12/14/2024

Through outward shape to the essence

A trivial topic on Morse code...

 In Dec of 2014, I have posted the following sentences in facebook. 


 I have enjoyed QRQ navigation with Mitch WB0GKH and Bill W6QR on 40m this evening. About 35WPM. QRQ seems to effectively activate my brain. We should synchronize thinking with the movement of fist in QRQ. Much fun. I should sometimes train myself with that speed, even though I won't take it like a sport. I have forgotten that fun for a while. I have finished the session tonight with a bit slow bug with Don WB6BEE as usual haha.


This short message has brought me back to those days. Happy and pleasant. As if it were endlessly continuing.


A blog post I made in my Japanese blog around the same time as the post shown above reminded me of saying by a good old friend Bob Warmke W6CYX. I was calling CQ on 15m and he called me to tell he could not resist giving me a call when I ran "a bait". A straight key or a bug key sending is so attractive to him. He actually bit the bait at that time. I was almost forgetting this episode but now clearly remembered of that. Actually such a bait was often worth using when the band was deadly silent and there was no answer to CQ with an electric keyer or even a memory keyer!


What do these two episodes tell me? I enjoyed QRQ but was more interested in slow Morse code sent by hand keys. The latter is more unique for the sending individual. It is like agogic in music performance. It makes us more relaxed and feel the sender's personality. Or even the sender's psychological status. There used to be some friends who wanted me to send Morse code with a hand key in QSO with him, whether a straight or a bug. Now I fully understand why they wanted me to change the electrical key to a hand key.


Considering further, I should say what key to use is a kind of external issue. More important is what to talk about. That refers to an inner richness in communication. Del W8KJP used to be a masterful user of bug key years ago. But his health issue made him giving up using that bug key with fluence and fine nuance. He started using a key board. I have enjoyed talking to him even more after that.


Through the simplest system of mode in communication, we enjoy understanding each other and sharing things and experiences. It might be the ultimate goal of Morse code communication.


Being asked if I have achieved that myself, however, I must say I am ashamed and embarrassed to have been away from the goal.

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