Issue 20: Let's Ditch the One-Minute QSO!

You are reading my mind, Dave. Exactly the way I feel, the way I operate. I will take the one minute QSO. But I also note the fact that a few more minutes, an extension into some other aspects of conversation, and I feel better about the radio. Dave W7DGJ

 

Here's the original editorial from Rich M., editor of CQ, which is referenced in my article. This is posted here with the permission of CQ Magazine. Thanks Rich, Dave Jensen, W7DGJ

 

It jumped to my mind that the immediateness of the current technology spoiled our conversational abilities. We do not invest time anymore in communicating. Relationships, all kind of them, run now through short Whatsapp messages and we fall back to a recorded voice message, as a last resort, when the dispatch is long enough to take more than a couple of seconds to jot down. Business, family, medical, hobby, even you significant one fall in the same sack. Our communicational skills are certainly rusting.

 

As always, a great column, Dave.

As a devoted QRPer, sometimes propagation dictates how I operate. Sometimes, my signal is only in the ether for a minute or so. Yet, I find the following situation interesting and amusing. I'll send CQ for 15 to 20 minutes on the bands and usually no one answers. Is it because they don't hear me? The Reverse Beacon Network disagrees. Do other hams instinctively know that I want to chat or rag chew if I send CQ? IDK, maybe? However, it appears everyone hears me when I participate in a sprint, POTA, or SKCC event. So, therefore, I go, if I want to make a contact. To yours and other's point, I think the broader culture has crept into the way humans now communicate, regardless of method. Having said that, I still enjoy and look for a good rag chew when the conditions are right. Just a few days ago, I had a nice rag chew with a ham in Maine on 40 meters. We did the usual exchanges about rigs and antennas but got a little deeper about car troubles and the ever-increasing costs of an oil change, of all things. It was great! And how did it happen? He simply answered my CQ.

 

Muy interesante articulo.... La verdad es que cada día hay mas personas que solo hacen contactos cortos o usan la radio como si fuera para reportes de emergencia únicamente otro pequeño grupo llaman y hablan exclusivamente con sus amigos y no permiten el ingreso de nadie nuevo a la conversación o peor aun... se citan por whatsapp y solo encienden el radio para las horas que acordaron vía redes sociales. Parece que estar a la escucha en el radio, llamando y respondiendo al que salga al aire, ya es obsoleto o antiguo.

Very interesting article.... The truth is that every day there are more people who only make short contacts or use the radio as if it were for emergency reports only. another small group calls and talks exclusively with their friends and does not allow anyone new to enter the conversation... or worse, they meet on whatsapp and only turn on the radio for the hours agreed upon via social networks. It seems that listening to the radio, calling and responding to the one that goes on the air, is already obsolete or old.

HJ6JAG - Jaguar Observador - Scout ⚜️

 

Hi Lawrence (Do you go by Larry?) - thanks for your post here. I hope you've seen "For the Love of QRP" here on Trials and Errors. I agree with you, it's an odd phenomenon isn't it when you can't get an answer on a CQ but you know the signal is getting out there. That's why I don't believe we'll ever change things, so we need to embrace the idea of perhaps getting one or two additional pieces of info out on a short QSO. It doesn't hurt to ask, "How do you like that antenna?" or something, does it. And when we DO land a good session as you did with your Maine QSO, it feels mighty good.

 

Thank you SO MUCH for the dual-Language commentary Jaguar! Good comment too.

 

Thank you for what my feelings have been for the last few years. Ron, KA8UDS

 

Hey Ron - Send me an email to my QRZ email address if you have a minute. Give me some suggestions of other topics, since we do seem to think alike! Always scouting for ideas. Dave

 

Perhaps regular club qso's or 'nets' may help. E.g. yesterday I and XYL went to a steam traction engine rally; this morning 11.6.2023 on RAOTA's regular sunday net I just mentioned the engines and most participants wanted to talk at length! Similar can happen about the best way to grow tomatoes or indeed quite a lot of other gardening topics.

 

I think you're right about this. One club I belong to has an almost totally DEAD weekly net, every Tuesday evening on 2M. The moderator has been the same boring voice without any interesting questions to stimulate conversation, for years now. Basically, when someone comes in and has something actually interesting to say, the net comes alive. But if not, it's over in 10 minutes and sadly that's usually the case.

 

Thank you for finally saying what many hams are thinking about in the back of their minds but haven't expressed. I have a group of FRIENDS that I talk to daily on VHF and we sometimes hunt the bands together for DX and sometimes just ragchew on the days events or whatever subject strikes our fancy. I feel lucky that we have this continuing bond because too many people are lost in the digital maze and don't get the real pleasure of keying the mike and learning about the people in our world. I tend to talk a contact up till I know about their station, location, family, job, other contacts they have made, conditions on their end; the list is endless and there is something wonderful in finding all this out and knowing about the lifestyle and just day to day of those in different parts of the world. I found a group of hams who love the ragchew on 7.230 called "Wingnuts" and they are friendly and inviting to any and all. I live about 40 miles from the Hamvention site so I get to see some of the folks that I talk to as they come to visit Hamvention. This year was no different as I made my way up and down the many rows of the flea market looking at all the great new and old gear and the people that brought it there. I have always felt that there is something in Ham radio for everyone just peak past the curtain at the many facets of our great hobby and while its okay to find your favorite direction in hamming it up you should also take a bit of time to make a personal contact and conversation with someone out there in our big wide wonderful world.
Well time to sign off for now 73's and have a great day.
Steve W8ETD

 

Steve, I will read this post over multiple times. I love it -- good addition to the column and the subject of discussion, THANK YOU. Dave, W7DGJ

 

I like SKCC, POTA, and the occasional contest (my 5W to a big doublet did a great job on 6M last weekend). But the contacts that make me happiest are the ones that go several exchanges deep. I walk away with real satisfaction, regardless of the speed or the other op's fist. I just had such a QSO a couple of days ago. Looking back at my log, I worked the same guy several months ago and noted how pleasant the QSO was then, much like I noted it this time. I hope to work him again someday.

 

Thanks Steve - agree with you. There are certain people that just resonate with you. Mutual interests, or just the way they talk, the way they operate their radio, etc. I have a good South Africa contact who's always showing up on 40M at a certain time of night and he's got a huge stack calling him. I always get through and he'll take a few minutes extra to see how I am doing and what I am up to. I ask him about his game ranch and what's happening with his outrageous antenna farm, and so on. Those are my favorite QSOs.