After inactive for about 30 years on the air (@QRZ.com), I began to come back for the activities in 2023.
Very astonished and happy to find out, many things had changed and also the mode that I was once always on, CW.
For the mode Digi ( FT8, FT4 ) Satellite, they are new to me and many friends asked me to operate on this new mode. I try to prepare the interface, etc. to suit the operation, as I knew that propagation was not good and this is the best mode to upgrade my DXCC (231 and now 257).
After on this Digi mode, I was still trying to look for CW QSO, but it was very difficult to have one, besides on the contest events.
And then I found out that many radio amateurs did CW QSOs using machine and applications, Fldigi, skimmer etc. I also found, on the happy side, that there is paperless and all logs are using online log, especially LoTW.
These radio amateurs also did not have any operating procedure. some I noted are: never using OP, abbreviation, Q Code, excessive speed, cannot ragchew in CW mode, etc…..
So I noted that, some CW operators are sending and receiving CW code by machine using keyboard, and some A1 operators are sending CW code using keyer and receiving code using their own’s ears. As an A1 operator, we have to master operating procedure, abbreviations, Q codes, etc.
So, now make your choice, be CW Operator or be A1 operator!
This biography is what appeared in Solid Copy when the member joined CWops.