Slow Code…Sometimes It Is Important
This from Brian KB9BVN via the qrp-l.org mailing list:
This afternoon I have been sitting at my desk doing book work for a couple of classes I am taking, so I fired up the K2 and turned it to my favorite 40m frequency and heard nothing…so I left it there while I was working. About a half hour ago I heard a very slow CQ come across a couple of times, at first I thought nothing of it, but on the third try I decided this op really needed to have a QSO, so I answered him turned down to about 13 WPM.
Turns out he lives about 5 miles from me (the band was VERY short) , he’s 64 years old, and has been battling brain cancer. He’s using a borrowed K1 and he’s struggling a bit with the code but he’s definitely workable. We had just short of a 30 minute conversation, and he told me he wasn’t used to QSOing for that long, and needed to QRT. He’s an Extra class amateur, and has enjoyed CW for a long time.
So if you hear N9SM out there, consider slowing down and give him a call.
73 de KB9BVN
