Do you miss the mic ?

I was talking to a mate of mine the other day whilst fishing and we got onto radio . He wanted to know how i wouldn't want to use the mic now and then . I explained that once your proficient at using a key there isn't much to miss not using a mic , i have the same sort of conversations , ear wig on stations ,listen for dx sometimes etc the same as i might on ssb .

I don't miss using a mic and wouldn't bother with amateur radio if i could only use a mic , it's lost any appeal it once had ..

billy

Ive been thinking of going CW only for the past few weeks Billy. Im proper fed up with HF SSB again now

You know you should there is something about the mic i just don't miss , can't put my finger on it as i chat the same garbage anyway only using a key .

I think i would be mightily peeed off with HF SSB if i was chasing stations for whatever reason. 99% of the time my contacts on SSB are with stations i work on a regular basis, though i frequently get called after i have finished a sked and occasionally call CQ on SSB.

But most of the time i am on CW on 15 & 17m, also just starting to lurk on 30m but i need to adjust the antenna for 30m.

But if i could only work one mode or had restrictions on antennas etc, i would be a CW only operator as i was for several years when we first came back to the UK from South Africa, and lived on a typical housng estate.


Keith G0TSH

Im 95% cw..but sadly its often the case that a few new ones are only on ssb..so I have to resort to that mode.

No SSB for a very long time here. But I also get great pleasure out of using JT65 as well as CW. The beauty of these modes is that the memsahib can sleep without me making any noise!

In my case I'm 98% CW because I'm in the house and she moans about the twaddle I talk about, so I still talk the same old twaddle on the key because she can't understand Morse

As a fairly recent convert to CW, despite being licenced since 1994, I would have to say....not one bit. It was actually my experiences of SSB that drove me to unplug the mic, some of the behaviour on SSB, from usually EU stations, especially in pile ups has become nothing short of an embarassment to the hobby.

I am still very much a novice on CW (I made the mistake of not continuing with CW after the exam when I upgraded in 2001) but am thoroughly enjoying it and dont plan to plug a mic back in any time soon.

Keep at it, we all have had stumbling blocks, then one day it just flows. I went from 18 to 25wpm in days, after being stuck at 18s for ages.

Keith G0TSH

I agree with Keith. You reach a "plateau" where you feel there is no improvement and then.....BANG.....it all falls into place.

This has always been one of my prime movers for CW and data. Noiseless operation in a household where being a geek is used as a mild insult

Its a funny thing really...I used to be about 50/50 cw and ssb but I found that as I became more proficient at CW I just enjoyed it a lot more.

I find that its far better in DX situations,the mistakes you make with callsigns decrease massively because you dont have accents to think about,although I must admit some CW takes a bit of listening to.

Overall I have found myself less and less inclined to call CQ on ssb..in fact Im struggling to remember the last time I did that in anger..

I have some days where the CW flows at 30WPM and i can feel that Im totally on top of it..then I have other days where 20WPM is a struggle and I just cant seem to find that "Magic" spot where its all seemless.

I think thats part of the fun for me,just trying to improve,get consistant,and aim to get to that place where me and the key are at one,Im 53 now so I hope I get there before I croak

I listen to SSB on odd occasions but havent used the mic on hf for over a year. I dont see the point in struggling to bust a pile up or have loads of QSB with my signal when i can waffle away on the key without any problems,whether it be south America or Jamaica, North America, etc. 50w and a key and im waffling to the world. Using a microphone seems like hard work to me lol. In days of old when OPs were bold and sideband not yet invented. The word was passed by the pounding of brass and everyone was most contented. :-)

I like that!!

Keith G0TSH