I just worked Ed, W0OZJ on 40M CW. Ed was using his bug and doing pretty well with it. Ed informed me that he was 100 yrs old and just had his century birthday last week. I thought this was amazing and I wondered how many other centenarian hams out there still operate CW by hand?
I'm a youngster compared to most in this hobby, yet I've been licensed 28 years now. Inasmuch, I took ham radio licensing, electronics, and all it's had to offer, and developed a career out of my passion for all things related. Amateur radio was the impetus for many of us, in their 40's and older, to find a liking, a niche, that led to a professional career. For me, that's been a technician, engineer, project manager, and as a consultant.
As the FCC recently stated in DA-09-2259, "While the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communications service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications, is one of the underlying principles of the amateur service, the amateur service is not an emergency radio service. Rather, it is a voluntary, non-commercial communication service authorized for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by licensed persons interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest."
May you also find this to be the case with your endeavors.
Good day, Sir.
__________________
73 de Steve, NL7W
Not in but around Palmer, Alaska
USAF Retired and a Telecommunications Professional
The original post expressed wonder about how many other centenarian hams might still be on the air sending Morse code by hand. It's an interesting question, because both manual dexterity and hearing acuity both decline with advanced age.
__________________ 73 de W2KG Tom
Proudly generating TVI for over 30 happy years! (Antiquity is no guarantee of quality.)
"...the original post expressed wonder about how many other centenarian hams might still be on the air sending Morse code by hand. It's an interesting question, because both manual dexterity and hearing acuity both decline with advanced age....."
I've become interested in how people age and what does and does not atrophy. My neighbor, at 97, doesn't walk as well as he used to. But his felicity with a wood-splitting maul is still unbelievably good. And he still loves working in dirt, so we hire him to mow our fields with his tractor.
The jazz violinist, Stephane Grapqelli, played until his death at 91. I never got to hear him live, but I have a few recordings of his playing in his late 80s - he was still inventing new melodies to the same old songs as well as he ever had. Jazz trumpeter and singer Doc Cheatham, similiarly, was active literally until his death - he passed away backstage after a performance, just a few weeks prior to his 93rd birthday. A friend of mine was there, as she was the producer of the show. I did get the pleasure of seeing Doc live several times and again, his inventiveness stayed until the end - and his tone on the trumpet was the creamiest of any of his generation. Doc in fact, made a conscious effort to improve his playing when he was in his mid-60s, and the critics lauded his efforts. Doc's professional singing career began when he was 72.
QRZ member Bob Schrader W6BNB came to my attention when I worked him on 40CW. He's now 95 and still writing articles for QST, CQ, and QEX.
Onto younger anecdotes, I once watched a 40 year old woman and her 5 year old adopted daughter begin taking piano lessons from the same instructor. Both "women" were learning at exactly the same pace. Mother finally dropped out because she decided to do other things with her time. But, given the same amount of time and effort, it showed that someone who is 40 can learn at the same rate as someone who is but 5.
I am forming the opinion that if you do for a living, something you love, that your talents need not atrophy. And, if it's your major avocation, quite possibly the same benefit applies.
I guess I'm a bit slow, but the original post expressed wonder about how many other centenarian hams might still be on the air sending Morse code by hand. It's an interesting question, because both manual dexterity and hearing acuity both decline with advanced age. Why did this end up as another whining binge about nobody loving the "no-code" hams?????? I just don't get it! If you feel that alienated, why not learn CW? Go figure!!
I was wondering the same thing. It takes all kinds, unfortunately
I don't know anyone quite that age, but I do know one ham over 80 that works a bug up around 45 wpm. He doesn't seem to have slipped any.
Maybe it helps keep the mind sharp and the body limber.
A couple of years ago, I worked Art, W0EOZ on 40 CW. I thought I had copied incorrectly when he gave his age as 97. His fist was first-class, and it was a pleasure to work him.
What a wonderful blessing to be active in a hobby one loves, using a mode you love to communicate with your fellow hams at the age of 100! No matter what mode we use it is a privilege to be able to share this great hobby/service with each other around the world. I can't recall any hams, that I have had a qso with, over the age of 88. I am 71 and still enjoy this great hobby/service everyday. Over the 54 years of enjoying this hobby, I have used AM, SSB, FM and CW. I choose mostly CW today because I like that mode. I am so glad that we have diverse privileges for the many folks who choose to enjoy and develop them. Let's all have fun and celebrate the diversity together.
We appreciate your support.
W0OZJ, Ed Ross still active at 100.
I must be a little slow......
Keep up the good work on CW and other modes you can still work.
Linear Mode
