Not right now, because after twenty-odd years of banging along a 25-30 WPM I've lost the ability to send cleanly below about 15 WPM!!! I'm trying to get it back.
Interesting. Though I've been walking and running for well over 64 years, I'm fairly certain I could still crawl very well if I had to...
WIK Steve I know you can run pretty fast on CW, so maybe the SKCC guys using a J-38 or worse.. felt like 22-28 WPM was out of his league. lots of Ops will end the QSO at high speed. Just a thought ?
Big cross-section of WPM ability in SKCC. I would say, however, that the majority of SKCC operations are at 20wpm or below. Another "however" is that SKCC doesn't specify that an actual straight key is required. Mechanically-generated Morse is what is required. So that also includes sideswipers (cootie keys) and semi-automatic bugs but excludes keyers and keyboards. Cootie and bug operators can certainly generate Morse much faster than simple straight keys and can participate using those devices. Not trying to be offensive, but I believe that WIK and others just don't want to work slower and/or less skilled CW operators. That's fine. So SKCC probably isn't for them and never will be. Maybe someday, the work SKCC does to improve CW skills might just turn out a few more better/faster operators who can join the elite ranks.
I suppose that outside of emergency operations inside a truly emergency situation there is a reason to dis almost any amateur activity. There is a positive aspect to doing DX work, but mostly I hear "slam bam thank you maam" contacts. Contests prove the mettle or lack of it for those who participate, but for those outside, it's usually just a bunch of QRM. Traffic handling says it's purposes are well intentioned and help prepare its ops for emergency work. If you are having a nice quiet ragchew on 7052.5 at the time CAN cranks up using its 3 to 4 channels of traffic spam, you might tend to disagree. Look at the SKCC web site and you will find a lot of opportunities to award in several areas. It's designed to get you on the air using the mechanical key. As to whether all the activity can be justified, the same question could be asked of any amateur activity. I fail to see a problem. 73
