Big Island ARRL News, 11 January 2017, 06:20 hrs, UTC, Post #92.
Source:
Accessed on 11 January 2017, 06:20 hrs, UTC.
Reporter: Darren Holbrook (KH6OWL), ARRL PIO-Oahu.
Please click link to read Darren’s experience with an online cw course.
Comment:
In this well-crafted post, Darren (KH6OWL) begins a series of articles on his experiences with an online cw course taught by Alan (AD6E). Alan has offered this course since 2012 in a variety of formats, including online, skype, and downloadable software. I wish I had this course when I was working on my morse code requirement as a budding novice operator. Back in the day (1977), a morse code requirement existed for all classes of amateur radio licenses, with 5 wpm being the minimum requirement for novices. General Class and Advanced licensees had to pass a 13 wpm test, while Amateur Extra hopefuls had to master 20 wpm.
Over the span of time, the cw requirements were reduced and eventually eliminated from all classes of amateur radio licenses. However, the popularity of morse code continued to rise after it was no longer required. Although I passed the 13 wpm requirement to secure an Advanced Amateur Radio License, I never really used code very much. By the time I took the Extra Class test in 2004, the code requirement, then reduced to 5 wpm and eventually to no code at all, was almost a memory. In the intervening years, I grew to prefer this mode because of its simplicity, efficiency, and general politeness of most cw operators. Plus, cw doesn’t require expensive equipment to get on the air.
And now, operators such as Darren (KH6OWL0 are finding morse code an attractive alternative to the crowded and often intemperate conditions on the ssb portions of most amateur radio bands.
In this post, Darren describes his efforts to become proficient in the original digital communications mode. As many of us have found out, there is a learning curve to digest, but after some practice (about 30-60 minutes a day) with the online course, you will gain confidence and appreciation for Samuel F.B. Morse‘s communication idea. Once you get accustomed to the sound and rhythm of cw, you’ll find many great contacts on the cw portions of the amateur radio bands, including the usually busy 30 meter band.
Darren will keep us posted on his progress in subsequent articles. You may even want to enroll in the course to improve your cw proficiency.
For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these websites:
https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com.
https://bigislandarrlnews.wordpress.com (this site).
https://kh6jrm.blogspot.com (Simple Ham Radio Antennas).
http://www.kh6jrm.info (breaking news for radio amateurs).
http://hawaiisciencedigest.com (latest science and technology news for radio amateurs).
Opinions expressed in this blog are mine unless otherwise stated.
Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM)
Public Information Coordinator
Hawaii Island, ARRL Pacific Section
