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Old 12-04-2008, 05:31 PM   #27
One Country Boy
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Wewahitchka, FL
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I was sorta kidding about the "WB4" call aging me. I really never like the "QBW". That's a mouthful. I've held onto it all these years actually because it was a status symbol. Like you said Wade, from an earlier time when the code restriction was to be met. I passed my Novice in 1969 (I think). I used it for almost a year. I worked 40 and 15 meters primarily and most every night. I got up to about 35 words a minute. I can't do that today, it would take some practice getting back there. Like I said, I took the General after almost a year as a Novice and went from WN4QBW to WB4QBW. It was a big day in my life but, I still worked CW and very little phone.

No offense intended but I wish the CW was still a requirement. I know, times have changed, we have all this digital stuff now days, internet, etc.... But, it made a guy or gal work ro get the ticket and was held with a higher regard and respect. You didn't hear the things on the bands that you hear now days. It was a different time as Wade mentioned.

My mentor, W4CCA, a SK for many years now. Always built his equipment. He didn't know what a transceiver was for many years. He ran a local TV and radio repair shop (almost another thing of the past). He could work on a television, carry on a conversation with me and tell me every word being said in a CW QSO being received on his homebrew receiver in the background. It always amazed me. I had been learning morse code for weeks. I was over at his shop one afternoon. He was always listening to CW, while working. He asked me if I could copy the QSO going on that he was listening to. I told him the call signs and he says, sit down at the desk and write down the conversation. All this while he still has his head stuck in the back of a big console model television set. I sit down with a pad and pencil and begin to copy. After about a page and a half he gets up, walks over, looking over my shoulder at the pad and says, "let's order your Novice written exam". He said I was copying about 10 WPM. I left the the shop beaming !!! That was how it all started.



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