Sunday, January 03, 2010

Yet another CW Club

Saw this on the "CW" e-mail reflector yesterday.

A new club has been formed among Amateur Radio operators who are Morse Code (CW) enthusiasts. It is called The CW Operators' Club (CWops). CWops encourages the use of CW in Amateur communications, and it promotes goodwill among Amateurs around the world by planned CW activities. CWops is international in scope, membership and management. Its focus is the use of CW, whether for contesting, DXing or ragchewing. Moreover, it promotes every form of sending -- if it's CW, CWops supports it! For further information, go to www.cwops.org. There you will find everything that you might want to know about CWops, including our bylaws and articles of incorporation, our planned activities, an explanation of how to become a member, and a list of current members.

Jim Talens, N3JT
Secretary, CWops

Sounds good; but this club incorporates the paying of dues - $12.00 per annum; and you have to be nominated by a current member and work three "sponsors" twice within a twelve month period. The nominations process must occur within five months. Then you have to wait 30 days, and then you get the honor of paying your dues and receiving a club roster number.

I guess I am dense; but to me, the whole procedure seems kind of complicated and exclusive. As far as CW clubs go, I'll stick with FISTS, the NAQCC and SKCC and the SOC (which is more appropriate for me!); and as far as QRP goes, I'll stick with the Flying Pigs, QRP-ARCI, and again the NAQCC (encompasses both). If you're interested, however, here's the link: http://www.cwops.org/index.html

73 de Larry W2LJ

5 comments:

  1. I agree, Larry. This kind of thing smacks of elitism. Was it Groucho Marx who said he wouldn't want to belong to a club that would have him as a member. :)

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  2. I'll stick with FISTS, ARCI, Flying Pigs, SKCC, and NAQCC. I appreciate the enthusiasm they are exhibiting but we already have five or six GOOD CW clubs...it almost sounds like an A-1 Op club, except you pay to join. 73 de KB9BVN

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  4. Membership in the new club requires conversational code skills at 25 wpm. That is a way too fast for me. Sounds like club for the high end CW op.

    73,

    Steve N6VL

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  5. Steve,

    I was offered a sponsorship to join; but turned it down. I can do 25 WPM but am more comfortable a tad slower. It just didn't feel like the right thing for me.

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