Having CW fix before starting daily routine is an indispensable ritual every morning for me. It is like having tea to activate our brain. Actually, I feel CW would work in the working memory which bridges between the long term memory and the short term memory. As already repeatedly written, I think communicating on this mode is comparable to writing/reading. Highly intellectual process. The symbol system of Morse code which exists in working memory also could not help stimulating our brain. The symbol system itself doesn't have any meaning or grammar, so that it only lies between memories, short or long. It is to be elucidated how this symbol system activates our brain.
As complained again and again, I find less and less chances to get good CW fix in the morning here. If I could run across with a guy who work on this mode, he could be a hit and run pattern operator. Yes, more than 70 or 80% are such operators. And, sadly enough, this percentage is increasing more.
Every morning, I still call CQ despite of that desperate situation. It is to get that CW fix. On the other hand, I feel I should get the same morning ritual with the other things. Like playing cello. One or two tunes from the unaccompanied suites by Bach may substitute to it. It won't, however, do as well as CW fix itself. We always need to do with someone else even though Bach or other things are blessing things in the world. Another myself is, however, still telling me I should find something other than CW fix.
I am more and more convinced that we are living in the era when CW is fading away as a communication tool.
I never grow weary of hearing the distorted signal of CW coming over the pole from Europe and Africa.
ReplyDeleteEven though I have not been active on CW for years.
ReplyDeleteHi Steve,
ReplyDeleteYour second comments made me laugh. Come back on CW before it dies! I am waiting for you. Let me know how you have worked at the lab?
Best season's greetings to you and yours all.
Shin
I am spending weeks trying to repair my remote tuner. I am nearly insane with it. So I have been off the air lately.
DeleteIf I get on the air again I will blast the universe with my bug key. It will be a horrible noise and will surely hasten the death of CW .
Laughing a lot!! I will catch you with that swinging melodious bug soon.
DeleteShin
ReplyDeleteI repaired my remote tuner at last. It is a mechanical nightmare using motor-driven coils and capacitors.... I went on the air but conditions are absolutely awful. I wonder if it is only me who experiences this. I heard a few VK talking to USA but could not hear the USA side at all. Conditions seem to be getting worse and worse. I heard you calling on 40m but you were down in my noise. The 20m openings to EU late at night are no longer happening and the band is closed all day. Are you experiencing the same as me? Do you think the poor propagation is a reason for less good CW operators on the air?
Yes, we are on the trough of the condition except for the path on the lower bands along the grey line. This morning, 40m has opened to the East Coast nicely. At the midnight, the paths on all bands including the lower bands are quite inactive. If the solar activity is kept at certain level, the condition on the higher bands, especially on 20m, will be open toward to eu at midnight. W1RM Pete has posted a QSO with DU7ET on 40m LP this morning. Please try that path. Even SP for NA is good late at night.
DeleteCongratulations on fixing the tuner. Any device with mechanical structures are apt to be broken sooner or later. My CD tuner at bed room is acting up. I am considering to purchase a new one...maybe, a tuner amplifier plus discrete CD player. The latter should be a disposable device.
See you soon.
Shin
PS:Needless to say but are you checking RBN? Less number of good CW operators is a fact!
Correction;
DeleteIf the solar activity is kept at certain level, the condition on the higher bands, especially on 20m, will be open toward to eu at midnight. >>
This opening may occur in from the end of Jan to the beginning of Feb. The path is always gorgeous.
Thanks for the information and advice. It needs patience and dedication !
Delete