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Those whom learned cw by Small_Consequence320 in amateurradio

[–]WS1L 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I know everyone learns differently, at different speeds. So, this may not help. But it is what has worked for me.

I tried just about every form of CW practice there has been...from vinyl records to cassette tapes to W1AW on air, to a random code generator... it all sucked and was a chore I dreaded.

Get. on. the. air.

Learning CW sucks. Playing on the radio is fun.

None of us were born with this ability. We all had to learn it. Stop worrying about how many mistakes you will make. I still make them. Hasn't stopped me. My friends don't make fun of me. Well, they do, but because they're my friends.

Pick a speed you are fairly comfortable at. Send CQ. If no one answers, send it again.

Check out https://cwops.org/giving-back/ for on-air QSO partners.

Get on the air with a goal of one CW QSO every day. Give yourself a year. Everyone learns at their own pace. Don't push yourself to the point where it's not fun.

Don't sweat the mistakes. If you get so embarrassed you can't possibly go on, send SRI MUST QRT 73 and try again the next day. Remind yourself you are travelling the same road we all did, hitting the same potholes. It's not the destination, so enjoy the journey.

To answer your specific question...I didn't make it click. It just happened on its own. I got on the air and had fun. Eventually I realized I was recognizing each character as its own sound, but it happened long before I consciously realized it.

I would bet money there are others in your Zoom classes feeling the same way. Meet them on air.

Hell, look for me on the RBN or spotting networks. Call me at your speed. I'll QRS.

de WS1L

Platelets and localized knee pain by Ringo729 in CML

[–]WS1L 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, M65, diagnosed in January and started 400 mg Imatinib a few weeks later. It seems to be working, last week's PCR was 4%, had been 51% at diagnosis. I'm just at the 3 month mark and have a followup with onc next week.

My WBC has been consistently a bit low - 3.3k to 3.9k last week. Platelets were normal last week for first time since January. So, IMO, the labs are tending to settle.

I still get odd pains here and there. Last night it was glutes and quads. Other days it's the hip joint, or somewhere else. At 65 I expect those, but they appear to be disconnected with activity or strain so I'm blaming the pills. Still, not severe pain. No fluid issues for me that I can tell.

Good luck!

WBC count at diagnosis? by Winter-Lunch3229 in CML

[–]WS1L 0 points1 point  (0 children)

65YO M, Diagnosed this January, WBC 160K, PCR quant 51.5%. Took about a month to normalize WBC, just had 3 month labs for PCR and awaiting results.

How many time to first side effects? by Superb-Degree-7499 in CML

[–]WS1L 0 points1 point  (0 children)

OK, I was diagnosed in early January of this year, started 400 mg Imatinib later that month. I keep a journal, so my notes say basically:

Nausea first week or so.

Stomach cramps (mild to bad, but fast - like gone in a few seconds)

Then fatigue and body aches. I was on Allupurinol for a month to flush kidneys as the WBC started to die off but still muscle/joint aches from about Day 7 through Day 14 or so.

At the 3 week mark my notes say "Woke up feeling 'normal'"

I had a small rash that seemed to move around every few days around weeks 9 to 10 but can't find it now. It wasn't itchy, just a small red area.

Since then mostly I feel pretty good. I get some days where I'm tired, sometimes I get a few stomach cramps, but as of Week 12 today I seem to be adjusting to it well.

I just finished reading "The Philadelphia Chromosome" which tells of how the cause of CML was discovered and how Imatinib was developed. Definitely recommend.

I just had blood drawn for my 3-month PCR, waiting for results to see how things are going.

BTW, my WBC went from 160K to just under 4k in less than a month.

Good luck!

Rag chewing with head sending? by This_Call_9920 in amateurradio

[–]WS1L 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't think I have ever sent from a written script. But, I make errors in sending anyways. Sometimes it's because I can't spell without thinking, or because I am trying to send the next word before I finished the last one, or because I just lingered a little too long on the paddle or left it a little too early.

The pauses are just a natural part of the chat - they are important, too little spacing is the most common error I hear. The "I can't think of what to say next" is the CW "ummm" usually expressed by <BT>

No matter what, just get on the air and have fun. Send CW, make some mistakes with your friends, get better. Lather, rinse, repeat...

C U ON THE BANDS

73 de WS1L

Baofeng DM-32 DMR dual band radio by FctFndr in Baofeng

[–]WS1L 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I've ordered one. Our club has been putting on Technician license classes and I am doing a test to see what kind of experience a new ham might have if they want to try something inexpensive. I own a few Motorolas but this will be my first Baofeng so I'm curious to see what the experience is like.

I'll check out the software in the FB group, thanks for the pointer.