24 May 06 18:55, Jeff Smith wrote to Roy Witt:

 JK>>>>> Once in a while I get a windows ham file in from authors, not
 JK>>>>> to often though
 JK>>>>> :(  And not knowing the first thing about Ham radio, I'd be
 JK>>>>> hesitant to start looking for files..

 RW>>>> You could get advice from some of the HAMs still left in
 RW>>>> Fidonet. Thom LaCosta has a pretty good handle on what's going
 RW>>>> on in the HAM community. My HAM activity is kind of dormant
 RW>>>> since the move to Texas. The radios are on, but I'm not
 RW>>>> listening.

 JS>>>         So what do ya think, code or no code?

 RW>> I've been a no-code advocate for years. It's nice for the nastalgia
 RW>> aspect of the hobby and remembering the early days of radio, but in
 RW>> today's society it's obsolete.

 JS>         I would sadly have to agree. I think it would be nice to be
 JS> able copy 5 to 15 wpm to increase one's capabilities.

Been there, done that, got the license. Still gave it up for voice. The
only priviledges beyond my license is more CW spectrum...just what I
always wanted.

 JS> But the actual nessesity has seriously diminished over the years.

Yeup...it's only fun to those who actually like it. My 'elmer' could copy
30wpm in his head and carry on a verbal conversation at the same time. I
never cared to go that far.

 JS> Sadly today the code requirement is more of a hinderance to new
 JS> amateurs looking to upgrade.

I had a friend in California who took the CW test several times, but
couldn't get past the 13wpm to get his General. His was a mental block
that wouldn't let him. I suppose he's still a Tech these days.

 JS> Besides, with the software out there one doesn't even need to copy
 JS> code. Just hook their radio up to their PC or laptop and let it
 JS> translate and display the QSO for you. Often times the software will
 JS> also allow you to type or even talk and it will key up the radio and
 JS> send out the CW.

But that's too easy. Even though I don't use it, I can still read the ID
of the local repeaters and catch the odd cases of it being used in TV
programming.

 JS> I guess my view is what's the point. Why not just do voice.

Which is what I did right after getting my General license.

 JS> The other night I was chatting with a guy in his mobile on 2m. He was
 JS> on a country road south of London, England.

 JS> Did I mention I was using Echolink? 

heh...the other day I was sitting here listening to a conversation on my
2mtr monitor, listening to the local repeater. There was a break in the
conversation by a call with a #4 in it. I thought, that's odd, probably a
motorists looking for directions. As it turned out, someone in Florida on
a remote base had linked it to various others and had dialed up here. It
was then that I learned from the locals that the local repeater was linked
into several up and down central south Texas...



Roy
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