Yes, the amateur radio modes wax and wane. They have a life cycle
just like everything else on the planet. When I was first licensed
as a Novice in 1959, I couldn't wait to get off CW and on AM. Phone
was where the action was, or so I thought. Then along comes Silly
Side Band, and I learned very quickly it had advantages when working
DX and so does CW.
In my experience, CW is the great leveler in DX chasing. It gives
the little pistols a fighting chance against the guys with big iron.
In an SSB DX pileup, my 100watts and vertical or wire
dipole often lose out, but on CW, I have a chance! Usually, I can
work the new one by listening, learning, and knowing when and where
to drop in my call. Much harder to do on SSB.
Why use CW? There are seventy-five hams in this municipality
and only three antenna towers. It's expensive and difficult to
obtain a permit. My neighbors are very close by and a KW causes
all sorts of hard feelings from otherwise very nice people.
So, its my new Omni VI+ and the best wire I can string up around the
lot or the best vertical I can place over 73 buried radials. These
are real-world reasons why CW is a practical skill to acquire.
It keeps me in the DX game, or grid squares on VHF/UHF..
This is my third TT rig. The first was an Omni VI, the second
another Omni VI to which an Option 3 upgrade was done, and this very recent
VI+. The new rig wins hands down. That's after an IC-781, 2
FT-1000Ds, an FT-1000MP, an IC-775DSP, a TS-870S, and most recently, an
IC-756. I keep coming back to TT because of the CW, the punchy SSB, the
ease of use, and the service, which unfortunately I have had to use.
Yes, there are some changes I would like to make, like replacing the
2.4KHz IF filters with 2.8KHz to gain some better sound; an on-air
monitor, and dual receive for DX splits. I'll skip the built-in
antenna tuner. But when it comes to CW, there is no other rig, more or less
expensive, with QSK like TT. I've tried 'em all.
As for the anti-CW folks. Great! That means fewer ops in the CW DX
pileups and yet another advantage for a slow fist like mine. Will I
be moving on to digital radio? You bet, and my TT rig will be right
there with me. We all gotta change with the times, but as long as
those DXpeditions keep dragging CW ops along, I'll keep using the
mode to get the new one.
73,
Ed W0VC
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