X6GP <[hidden email]>
Subject: [Elecraft] "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs

I agree fully with Victor; though the difference may be even simpler:  

Making a QSO using CW is a ham doing something with a radio.  Making a QSO
with FT8 is a radio doing something for a ham.

Neither is better or worse; but they are different.

Ted, KN1CBR

------------------------------

Message: 8
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2020 10:41:41 +0300
From: Victor Rosenthal 4X6GP <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] FT8 - was "On Second Thought, I'll Take The
        Stairs"
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed

For me, it's simple.

When I make a CW contact, even if its total content is "ENN TU", I am
connected to history, to Jack Phillips on the Titanic, to all of the
military traffic men and airborne radio operators of WWII, to the operators
on the merchant ships on the high seas and the Great Lakes, and to all the
hams of the past, even Mr. Marconi, the first ham.

I like hearing the propagation change with my own ears and struggling to
capture an ESP-level call. I like the feel of the key and the sound of the
code. I like the idea that there is another person like me at the other end
with his or her hand on a key.

I consider myself extremely lucky to have caught the bug at a young age and
developed the skill needed to make CW as transparent to me as my mother
tongue. I see how hard it is for those who begin to learn at middle age or
older. They shouldn't give up -- it's worth it.

73,
Victor, 4X6GP
Rehovot, Israel
Formerly K2VCO
CWops no. 5
https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/__;!!NCZxaNi9jForCP_SxB
KJCA!F4lkQrp7vnWsJyPT-T7iUPs1Sk1a79YI92FbY7WOC4FPuQvWxE1lsChUamJuUgiP$
.
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[Jim Brown-10]

On 7/13/2020 11:26 PM, Doug Turnbull wrote:
> Even using CW it is infinitely easier to work
> DXCC on multiple bands these days than back in the fifties, well maybe I
> will make an exception for the 1958 era.

Except that noise levels have escalated by 20 dB since that era.

73, Jim K9YC
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[Tony Estep]

>
>
> ...Even using CW it is infinitely easier to work
> DXCC on multiple bands these days than back in the fifties, well maybe I
> will make an exception for the 1958 era....
>
=================
Ha ha, yep. I worked DXCC as a Novice in 1957-58, all on 15 CW. It's true
that signals were popping in from all over the world at the time. But the
level and type of activity were completely different, of course. I worked
many countries still deemed to be rare via QSOs with local hams (e.g.
Johnston Island) or visiting scientists (e.g. Amsterdam Island), but only a
couple via DXpeditions (e.g. Navassa). Often you'd have an exchange of name
and qth, even with rare DX when others were waiting. You found DX by tuning
and listening, and most QSLing was via direct mail. A different world.
Now with clusters and micro-QSOs (5nn tu) you can knock off DXCC within 24
hours during a contest. Which is more fun? I dunno. Either way, hearing
your call come back from the other edge of the world can give a little jolt
of adrenaline, no matter how many times you've done it. I don't get any
jolt seeing my call on the FT8 scroll.

73,
Tony KT0NY
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