“Wyatt’s Theorem”
What is “Wyatt’s Theorem”?:
1. CW (morse) communication is rare. It is so rare that many people live their lives without seeing morse operation. Many people who do view and listen to morse communication find it fascinating to watch. The majority of young adults who view morse communication are fascinated when they see it in operation.
CW communication is historic. It has an exciting history. This quality makes cw communication appealing to young adults. It has the “secret language” aspect because it is so rarely used by the public.
2. Young adults learn cw faster and easier than adults. The civil war leadership utilized this fact by using young adults as “telegraphers” in the civil war.
3. CW communication is like any “foreign language”. It takes many hours of effort to learn it well. Many people attempt to learn cw, but fail because it is difficult to learn it well.
4. CW communication, if learned well, is so much fun- it is “addicting”. I have often “talked” to other cw operators who are in the midst of their “cw fix” for the day. CW communication may not be as much fun until the CW is learned so well it can be “copied” at speeds in excess of thirty words per minute without taking written notes. The “work” aspect of cw communication then falls away and the pure enjoyment of it starts. Modern technology has removed the physical effort once required to send cw. Modern cw keys attached to “electronic keyers” have two vertical paddles. One paddle sends a string of “dots” as long as it is pressed. The other vertical paddle sends a string of “dashes” as long as it is pressed.
5. CW communication is challenging. It is fun to send the right amount of dots and dashes and send cw with the goal of zero mistakes.
6. CW communication solves the need for everyone to have social interaction. It is valuable for “introverts” who have difficulty finding the words to communicate “face-to-face” with other people. CW communication gives these people time to find the right words to say. It solves this social interaction need in a non-threatening, safe, self esteem building, fun, relaxing way. ”Facebook” use by these at risk young adults could possibly lead to the new psychological syndrome called “Facebook depression”. The KID’S CLUB units can be used in some cases to treat this depression.
I told a newspaper reporter that CW communication combines the fun, challenges and self esteem elevating properties of video game use with the utility of cell phone texting to communicate with other people.
However, cell phone texting is not nearly as much fun as cw communication. Cell phone texting can also be done by nearly everyone. Video game use exposes young people to violence- killing imaginary people and monsters does not seem edifying. Responsible people can assume that this video game violence will continue to spiral downward. Once young adults become “addicted” to video games, their appetites will spiral into the “mature” themes and worse that are now available.
These qualities of cw communication make it ideal as a self esteem building, stress diverting, source of fun for young adults. I am especially thinking about its’ qualities as a motivating tool for stressed, at risk, “troubled” young adults who have few obvious redeeming qualities.
Why couldn’t learning and using CW communication be used as an alternative to “punishment” for selected populations of juvenile offenders? This select group of troubled young adults would have the choice of learning and regularly using cw communication or being placed with their troubled peers in the self esteem destroying, isolated buildings- separate from the “normal” population of young adults. This CW communication ability would instead be the “carrot” that places young adult offenders above their peers. The judge or prosecutor in the case would then loan a KID’S CLUB unit to the young adult.
These young novice CW operators would possibly feel compelled to study basic electronic theory, become proficient in reading and spelling and study FCC rules governing the amateur radio service. They could then pass the FCC supervised test required to obtain a federal amateur radio license. The amateur radio service contains the last remaining pool of accomplished cw operators worldwide.
I do not believe that this theorem has been tested and would be an ideal topic for a research project by an advanced degree candidate.
It is so frustrating to me that the people who can influence educational and public policy will not even let me demonstrate the qualities of cw communication. I have the equipment and ability to demonstrate this, but rarely receive any replies to my solicitations for help and chairpersonship of my project.
My idea of nirvana is a job that allows me to demonstrate cw communication to other people.
Duane Wyatt WA0MJD
