20070223.ba v04_n016.bam.20070223 >From ???@??? Thu Feb 22 21:58:17 2007 -0600 Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2007 03:57:14 GMT From: Old Tube Radios To: Old Tube Radios Subject: BOATANCHORS digest 4016 Message-Id: <20070223035716.96998187AF5@srvr1.theporch.com> BOATANCHORS Digest 4016 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) US Navy Shor-Wave Receiver History by Al Klase 2) Re: CW demise?? by w8au@sssnet.com 3) Re: CW demise by w8au@sssnet.com 4) Re: CW demise by "Sandy W5TVW" 5) Re: CW demise by David Stinson 6) Re: [Boatanchors] US Navy Shor-Wave Receiver History by WA5CAB@cs.com 7) Re: BC-453 HF Converter by "JAMES HANLON" 8) Re: US Navy Shor-Wave Receiver History by W0EOM@aol.com 9) Re: CW demise by "Arden Allen" 10) Re: [Boatanchors] US Navy Shor-Wave Receiver History by Al Klase 11) Re: [Boatanchors] US Navy Shor-Wave Receiver History by Al Klase 12) Re: US Navy Shor-Wave Receiver History by Al Klase 13) Re: CW demise by Richard Dillman 14) Re: CW demise by "David Stinson" 15) Re: CW demise by w8au@sssnet.com 16) Re: CW demise and failure modes by "B. Smith" 17) CW DEmise? by "David Thompson" 18) Re: CW demise and failure modes by "David Stinson" 19) Re: CW demise by Richard Dillman ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <45DDC6CC.4030303@ar88.net> Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 11:37:32 -0500 From: Al Klase MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Old Tube Radios Subject: US Navy Shor-Wave Receiver History Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gang, My recent work restoring an RAL to operation got me to pondering the history of SW communications receivers in the Navy. It kind of goes like this: RG, 1925, 1-20MC, see: http://earlyradiohistory.us/1963hw28.htm RAB, 1931, 1-30MC, Superhet, Weighs 455#, See: http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/commrx/RCA/RAB/RAB.html RAL, 1935 .3-23MC, TRF-Autodyne but much lighter than RAB. See: http://home.earthlink.net/~navyradio/id3.html RBB/RBC, .5-4/4-27MC, Superhets, late 1930's Does anyone have info on or pictures of the RG? Have I missed anything important befoer the RBB/RBC? Regards, Al -- Al Klase - N3FRQ Flemington, NJ http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 11:49:09 -0500 To: Old Tube Radios From: w8au@sssnet.com Subject: Re: CW demise?? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Message-Id: <20070222164914.04607187AD6@srvr1.theporch.com> At 08:00 AM 2/22/2007, David Stinson wrote: > > If I remember right, it was 16 wpm for 3rd and 22 wpm for 2nd. > > I think 5 minutes copy was required, but at that speed it was > > easy to get solid copy. > >If you have a 20-wpm Extra, you get credit for the code test. Guess I got cheated! :-) The Buffalo FCC office did not credit my Extra Class ticket I got in 1965. (20wpm) Maybe because the extra required only one minute correct copy and the RT exams required five min? Moot point, and I didn't mind the CW exam... :-) > > You could also check Amazon.com's private book dealers for used > > copies. (for Shrader's book) > >That's a grand idea. I'll start hunting. Shrader's book is very comprehensive. If the FCC study guide is a Q & A text only, then Shrader's should be very helpful. Perry w8au ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 11:54:47 -0500 To: Old Tube Radios From: w8au@sssnet.com Subject: Re: CW demise Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Message-Id: <20070222165454.51286187AF0@srvr1.theporch.com> At 08:24 AM 2/22/2007, Tom Rauch wrote: >I held an FCC First Radiotelephone until they renewed it with a five >or ten year general radiotelephone. The I never bothered renewing. I >also had a second radio telegraph before that. The yellow GROL certificate they gave as replacement for 1st and 2nd Radiotelephone was a "lifetime" ticket. (for what that's worth) >I wonder if anyone knows off hand if there is any credit for either >of those today? Or do I have to totally retest? Won't hurt to call and find out.... Perry w8au ------------------------------ Message-ID: <000201c756b0$7670b840$15a0cdd1@gateway> From: "Sandy W5TVW" To: Old Tube Radios Subject: Re: CW demise Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 12:00:05 -0600 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="UTF-8"; reply-type=response Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Only problemm now with the 2nd Telegraph tickets is they are identical in appearence to the amateur tickets! (Except for the photograph attached thereto) FCC used to issue nice blue certificates that looked nice in a frame. Like everything else the government does now, it has gotten sloppy, quick and trashy. (No class!) I still renew mine. Don't know why, but it wasn't an easy license to get. Guess that's why. 73, Sandy W5TVW ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Christensen" To: "Old Tube Radios" Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 10:01 PM Subject: Re: CW demise >> For those who want something to hang on the wall as testimony to their >> Morse skill, I strongly suggest they get a commercial telegraph license >> while they are still available. Then come and "sit the circuit" at KSM >> and work some ships! > > Rich, > > I know you directed your comment to Dave, but you talked me in to it. I > just ordered the FCC 2nd Class Radiotelegraph License study guide. > Hopefully, the license looks more dignified than that being issued for > amateurs. > > My general class radiotelephone license is laminated and framed. I would > like to do the same with the 2nd class RT license. Looks like those of us > who passed Extra prior to Y2K are exempt from Morse elements 1 & 2 for 2nd > & 3rd classes. 1st class is likely out of reach for most of us due to > the 12 month coastal/ship station requirement. > > Thanks for the excellent suggestion! > > Paul, W9AC > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.441 / Virus Database: 268.18.3/696 - Release Date: 2/21/2007 > 3:19 PM > > ------------------------------ Message-ID: <27496822.1172169680806.JavaMail.root@elwamui-muscovy.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 12:41:20 -0600 (GMT-06:00) From: David Stinson To: Old Tube Radios Subject: Re: CW demise Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit My ten-year-old, Amanda, and I were driving back from seeing her grand parents last weekend- a 6-hour drive. I was playing with the CW mode of my Icom 706, using the microphone keyer buttons. Amanda had never shown an interest before. "Long story short," by the time we got home, she was sending "Amanda Rose loves her daddy" without much trouble! I was amazed. But now that we're home, she's more into "My Little Pony" again. I have hope, anyway. 73 Dave S. ------------------------------ From: WA5CAB@cs.com Message-ID: Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 14:33:44 EST Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] US Navy Shor-Wave Receiver History To: Old Tube Radios MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="part1_ca0.acfcb94.330f4a18_boundary" --part1_ca0.acfcb94.330f4a18_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ground/Shipboard only, taking "HF" to mean anything covering a significant portion of 2 to 30 MC, Ref SHIPS 242A: RG CN 1926 RO CG 1929 RQ CAY 1929 RS CG 1928 RT RW 1929/30 RAB CRV 1931 RAD CNA 1931 RAE CRV 1932 RAF CG 1932 RAH CAH 1933 RAL CRV 1935 RAO CNA 1938 RAS CNA 1939 RAW CNA 1939 RBB/C CRV 1940 In a message dated 2/22/2007 1:00:42 PM Central Standard Time, ka1kaq@gmail.com writes: > On 2/22/07, Al Klase wrote: > > >Does anyone have info on or pictures of the RG? > >Have I missed anything important befoer the RBB/RBC? > > Al - > > I know of no other Navy gear along those lines, but apparently the > term was applied to military gear earlier, no idea when. I have an old > British crystal receiver used in WWI by the artillery for spotting, > labeled 'Short Wave Tuner MKIII'. Tom Perera has one online: > Robert Downs - Houston (Web Store) MVPA 9480 (Primary email) (Backup email) --part1_ca0.acfcb94.330f4a18_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ---REMAINDER OF MESSAGE TRUNCATED--- * * This post contains a forbidden message format * * (such as an attached file, a v-card, HTML formatting) * * Mail Lists at theporch.com only accept PLAIN TEXT * * If your postings display this message your mail program * * is not set to send PLAIN TEXT ONLY and needs adjusting * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * --part1_ca0.acfcb94.330f4a18_boundary-- ------------------------------ Message-ID: From: "JAMES HANLON" To: Old Tube Radios Subject: Re: BC-453 HF Converter Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 12:52:32 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_00D3_01C75680.519B3FC0" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00D3_01C75680.519B3FC0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Alan, Check out "On the Air with Command Set Triplets" in Electric Radio = magazine, June 1995. It tells how to use a BC454 and a BC455 as = "converters" into the BC453. If you can't find a copy let me know and = I'll make one for you. Jim Hanlon, W8KGI ------=_NextPart_000_00D3_01C75680.519B3FC0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ---REMAINDER OF MESSAGE TRUNCATED--- * * This post contains a forbidden message format * * (such as an attached file, a v-card, HTML formatting) * * Mail Lists at theporch.com only accept PLAIN TEXT * * If your postings display this message your mail program * * is not set to send PLAIN TEXT ONLY and needs adjusting * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ------=_NextPart_000_00D3_01C75680.519B3FC0-- ------------------------------ From: W0EOM@aol.com Message-ID: Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 14:53:49 EST Subject: Re: US Navy Shor-Wave Receiver History To: Old Tube Radios MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="-----------------------------1172174029" -------------------------------1172174029 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Al - how about the RB, or is that not HF? Will


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Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com. -------------------------------1172174029 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ---REMAINDER OF MESSAGE TRUNCATED--- * * This post contains a forbidden message format * * (such as an attached file, a v-card, HTML formatting) * * Mail Lists at theporch.com only accept PLAIN TEXT * * If your postings display this message your mail program * * is not set to send PLAIN TEXT ONLY and needs adjusting * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * -------------------------------1172174029-- ------------------------------ Message-ID: <004a01c756ca$2e230ce0$7ce47443@KB6NAX> From: "Arden Allen" To: Old Tube Radios Subject: Re: CW demise Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 13:34:46 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Let us not neglect this proven mode of communication which has been most > useful for almost 2 centuries. Sentimentality is nice too, Steve. One of my problems with ham radio that has dampened my interest is how it is no longer a ready alternative for emergency communications except for a small minority of hardy individual hams who happen to be in the right place at the right time when things go bad. That hardly constitutes a ready emergency communications reserve. The great majority of hams today have no interest in emergency communications and at best only give it lip service. In 1989 during the Loma Prieta earthquake here in the Bay Area I joined in the fray on 40 SSB. All evening long the only emergency traffic that was handled was to find out that the Red Cross in one location had working phones. The rest was a checking in and checking out free-for-all. What a waste of time and effort! Also I made my weekly skeds with the CW Traffic Net for a year. "Greetings from..." In a year's time only one of the few phone calls I made to deliver traffic was received with a note of appreciation. The rest were, "uh, OK, uh, thanks", as if it made no dent is someone's daily travail of bordom. You can't expect to have a capable and ready emergency communications network with only a few habituals propping up a hollow ritual. That's me sediments.... Arden Allen KB6NAX ------------------------------ Message-ID: <45DE117B.5000800@ar88.net> Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 16:56:11 -0500 From: Al Klase MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Old Tube Radios CC: Boatanchors , Boatanchors List Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] US Navy Shor-Wave Receiver History Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Todd, Thanks for the response. In the wireless era, short-wave meant something like "below" 360 meters. I'm currently studying actual HF sets, 3-30MHz.. The Navy started seriously experimenting with HF about 1925. That's a neat radio, none the less. Regards, Al Todd, KA1KAQ wrote: > ....."This British set is labeled: SHORT WAVE TUNER, MARK III, No. 4350, > A.T.M.Co. Ltd. 1918. It has a pocket watch mounted inside the top > lid." > > http://w1tp.com/r_0375.jpg .... -- Al Klase - N3FRQ Flemington, NJ http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/ ------------------------------ Message-ID: <45DE12FD.6030608@ar88.net> Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:02:37 -0500 From: Al Klase MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Old Tube Radios CC: boatanchors@theporch.com, boatanchors@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] US Navy Shor-Wave Receiver History Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Thanks Robert, There are a number of sets here that I was not aware of.. Regards, Al WA5CAB@cs.com wrote: > Ground/Shipboard only, taking "HF" to mean anything covering a significant > portion of 2 to 30 MC, Ref SHIPS 242A: > > RG CN 1926 > RO CG 1929 > RQ CAY 1929 > RS CG 1928 > RT RW 1929/30 > RAB CRV 1931 > RAD CNA 1931 > RAE CRV 1932 > RAF CG 1932 > RAH CAH 1933 > RAL CRV 1935 > RAO CNA 1938 > RAS CNA 1939 > RAW CNA 1939 > RBB/C CRV 1940 > > -- Al Klase - N3FRQ Flemington, NJ http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/ ------------------------------ Message-ID: <45DE142C.8090406@ar88.net> Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:07:40 -0500 From: Al Klase MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Old Tube Radios CC: boatanchors@theporch.com Subject: Re: US Navy Shor-Wave Receiver History Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Will, Thanks for the response. RB was VLF. See Howeth: http://earlyradiohistory.us/1963hw28.htm Regards, Al W0EOM@aol.com wrote: > Al - how about the RB, or is that not HF? > > Will -- Al Klase - N3FRQ Flemington, NJ http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/ ------------------------------ Message-ID: <26097548.1172183006148.JavaMail.root@mswamui-swiss.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:23:26 -0500 (EST) From: Richard Dillman To: Old Tube Radios Subject: Re: CW demise Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >Sentimentality is nice too, Steve. One of my problems with ham radio that >has dampened my interest is how it is no longer a ready alternative for >emergency communications except for a small minority of hardy individual >hams who happen to be in the right place at the right time when things go >bad. That hardly constitutes a ready emergency communications reserve. The >great majority of hams today have no interest in emergency communications >and at best only give it lip service. In 1989 during the Loma Prieta >earthquake here in the Bay Area I joined in the fray on 40 SSB. All evening >long the only emergency traffic that was handled was to find out that the >Red Cross in one location had working phones. The rest was a checking in >and checking out free-for-all. What a waste of time and effort! Also I >made my weekly skeds with the CW Traffic Net for a year. "Greetings >from..." In a year's time only one of the few phone calls I made to deliver >traffic was received with a note of appreciation. The rest were, "uh, OK, >uh, thanks", as if it made no dent is someone's daily travail of bordom. >You can't expect to have a capable and ready emergency communications >network with only a few habituals propping up a hollow ritual. That's me >sediments.... Whew! Well said, OM. And something that needed to be said. I was at the San Francisco city EOC for the 1989 event so I don't have first hand experience with the happenings on 40m. But your report sounds frighteningly similar to what I heard on 20m and the SHARES nets during hurricane Katrina. Performance there was, well, amateurish to the point of being an embarrassment. I'm sure, at least it's my hope, that amateurs actually in the area did heroic work on VHF and UHF circuits I couldn't hear. But as far as getting long haul health and welfare traffic out of the area is concerned, I didn't see that happening at all. As a result we offered the facilities of K6KPH as the recipient of traffic from the effected area for relay to friends and relatives. The offer was not taken but maybe it was asking too much for that to be organized during the event. After the worst was over we formally offered the services K6KPH to those participating in the ARRL's post-Katrina emergency preparedness planning. I can't say the offer received an enthusiastic reception, possibly because it would require some skills in formal message handling using (gasp!) Morse code. Be that as it may, K6KPH will be there if there is another similar event. With our high power, multiple transmitter capability, excellent receiving facilities and skilled commercial operators used to handling traffic, I think we could be a real help in relaying that critical "I'm okay and the family is too" radiogram to a worried loved one. After all, that's what we're *supposed* to do in return for the privilege of having a radio license. As to delivering NTS messages, I too get the same response most of the time. But it's that occasional "Thanks! I appreciate it!" that makes it worthwhile. Regards, RD ================================= Richard Dillman, W6AWO Maritime Radio Historical Society http://www.radiomarine.org Collector of Harleys, Willys and Radios over 100lbs. ================================= ------------------------------ Message-ID: <003c01c756e4$64cf7c00$fa01fea9@Default> From: "David Stinson" To: Old Tube Radios Subject: Re: CW demise Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 18:48:52 -0600 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ham radio has the *potential* to be a great communications system of last resort, because we do not suffer from the multiple failure-modes of modern systems. Each ham is a self-contained communication node, capable of at least some rate of information exchange, which can communicate with another self-contained node. In other words, a police chief at point "A" gives his message to a ham. His message can get through if we have four working links in the communication chain: 1. A ham with training and a brain. 2. A working radio talking to: 3. Another working radio 4. Another ham with training and a brain. Four steps, four "failure modes," means that only four things can get in the way of this message getting through (I don't mention propagation, because I count that under "trained ham," meaning he knows not to try to talk 1000 miles on 160 meters at noon). Now let's consider a "modern" system, which most of the civic leaders believe will save them the next time Mother Nature laughs at their arrogance: 1. A Red Cross person with training and a brain. 2. His working Blackberry. 3. A working local Cell tower. 4. A working T-1 connection to the local Telco Central Office. 5.-10 Working hubs, routers, switches and multiplexes. 11-20. Working internet backbone nodes between the two sites. 21-26. Working equipment at the other end as in 5-10. 27. Working T-1 as in #4 28. A working cell tower 29. The recipient's working Blackberry. 30. Another Red Cross person with training and a brain. Thiry links in the chain. 30 "failure modes," or ways for this message to fail. We trade-off, giving up reliability for information throughput. Our "electronic village," upon which all have staked large parts of their lives, is built on a fragile, fault-prone web and, at our peril, we take it for granted. To give you some idea of what I mean, consider that my first indication of what happened on September 11th, 2001, was that my pager here in Dallas stopped working. The network was hubbed out of the WTC. All that being said, here's the big, nasty fly in the soup: The ARRL's Emergency system is badly broken, suffering from "good ol'boy-itis," status-seeking and the resulting lack of effective leadership and vision. There are, what, a quarter million U.S. hams now? More? Were good leadership available, which had the stones to clean house, inspire and organize, then, even if they only got a 5% acceptable long-haul HF involvement, that's 12,500 stations, which would be more than enough for handling just about anything. But the leadership (and backbone) have got to be present, and they aren't. I don't know how to fix it. I don't know that it *can* be fixed, with the "good'ol boys" having a lock on the system, and the general ham population too apathetic, old and tired to give much of a rat's rump, at least until it's *their* house that floats away. Anyway- we have the potential to be a great, even essential asset. But we lack the leadership and the will to do so. I hope someone smarter than me will find a way to fix it. 73 D.S. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 20:30:03 -0500 To: Old Tube Radios From: w8au@sssnet.com Subject: Re: CW demise Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Message-Id: <20070223013008.61F55187AD6@srvr1.theporch.com> At 05:23 PM 2/22/2007, Richard Dillman wrote: >After the worst was over we formally offered the services K6KPH to >those participating in the ARRL's post-Katrina emergency >preparedness planning. I can't say the offer received an >enthusiastic reception, possibly because it would require some >skills in formal message handling using (gasp!) Morse code. Keep NREN in mind for future collaboration. (National Radio Emergency Net) This MI originated system (K8SIW) is CW based, and interacts with NTS or Internet, as the case may require. No recent activity, but the infrastructure is there. >Be that as it may, K6KPH will be there if there is another similar event. Good to know. Perry w8au ------------------------------ Message-ID: <000901c756ea$d014d270$731bc847@HAL1000> From: "B. Smith" To: Old Tube Radios Subject: Re: CW demise and failure modes Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 20:34:50 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In addition to Dave's 30 "failure modes" please add 1,256 minor possible failures to his "30" scenario. These minor "possibles" are know as "punch down connections", the whole world uses them. breck k4che EX KN4CHE Dover, Delaware. Ann't nutten in Dover except a NASCAR track, chickens, and hams that can't solder. Dave said: | Now let's consider a "modern" system, which | most of the civic leaders believe will save them | the next time Mother Nature laughs at their arrogance: | | 1. A Red Cross person with training and a brain. | 2. His working Blackberry. | 3. A working local Cell tower. | 4. A working T-1 connection to the local Telco Central Office. | 5.-10 Working hubs, routers, switches and multiplexes. | 11-20. Working internet backbone nodes between the two sites. | 21-26. Working equipment at the other end as in 5-10. | 27. Working T-1 as in #4 | 28. A working cell tower | 29. The recipient's working Blackberry. | 30. Another Red Cross person with training and a brain. | | Thiry links in the chain. 30 "failure modes," | or ways for this message to fail. | ------------------------------ Message-ID: <024a01c756ed$43621dd0$ff639a04@yourxb2x7j77gn> From: "David Thompson" To: Old Tube Radios Subject: CW DEmise? Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 20:52:23 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit It's true CW is being dropped as a requirement for ANY amateur radio license. The ARRL asked for the 5WPM be a part of at least the Extra so please don't blame ARRL for getting rid of the CW requirement. If anyone had been on 160 two weekends ago or vuirtually any band last weekend there would be no doubt that CW lives. Look at the DxSummit spot web site and CW is usually 75% of the Dx spots. Even the recent Classic CW weekend was a success. Now the idea is to get the 300,000 Techs and new Generals to try CW. CW lives! 73 Dave K4JRB ------------------------------ Message-ID: <005801c756ee$f1ce9000$fa01fea9@Default> From: "David Stinson" To: Old Tube Radios Subject: Re: CW demise and failure modes Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 20:04:25 -0600 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: "B. Smith" Subject: Re: CW demise and failure modes > In addition to Dave's 30 "failure modes" please add 1,256 minor possible > failures to his "30" scenario. These minor "possibles" are know as "punch > down connections", the whole world uses them. Lord, Yes. I can tell you about that one first hand. I had the entire railroad switch yard hard down here awhile ago. Nothing working. Everything "server unreachable." The cause? One wire punch on a distribution frame punch-down block that metal-fatigued loose. One of many, many dozens, any one of which could cause a similar outage and stalled production of an entire yard. That is exactly the kind of fragility I was talking about. We all live at the mercy of thousands of bits of wire, pinched between two little posts that cut through the insulation, any one of which can bring your world to a halt. D.S. ------------------------------ Message-ID: <28077834.1172202962945.JavaMail.root@mswamui-swiss.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 19:56:02 -0800 (GMT-08:00) From: Richard Dillman To: Old Tube Radios Subject: Re: CW demise Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >Keep NREN in mind for future collaboration. That's a given, OM. I should have mentioned that the offer of the services of K6KPH *and* NREN was actually made by NREN. RD ================================= Richard Dillman, W6AWO Maritime Radio Historical Society http://www.radiomarine.org Collector of Harleys, Willys and Radios over 100lbs. ================================= ------------------------------ End of BOATANCHORS Digest 4016 ******************************