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    
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS (1:19/33)