As biased as a ham that has no interest in CW. There's a lot of people who are doing CW not for any kind of forced manner or obligated. Just for the pleasure and the adrenaline it produces after a QSO. Even as short as a contact with a DX station. Fortunately FT8 came to the scene to send Morse to the loyal morsists.
I think there are a lot of various digital modes available for those who are not as enamored with CW, like RTTY, BPSK and many others. I am one of those who loves CW, but am just bad at it, and copying that I don’t do it well, nor often. CW is the most basic form of communication you can do with any kind of RF signal. Simple on-off keying can be used with ANY kind of radio wave, or even light waves. While it was a requirement for nearly 100 years to become a Ham, I believe it is best to do away with that requirement but to keep the skill alive.
I entirely agree with the interesting post regarding CW. Another great mode for "Preppers" is the digital JS8call, that is a deriviative of FT4, BUT allows proper QSO's via a PC keyboard into an RF rig. I mention JS8call, because many have impossible difficulty in mastering CW, just as some can never learn to balance on a push bike !!!! I'm into using buried antennas on VLF and HF, and JS8 and CW are great with "invisible" underground antennas. These underground antennas ALSO have zero local noise pickup, and are also INVISIBLE to those who loudly complain if they notice a Ham overhead dipole or beam etc.. David Hine G4DIG
As biased as a ham that has no interest in CW. There's a lot of people who are doing CW not for any kind of forced manner or obligated. Just for the pleasure and the adrenaline it produces after a QSO. Even as short as a contact with a DX station. Fortunately FT8 came to the scene to send Morse to the loyal morsists.
I think there are a lot of various digital modes available for those who are not as enamored with CW, like RTTY, BPSK and many others. I am one of those who loves CW, but am just bad at it, and copying that I don’t do it well, nor often. CW is the most basic form of communication you can do with any kind of RF signal. Simple on-off keying can be used with ANY kind of radio wave, or even light waves. While it was a requirement for nearly 100 years to become a Ham, I believe it is best to do away with that requirement but to keep the skill alive.
That of course, is what we as Amateurs DO!
I entirely agree with the interesting post regarding CW. Another great mode for "Preppers" is the digital JS8call, that is a deriviative of FT4, BUT allows proper QSO's via a PC keyboard into an RF rig. I mention JS8call, because many have impossible difficulty in mastering CW, just as some can never learn to balance on a push bike !!!! I'm into using buried antennas on VLF and HF, and JS8 and CW are great with "invisible" underground antennas. These underground antennas ALSO have zero local noise pickup, and are also INVISIBLE to those who loudly complain if they notice a Ham overhead dipole or beam etc.. David Hine G4DIG