A happy note to CW users

[kc9hhk]

This should make CW fans have hope. A couple days ago our club did a demo for a science club at a local middle school. The thing that interested the kids most, beleive it or not was CW. Our resident cw instructor and cw buff did the demo and sent the kids names and other things. Several of them wanted to learn the code.
There is still hope for the hobby and cw.
Joe
KC9HHK

[KA4DPO]

I'm glad to hear that Joe, I was captivated by CW as a kid and after a similar demo at an elmers house I immediately got a set of records and my friends and I began learning morse code.

Of the four of us, myself and one other kid got our novice licenses less than a year later. I'm gald to see that kids still have an interest in something challenging and fun.

[KE5FRF]

Good for those kids!

Recently, one of the local middle schools here coordinated a VE session for some middle school kids. I am not sure of the numbers, but at least 2 or three got their tech tickets. I am pretty sure the same thing happened last year too. One of the kids from last year told me that the school even gave these kids some awards for getting their license and being involved in the school ham club.

This is certainly a good thing, and it's nice to hear these young voices on the air. I have went out of my way to chat with them on the air and encourage their interest. A 5 watt HT is very discouraging for a kid who doesn't have the resources and perhaps parental support to set up a real station. This is a good example of why Echolink is not such a bad thing. It gives a youngster like this without any financial resources and option for experimenting with radio, even if it is remote control operation of repeaters via VOIP, and not REAL radio so to speak, at least it holds their interest and gives them a chance to talk to older hams and learn some stuff.

[N8CPA]

Something I aways do when kids see me operate CW is key their names in that "language." They just love it! Of course, generally speaking, that requires an outboard keyer, unless the rig allows you get a sidetone without transmitting.

[wa9cwx]

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[kc8zsz]

I recently did a demonstration for my daughters second grade class. I showed a power point presentation introducing samuel morse and the telegragh. I let the kids send their names on a key and ocillator. I showed the kids the Jay Leno clip where two CW operators beat a text message record holder at sending a message. I finshed the demo with a IRLP contact. The kids loved it. I later recieved a large thankyou card.

[KI4CIA]

That's fantastic news!

I've tried that with my niece and nephew (sending their names in CW), though they don't seem that interested. I don't see them often, and just mention it to them about once each time we visit them in KY, just to see if they've changed their minds http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Maybe I should tell them it requires that they read a book and study on the computer and maybe that will interest them (they usually have their nose in a book or playing games on the computer).

[K8AG]

Although I have not been able to get any of my harmonics to become hams, they do comment on how the code is the coolest part.

Believe me, they rarely acknowledge that they like anything. ;)

73, JP, K8AG