I've never achieved CFO speed ever in my 41 years as a ham but do own and use 2 TO keyers. Picked up two more on Ebay a few years back and gave them to two oldtimer ham friends.
He didn't, probably because he figured everyone knows what CFO is, but he was last active when knowing CW was required for a ham ticket in the U.S. and some at least, stuck with it and got introduced to the CW culture of the day.
HI BOB, CONGRATS ON YOUR FB QRZ PAGE. ALSO, GREAT GOING ON YOUR MANY YEARS OF HAM RADIO..BRAVO.. THAT'S AN OUTSTANDING RESORATION OF THE HT-20 THREE CHEERS FOR CLASSIC GEAR. YES YES,,, REAL RADIO'S GLOW 73- K1LKP
Many years ago I was in a meeting called and managed by a crusty old USN admiral. A younger individual spoke up in multiple impressive acronyms and initials regarding our discussion that few of us understood. The Admiral slammed his fist at the head of the table and shouted "use plain **expletive** plain language!"
I think I've occasionally heard of that term Chicken Fat Operators, but not very much. Are they almost like CWops? Speaking of Chickens, I've got to get back to my Chicken Soup Recipe...
HI JIM, THANK YOU FOR EXCHANGING EMAILS WITH ME REGARDING MEMBERSHIP IN THE CFO. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOU BECOMING ONE OF OUR MEMBERS. 73 - K1LKP
That means a lot to me. There are some things though that must be earned. I'm OK at normal mechanical key speeds. Learned to use both hands in the process, but I remember the 'Grand Ole Days'. I remember whenever you heard a really fast group working QSK on CW, it usually, not always, but usually, ended in the 'rooster call'. I've known and worked guys on the slower CW traffic nets, who then showed up on the old RN5, CAN CW (and others) and after passing some traffic at a faster clip than I could write, did the 'rooster'. I always have been and always will be, in awe of that kind of skill. For those gentlemen who have that ability and can now (could now) stay up with the founder of CFO, I say, strut your stuff. Nothing wrong with putting out that call. They should be very proud of that. But I'm not there and out of respect for that group, after hearing what Mr. Ricks could do and the others who could stay right there with him, I now know I need lots of work to qualify. That was why I asked the question, How does one get to 50 wpm? Some things must be earned.
