"ssssssssssssssh..."

I got an email regarding my love for CW and the writer asked why didn't I like SSB? Well, the answer is: "I DO". Any regular reader knows that I love both modes of communication, and there is nothing more soothing than the "sssssssssssh" background hiss of lower sideband on 27.385. Much like white noise, it seems to block out other sounds like weed whackers, lawn mowers, whiny high-pitched mufflers, etc. Of course, I'd like it to be peppered with actual QSO's (like this morning. The band seems open to Indiana), but it's great inspirational background noise to me, and has been since 1970.

So I ask you: Is it too much to enjoy both single-sideband AND cw?? Surely you jest. When talking, I use SSB - Woody's "Choice" of the voice modes, and usually on the ham bands, I like cw. It takes longer to work another operator, but because it takes longer I feel like I have more invested in the QSO and come away with a more gratifying feeling. Perhaps this is because on many ham frequencies SSB is contest-like (even when there isn't a contest) with a wham-bam-thanks-OM and it's over in five minutes or less. The only time my cw QSO's lasted 5 minutes or less was due to conditions or, a poor "fist" on the other end making it almost impossible to copy.




If cw were allowed on 11 meters, I would use both cw and ssb. I know that there are factions that are dead set on "CW ONLY", but with such diversity, why pigeon hole yourself into one mode, perhaps missing out on something great? Oops! The DX has died and I digress.....

On another topic, we had a real nice downpour last night, with a 40% chance of rain again today!! After that, the temperature creeps (ed. - JUMPS) back up into the triple digits again making for a very hot July 4th weekend.

Speaking of which......


My family is having a cookout this weekend, but this may be postponed. I got a call from my Dad yesterday and he's now in the hospital because the Doctor didn't like something he saw during his stress test, so they're going to poke a camera up there to see what's going on. Not exactly the kinda news he was expecting and my prayers are for a diagnosis of "It was nothing at all".


Well, there you've gone an done it - wasted another perfectly good month with 'ol Woody himself and the Blog that keeps on going and going. I hope July finds us all in much better circumstances!

73

Woody