CW Contact - Field Day 2007

[eogg25]

yes most cw operators are old. if you contact one he can talk ham radio just like a young person. if you dont have a reason to learn cw it is hard. i was taught cw in the army on the job, not school trained 5 days to learn the code and 2 weeks to get past 7 wpm. of course i had a good reason to learn it. got an easier job.i have talked to many young guys who were better at cw than me. they just like cw.

[WA5MUF]

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[gmcjetpilot]

Pretty amazing I see why the older hams (ones before 2006) are upset that new hams don't need to learn CW or Morse code. It definitely is harder but you only need to know 5 wpm or 25 characters. The pros go way faster than this, although this guy is faster than I'll probably ever be (unless I practice).

[hedwig85]

Older hams, hi hi.. yes it was b4 2006, About 1993, i remember high school kids doing 30wpm CW (in their head). It's not that hard, actually a fun challenge. You remove it from the requirements, you lose the incentive.

[gmcjetpilot]

DUDE, 1993, 15 yrs ago? Kids are into other things. I'm getting back into ham radio after 30 yrs, since I was kid. Went to a HAM FEST, most where VERY OLD men plus 60's, a handfull of 30-50 yr olds. Listeing to Ham band, mostly older guys. Amateur radio is less popular today IMHO, could be wrong, hope so. Last, CW easy? May be for a 16 yr old. Last dropping the CW requirement encourages more people to get their ticket. Don't be elite and poo-poo non CW, but I agree CW is cool thing to learn.

[hedwig85]

I am no CW expert, but did need to learn it to enter the hobby. (not that long ago, NASA was sending up Space Shuttle missions at the time). To operate HF, (world wide coverage), it was not made easy. They made it a challenge on purpose. They awarded you more spectrum to operate, but only after passing theory & 13 or 20wpm code. You felt you really "earned" the added privileges. I am pleased to see younger folks especially with good mentors, enjoying the hobby today.

[gmcjetpilot]

I detect this general attitude on ham forums, as I get back into this hobby, "now they'll let all the tolls in". NOT YOU but in general a feeling by Hams (older CW'ers) that it's not exclusive, elite. The "common folks" can join because it's too easy? I agree its a great skill; anything worth having is usually a challenge. I get pride of CW'ing. I love kids getting into science & learning. I have an engineering degree. Ham's should go out to schools, making it accessible and fun.

[gmcjetpilot]

Radio propagation, radio, turns me on from a technical standpoint, but content on MW, SW band is not very interesting to young folks, even me. AM radio is well, AM radio. Hams (again old Guys mostly) are talking about their buddies that passed recently. The rest is slim pickings, foreign language, religion and to receive. Ham competes with satellite radio, internet, iPods, iPhones & video games. worse with cable/sat TV popularity, many neighborhoods ban outdoor antennas. Than there's RFI!

[samljer]

The thing about that is though

about "letting anyone in" i mean

is that people arent even aware this world exists

and the ones that generally do, for the most part 80%+ ?? fit in

[kc9mav]

HELLO!

Youngest ham radio operator in Chicago area 12 years of age!

Finishing up learning up cw just have the numbers now.

I love ham radio been it for about a year but I love dxing and vhf hf everything!

73

KC9MAV

[dwalker2020]

As far as I know, I am the youngest ham in New England at 15. I am probably also the youngest who knows code! - KB1OSI

[dwalker2020]

I am a 15 year old ham, and I know of one other young ham. That's it. I have yet to actually talk with another young ham in person! Most kids in my school have never even heard of ham radio... I just spent a couple of months and learned CW by myself! I think that some kids might get into it if ham radio was better known...

[gmcjetpilot]

Freaking fantastic you go dwalker 2020. As I said HAM is dominated by men in their +60's; it really would be great to get more young folks to learn about it, but with text message, cell phones, face book, myspace, iphone, ipod.....there's a lot more competition for their attention than 15-20 years ago. When I was a kid, there was NO internet/cell phone. Kids today have never known a time with out internet. What is a 15 yr old going to talk about with a 60 yr old about, politics?

[dwalker2020]

When I talk to kids at school and tell them about ham radio, they say, "can't you do that with a cell phone?" They just don't seem to get it. Sigh. When I talk to people on CW, they usually can't get over how young I am! We always find something to talk about, though... -KB1OSI

[eogg25]

how about ham radio,other hobbies, sports, currant affairs, we also were 15 years old, we have plentyof good advice.i also have a cell phone, can do facebook, and many things on a computer.i have electronics training. i can talk about almost anything plus.

[Biffbradford]

He sent: W6V W6V de W7AVM W7AVM K ... but the first W was chopped on the video. Tuff going without a CW filter!

[yanarof]

is it right ??

HVW6VDE M7AVM W7AVM K

for the beginning ??

[mikesgunsandammo]

It don't mean a thing, if it don't have that SWING (hi, hi).

[ilovenbcnews]

W7AUM de K7LTF

good fist