Ed,

EV>When I was dating my wife, I taught her a bit of the code but she never
EV>was interested in getting licensed.

  Years ago, before the 13 and 20 WPM CW requirements were removed (and
eventually the 5 WPM requirement as well), I asked one ham radio
operator (who became a Silent Key a few years later, due to a massive
heart attack), what he secret was to learning Morse Code. He quipped "I
learned all the dirty words first".

  Laughing, I said "Well, you can't say them on the air, but if it
helps, more power to you".

  Shortly after starting to use Echolink, one club was teaching a CW
class on their repeater, and I was monitoring on Echolink. To make a
long story short, the first 4 letters they taught formed an
expletive...to which I thought "I'll be darned!!". But, when you looked
at the dot and dash pattern, it made perfect sense.

  Ironically, now that the CW requirement is gone, people are learning
it because they WANT to...not because they HAVE to. Vibroplex, who has
been making Morse Code keyers for years...was flooded with calls a few
weeks either side of the removal of the CW requirement...of people
wanting keyers.

  There are many programs and methods to learn CW, and I know several
hams who are so comfortable with it, that they can carry on a voice QSO,
while the CW QSO is going on in the background. They'll pause the voice
QSO at times, saying "just a minute"...go over to the keyer, and
"pound
some brass" with their reply. Then, they're back to the eyeball QSO at
hand.

  It's like a whole new language...but with the nervous system damage I
have (along with tremors in my hands...more on that in a minute), while
I could send great, I'd lock up when it came time to receive.

  The neurologist thinks I have "cervical osteoarthritis", but the
weather (ice and snow) has repeatedly delayed an MRI of my neck, and an
EMG (electric nerve conductivity test). While the MRI doesn't bother me
(I'm not claustrophobic), I understand the EMG is "very uncomfortable,
and painful". They want to rule out the possibility of neck surgery. At
least when my next disability review comes up in 2019, I can truthfully
say that "my health has gotten worse". But, believe me, folks do NOT
want to trade places with me.

  As an aside, I normally don't like to be up in the dead of night
answering BBS mail, and doing BBS tasks. But, after "nature and/or a
nightmare", I can't go right back to sleep"...so, I do computer and BBS
work...plus, looking at the weather data for potentially 2 more winter
storms. It snowed here much of yesterday...we got around 2 inches at my
location, and roads are slicker than lard on a doorknob. So, I doubt I'm
going anywhere for a few days. Yesterday morning, I went out to check my
Post Office Box, and stop off at the drive thru at McDonald's for some
breakfast. Just before I pulled into the apartment complex where I live,
huge sleet pellets and snow grains began hitting the car. In short, I
got home just in time!!

Daryl
---
 þ OLX 1.53 þ Remember, half the people you know are below average.
                                                                           
                                                             
--- Virtual Advanced Ver 2 for DOS