Hooked on CW !! [Archive]

W7BIA

03-08-2002, 01:02 AM

Just a few weeks ago, QRZ published my article entitled "Forty Years is a Long Time," chronicling how, for the past 40 years, I never used, let along thought of CW, and have now discovered its virtues and benefits.

After nearly 40 postings to my article and as many personal messages, I am compelled to write a follow-up article. The temper of those messages are akin to Oprah’s personal message: "You go, Arnie," and "we’re behind you 100 percent."

I’ve returned to tell you that I’m hooked on CW!

Sure there is the thrill of working DX, calling that station on the other side of the globe and hearing your call letters spoken by someone of a different accent. And sure, there is the thrill of hearing a massive pile-up, calling that station with 100 watts and have your call answered.

But this does not prepare you for the thrill of sending out a CQ on 20 meters CW in the late evening and not knowing who will answer.

The thrill of sending that CQ with only 20 watts or less, followed by your call letters, waiting a short time and hearing your call letters in Morse Code coming back to you is an experience that doesn’t get any better, especially when you don’t know where it is coming from, 200 miles away or the other side of the world.

Those readers thinking of, getting back into CW after a hiatus, should ponder no more. As the athletic shoe manufacturer continues to say, "Just Do It!" After 40 years, I just did it!!

Except for the occasional DX and the skeds with friends, I have put away my microphones and purchased a new paddle that makes all the difference in the world. No longer practicing on the air every evening with N6DDF just a few miles away, we now venture onto the airways seeking our prey with a vengeance.

The other hams that I have met on CW are fantastic and most accommodating. You’d be surprised at the number of contacts that tell me that they have just gotten back into CW and are sending slower than I am!

For all those hams that have QRS’d when I have asked, I am proud to send slower in hopes that one more ham will embrace CW as have I.

The thrill I have experienced, as a new CW operator, when my call is answered by a JA3 or last night when I heard my call letters coming back followed by the call of an OK1, is an incredible experience.

No longer does the FCC require 13 words per minute, it has been reduced to 5. A piece of cake.

Those operators needing some code practice, just dial up the ARRL code practice on your radios and listen. The link for their on-the-air schedule is http://www.arrl.org/w1aw.html . The option is
also available to listen to the code practice from their web site or download some of the files for later practice. Look at http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/morse.html for additional information.

You can also purchase code practice tapes and listen to them as you drive down the crowded freeways. Be sure and find the tapes where the letters are sent at a high speed and there are long spaces between those letters, knows as the “farnsworth” method. As time goes by, you will be able to shorten those spaces and "voilà," your speed quickly improves.

Another method is to listen to the ARRL code practice and to other stations and simply be aware of the letters and begin to form some of the words without writing them down. You will be very surprised how much you are copying in your head.

These are by no means failsafe or guaranteed methods for learning or improving on the code, but I am here to tell you that all these methods have worked for me and in a short matter of time.

Come on, lay down those microphones and get out the paddles and straight keys. All you need is the will and if you have read this far, you are just about there!!
I’ll see you on the lower ends of the bands!!

Arnie
W7BIA
w7BIA@qsl.net

N8CDN

03-08-2002, 05:34 PM

Arnie,

Your article comes at a good time for me. I just returned to cw last weekend after 12 years. Just about a year ago, I returned to the hf bands for the first time since 1993! I did not realize how much I missed cw. Sure working stations on voice is a thrill, but the honest ragchews on cw are more fun! In the last few nights I have dialed down the Kenwood to QRP levels and have made two contacts on 75 meters. This is the first time I have tried this in 22 years of ham radio.

I spent most of my ham "career" involved with club politics and just plain burned out and went QRT for many years. Boy was I dumb!!, Now I am having a ball with a new radio (Icom-718) and my old Kenwood (TS-530-S) and some new antennas. To those who are thinking of returning to cw Just get out the key and DO IT! The rust will peel off and you will be back in the groove again!

73,

Terry N8CDN

mackinac

03-08-2002, 05:58 PM

I have occasionally turned on the rig late at night and tuned around a nearly dead band to see what turned up. #The band was not crowded and there were no pile ups. #It was just a lot of fun seeing who was there.

But it has been a few years since I have tried that. #I spend more time working on RTTY, repeaters or computers. #And I often had problems getting on and making random contacts. #The good operators were going too fast and the slow ones would be so sloppy they were harder to copy than the fast ones. #I just kind of gave it up.

I am starting to think that there may be an unexpected benefit of having the Morse code testing reduced to insignificance. #Some guys just gripe about it, but others are doing something and making the process of learning and gaining proficiency more convenient and the bands more friendly.

Maybe this is the time to think about trying a little CW. #I am going to give it a try.

WA2IAC

03-08-2002, 06:51 PM

I tried PSK31, and it was entertaining for a few minutes.

Then I got back into CW. Somehow, PSK31 had the effect of bringing back my
appetite for it!

My suggestion: don't bother brushing up. Just jump in! There are plenty of
hams willing to have a QSO no matter how slow you need to go. Your speed
will come up as you go. Just go with the flow. The point is to have fun, not
sweat over how fast you can go. Speed will come if that's what you crave.

There's plenty of room too!

73, WA2IAC

W6DUG

03-08-2002, 06:56 PM

Its GREAT to hear the positives about CW! I've only been a ham for about 7 years and was bitten by the CW bug from the onset. As you mentioned just reading the mail on 20 is interesting in itself.

It simply requires a different sort of focus that can be very rewarding. Its always worthwhile to reply to newcomers CQ's just to remind them that it can be fun to learn. Have A Good Time Out There.....Best 73's.........Doug

VE6BUD

03-08-2002, 07:28 PM

I have to admit that CW does have many charms for me.

I'm 27 yrs old and am expecting my "New" IC-730 sometime this weekend. I bought a somewhat rusty Heathkit straight key since the rig doesn't have a keyer, it's a good start until I can find a used Bencher key (Yeah, right!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif and a keyer.

I am a digital freak. I love RTTY and have yet to try PSK31. However, in order to use these modes, you really need a decent rig with IF Notch and Shift filters in it.

However, with CW, all you need is something that can recieve and anything that emits RF w/ a crystal or VFO to transmit. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif (Heck, I remember seeing an article in CQ a on how to build a QRP 20m CW xmitter with 74LS00 TTL logic IC's.. Wish I could find it, I'd build one!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif I think that my IC-730 will be more than adequate! hi

I'm proud that I managed to drum up an entire HF station on $1000 Canadian. If I homebrewed, God knows how much I could have saved. I suspect that if I wanted to work hardcore phone and digital, I'd need to spend at least another $1000.

I live in a Condo complex so I don't have the luxury of putting up a beam or a decently sized vertical. I purchased an MFJ Apartment antenna, we'll see how much luck I have with that. I have a feeling that most of my success will happen on CW however.

What I admire most about CW though is that some CW ops are willing ragchew at 5 WPM for almost four hours, like what one op did! God, I wish I could remember his call!

Someday I dream about getting my speed up to at least 20 WPM... maybe 25 or 30 and getting a few RAC CW qualification certificates. Some Hams in Canada I know find that seeing "5 WPM" on their station license is almost insulting when they can easily do 25-30 WPM.

Gotta keep studying! There's something really satisfying about being able to listen to Morse and have a friend ask you, "What did that say?" and be able to tell them.

Thanks for the topic post!

N8PW

03-08-2002, 11:08 PM

I've had my ticket for 2 years + one week, I'm 49 years old and an old SWLer - waited too long to get my ticket, just afraid of the CW, I guess. On X-mas morning 1999, I awoke and said to myself "If a 7 year old kid can do it, so can I". five weeks later 5WPM no problem, three written exams - no problems... One month after the first test session 13WPM no probelms- Advance exam perfect score.... two weeks before the day the music died, passed the Extra exam & flunked to 20 WPM by one question. Went crazy trying to find a test site to give me the code test before April 15, 2000. No luck....

Now CW is a joy - CW contesting is great fun.

While I still feel cheated (not passing the 20 WPM) I truly love the music.
Here's hoping many new guys & gals will experience the joy of meeting the greatest people in Ham Radio - on the air - Via CW....
73 to all - keep the music alive....

Bill Hannon, N8PW

n5xm

03-09-2002, 12:25 AM

This is an outstanding thread. Congrats, Arnie, and to the rest of you who are coming back to CW. I am hopelessly addicted to CW, to the degree that if I go for more than two or three hours without a contact, I start twitching. #Not really, but you get the idea. If you are very active on CW you will run into a jerk or two, but my experience is that, generally speaking, CW ops are courteous, polite, and patient to a fault. Like a couple of posters hinted at, speed just isn't a big deal. If you stay on the air, and work on your fist, you get better with time. It is no harder than that. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen. You have to put in your time. The key to developing CW skill, and having fun is getting on the air. If you don't copy everything, don't worry about it. Do the best you can, and keep after it. What is really satisfying is the realization that your skills are improving. When I first started, I told myself that I was going to make one or two contacts a day, at least, for a month or two before I decided if I liked CW or not. At the end of the first month, when I could see that I had improved, I was hooked. You pick up a word or two a minute here and there, and six or seven months later, you are doing pretty well, and the next thing you know, you've been at it a year and doing nicely, thank you. You don't have to be a high speed CW op to enjoy it, or to have a respectable fist, and be sure to remember that, when the shoe is on the other foot, and you are faced with a new CW op who needs you to slow down for them, DO IT! That's what Nike needs...an ad for CW...JUST DO IT! In a couple of months I will have been doing CW for three years, and I've enjoyed every minute of it, and it is the best thing in Ham Radio I've ever done, and I'm darn proud to be 99% CW, and I don't think there's a darn thing wrong with phone. I'd just rather be doing CW. Simple as that.

nt4xt

03-09-2002, 01:26 AM

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif Hey these smile doo-dats are pretty nifty-

CW- I LLLLLLLlOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEE

cw!!!! I am so glad many are coming to it- hey it's fun, and if you're passing someone witha vanity plate and don't have one yourself or if you do, you can

toot out # "dah dah di di dit # # di di di dah dah"

or use your headlights, that's kind of fun... #could whislte it but liable to get back 569C in response.

I have been actually having my stomach hurt thinking about possibly 20 years from now but no one to qrq with, I aspire to be able to ear copy 30wpm and up... but I was so fearful of that if/when the code reqs are completely dropped no one would do such an "outmoded" art form anymore! #

I'll be first to admit, phone is the way to go to get the info across fastest, faster than typing w/psk31 even, and I can't wait to try psk31, but- code is just- in your head; so Morse is simply just a real blast for me anyway!

It took a while for me to learn it when I was 9 or 10, but what happens is, once you get 5wpm, if you keep listening to speeds just above your 100% copy level sooner than you'd believe you'll be bumping along faster than you might have thought possible. #Believe it and it will be true!

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif dcy.

k4dxv

03-09-2002, 01:40 AM

I bought my first key this past Saturday at a local hamfest and wired it in on Monday. A General only since early January, I was apprehensive about keying up the transmitter for the first time, but I eventually worked up the courage and sent out a few tentative CQ's. No luck.
# So, I started thinking and realized that I didn't have the rig properly tuned for CW! After a bit of adjusting, the next night on Tuesday I tried again. When I heard my own callsign coming back to me, though, I got what hunters call "buck fever." I call it "Code Fever." I started shaking all over and went completely blank.
# "Di dah dah"? Duh. What is that? Did I hear a Q? Was that a one? Uh...Morse Code? What's Morse Code? What are these noises coming out of my radio?!
# After a deep breath, I managed to get control enough of my nerves to send a QRZ, but forgot to put the question mark on it. The call came back again. I'm better now. W...1...?...P. I managed to send that back and remembered to add the question mark.
# Again the call came back. W...6 (ah....6, not 1)...Q...P.
I think this actually went on for about five minutes. The two of us just exchanging callsigns until I got his right! I can only remember about three things from the exchange:
# 1) The gentleman on the other end was truly a gentleman and obviously as anxious as I that I make this contact.
# 2) At the end of the exchange (which lasted the better part of an hour), I was wrung out...exhausted.
# 3) I've never been more excited about anything I've done in radio!
# Today, I received my first cw qsl card in the mail from Howard, W6QP. You'd better believe that one gets a place of honor in the shack!
# Thanks to Howard for not giving up on me. Guys like him are my idols.
# I made a couple of other brief, but broken contacts after that when "code fever" set in again, compounded by QRN and QRM. I was about to get discouraged. Then, just last night, my CQ was answered at least as slowly as I had sent it...maybe slower. I thought, "Wow...another guy who's going to be super patient with me."
# I managed to get his callsign right after only two or three attempts. I sent: "new cw op. vry nrvs." What I got back was: "also new cw op. u r first call." Colin, N0YGY and I had a nice, long, slow QSO, and we have plans to meet again on the air.
# Folks, if you haven't tried cw, JUST DO IT! When I made my first SSB contact into Europe, I was beside myself. When I pushed 100 watts on a dipole through a pileup to KC4AAA at the South Pole, I thought, "Man, this is the contact of a lifetime!" But my first CW QSO with Howard means far more to me than either of those other firsts. I can think of only one word to describe it: Magic.
# If you've never tried it, be prepared. On the air isn't like the tapes or the computer programs, or even the test. Tapes and software offer nice, clear, loud tones and the opportunity to rewind or replay. On the air, there's static, heterodyning, other signals in the way, and signal fade. Then, of course, there's "Code Fever."
# I've still got a long way to go, and if any of you more experienced ops out there hear me on 20 meters, please go easy on me!
# http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
# Just with the few contacts I've made, though, I've already noticed a marked improvement in my ability to both send and receive. As a teacher by trade, I often tell my students the old cliche that "we learn by doing." Nothing could be truer when it comes to cw.
# Get a key. Unplug the mike. Catch your own case of Code Fever!

w8jn

03-09-2002, 07:14 AM

a short note. (i hate reading long posts hihi) got my ticket in the early 70's... #have not done cw since 77.. #on a whim started up two months ago.. #was at 4 1/2 wpm.. # now back up to #a respectable rate.. #its just tons of fun, and have been buying all sorts of cw toys that didnt exist back then... have not used the mic for the past 2 months.. #just cw and enjoying it.. #by the way there is a terrific new toy out there that is the best i have ever seen for learning cw or getting the dust off of the old brain... #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif i picked up a used mfj-418... # fantastic toy, however the person who designed the carry case deserves a darwin award.. #i wont tell you why .. if you get one you will understand.. #the unit is fantastic.. #the leather case is #murphy's law at its finest.. #73 de paul w8jn

wa0kzl

03-09-2002, 02:07 PM

WOW What a GREAT Post !! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif #Just my 2-cents worth.
# # I've been an avid CW opr for 40 years and love it. #Just as an invite to all you up and coming CW ops, young and old alike.
# # I want to invite you to look into joining the fastest growing group of CW Operators IN THE WORLD. Take a peak at our website at www.FISTS.org .
# # Also, if you are interested in QRP or QRPP, there are many operators who run both and are active in the FISTS organization.
# # Check-out the suggested FISTS' frequencies and you'll hear all kinds of CW operators, old timers as well as beginners.
We all work together and enjoy a good rag chew, not just swapping numbers.. # # #"Accuracy Transcends Speed"
# # Check it out and Join us. #
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # Vy 73's # # # # # # # # # #de TexA
#http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

03-09-2002, 03:21 PM

Welcome to the group, amigo!

I went through your experiences a few (!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif years back. I put off getting my ham ticket because of the CW and swore once I passed the test, I'd never pick up a key again. My first call (WN5CLS) came with a CW-only, 75 watt limit. I finally got the nerve to get on the air (no Elmers around then) and made my first CW QSO at somewhere around 2 or 3 WPM, I think, and sweating to copy and not screw up too bad.

That one QSO hooked me. I later passed the 13 WPM code test, of course, after practicing only on the air - I never could copy practice tapes, etc. Interestingly, after upgrading from Novice to General and Advanced, it was about 3 years before I actually bought a microphone.

Of course, I use SSB, PSK31, Packet, RTTY, FM and any other mode that strikes my fancy. But CW is still my favorite after 30+ years.

I've had several hams tell me they want to get on CW, but lack the needed skills. My advice:

"Screw the skills - just grab a key and get on." The skills will come with practice and any ham that isn't understanding and willing to QRS and offer advice, isn't worth rag chewing with anyway. Many have had (and still do!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif have patience with me.

So, if you hear YV1/KE5WJ on 10-12-15-17-20-30-40 meters CW, give me a yell. It will be a privelidge.

Walt
KE5WJ

kc2irv

03-09-2002, 04:06 PM

I agree! CW is one of the most wonderful modes I have ever worked! I have only had my liscence for about 7 months now and I was so taken by the fun of morse that i quickly worked my speed up to about 15 wpm.
and in that time of the first 2 months of my liscence when I held my Tech w/ HF I upgraded to general for the simple hunger of wanting more of the CW spectrum on HF. I hope you have a lot of fun and I will continue to have mone

Joe,
KC2IRV

k3msb

03-09-2002, 04:20 PM

Arnie --

Great Post !!

The thrill of sending out a CQ on 15 or 10 CW on a cold winter's morning with a hot cup of coffee nearby, and the B&W 5100B and SX-101A heating the room is an experience that can't be beat !!

73 Mark K3ZX

03-10-2002, 02:03 AM

This thread has been music to my ears! #It's also confirming to me that there are more people intersted in CW than I originally thought when I got started with it 3 months ago.

I got my Technician ticket a little over a year ago and worked my way up to an Extra class operator in 4 months under the 5 wpm plan. #But, to be quite honest, I soon became embarrassed to let anyone know that I was an Extra class operator after I became "schooled" in the understanding that there were many Extra class operators who wouldn't approve of my "Extra" class status.

I bought my first rig about 3 months ago from Richard, N5XM, and pretty much made a promise to myself that I would NOT use the mic except for very rare and special circumstances. #I was determined to learn CW and to become proficient at it. #In 3 months, I've learned to love CW and have made it my primary mode of operation. #The mic still seldom gets used. #But, instead of avoiding the temptation to use it, the temptation is gone. #Sure, I do use it once in awhile just for something different, and I do enjoy it, but I would have to admit that the thrill of CW has me hooked!

I've averaged more than one contact a day for the past 3 months and I just can't get enough of it. #Many special thanks to Richard, N5XM for his constant encouragement to me when I first got started, and still today. #He never once looked down on me, but encouraged me to give CW a fair try. #Boy am I glad I did! #I'm still plugging away at around 13 wpm, but I've vowed to NEVER forget where I came from. #Someday, when I'm a true QRQ operator, I want to take the favor that N5XM passed along to me and fan the CW "flame" in another new CW operator ... and another ... and another ...

Michael ABØQU
ab0qu@arrl.net

WN2A

03-10-2002, 03:17 AM

This thread hit the nail square on the head!! I believe I am seeing more CW activity, not less in the last five years of my 30 years total. As a tech in the early 70's, I didn't much like it, but CW is both challenge and thrill. Oh,sure you can work DX on any mode you like, but CW lets you do it without depending on the PC and it always cuts through QRM like a knife, even with homebrew QRP.
# I have gotten requests recently for teaching amateur radio courses, not for the written, but for code! Five WPM #is so doable, that all these people need is a little CW help and they will pass the General and Extra. And slow CW will get lots of patient replies if you call CQ.
# It is amazing to see a 'digital' mode, invented by Morse and Vail some 150 years ago, still have such utility. Myself (and others) write programs to send and receive CW by computer, so it is far from obsolete. Who can say which modes presently used on the bands will still be popular 20 years from now? I think CW will be in common use in 2022!
# # # # # # # # # # # # Mike, WN2A
My Webpage (http://www.qsl.net/wn2a)

WD9EMF

03-10-2002, 03:55 AM

I've been into CW for 25 yrs. Its great. Remember this:

Talk is Cheap,

Real Hams Beep!!!!

73's
Vic-WD9EMF

n6aj

03-10-2002, 04:40 AM

Welcome back to the real world of Amatuer Radio Arnie.

de Jerry N6AJ

n4qa

03-10-2002, 11:41 AM

You guys have me thumbing the pages of my Novice log. On its cover, WN4BJC, Book No. 1, From October 16, 1965 To October 1, 1966...must've taken FCC (& USPS) those missing two weeks+ to get my ticket to me once issued.

The first few pages of that old log have been missing for many years now but I remember Joe, in Dumont, New Jersey...was that WN2TEI or WN2TOI (worked 'em both) who was my very first contact, which just so happened to be on 40 meters...7159 kcs probably...maybe 7170...only had a few rocks back then.

"Dad, Dad...I got 'im, I GOT 'im !" I cried aloud when I heard my own callsign being returned to me through that RME-45 receiver (all-tubes)...my transmitter was a Meissner Signal Shifter, model EX (again, all-tubes...still have one of those...use it regularly).
Dad ( W4MAI ) had been licensed for 18 years by the time of my first QSO (CW, of course). He really helped me out for those first few contacts...must've been as much fun for Dad as it was for me. Yep, My Dad is my Elmer.

Not a single negative comment about CW in this thread (so far).
Do I love CW (and my Dad) ?... you bet, I do !
73.
Bill, N4QA

n7ty

03-10-2002, 03:48 PM

Wow Arnie,

You really touched a cord! #Arnie and I have actually had a QSO a couple of weeks ago on 40m and like Arnie, I too had a long absents from CW. #I had not used the mode since I passed my General ticket in 1979, just a week before going off to the Navy. #Well here it is over 20 years later and I cannot believe how much fun I am having with CW. #I have worked more DX than I ever did on SSB, I have had more ragchew OSO’s on the lower ends of the band than on the upper ends, I have also received many post-QSO e-mails from contacts (a new experience, never received any from my SSB contacts), and when QSL’ing, it seems that I have gotten a better response from my CW contacts than SSB. #CW has really brought back the joy of Ham Radio I once knew as a young Novice over 25 years ago.

One other comment. #A few of the post mentioned that they did not want to let it out that they were 5 or 13 wpm Extras. #Well it has been my experience locally that many of the 20 wpm Extras aren’t even on the air or the only time they do get on is to check into the Sunday night net on 2m. #So I say to all the 5 and 13 wpm Extras, of which I am one, just keep pounding the brass and seek your own level. #And if you get too much heat about it, just ask them to QRV with you some night in the last 25khz of your favorite band.

73 – Bruce / WB7RHT

Imperial Valley ARC (http://www.qsl.net/kc7eqw)

03-10-2002, 06:37 PM

For everyone who worries that CW may die out, I hope i'm proof that it won't. #I learned code on a whim, to get a general ticket. #I at first laughed at the idea of using a 100 year old method, but quickly became hooked! #The ironic part is that im only 23, and work with computers. #Despite email, the internet, and cell phones, nothing is quite as romantic and exciting as good old CW! #Hats off to all the code operators out there, you have a fantastic hobby!
PLEASE check out AB7TB's web site, at www.brasspounder.com and GET MORSEMAIL!
Its a way to operate CW on the web, using a web page as a kind of repeater. #As I still haven't purchased a radio (poor college student), its a great way to try out your fist without getting on the air. #Its alot of fun too! #It was featured on the ARRL web site under the heading "Surfin': Morse Via the Net" #

73,
Paul Gallagher
KC8SQC http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

ka2ddx

03-11-2002, 12:18 AM

I am heartened by what I am reading. It's great for those of you who are re-discovering cw. My views here may seem paradoxical. I have been licensed for 40 years and 99% of my time is spent on cw. However, I firmly believe morse code should NOT be a requirement for an amateur license. The days of morse being the pre-eminent mode are behind us. It makes more sense to test typing and speech capabilities. CW however, will not die. It is simply way too much fun to use on the hf bands. The thrill and satisfaction of those of you before me in this forum testifies to it. I urge anyone even thinking about it to give it a try. Like the others have said, go at any speed you chose and you'll find many willing participants. CW is not dead, just listen to the hf bands during a contest weekend! Just do the morse thing and have fun that few others anyway will ever have in their lives. God Bless...............

aa8ig

03-11-2002, 01:59 AM

I began as a No-Code Tech when they first began that class. VHF/UHF was OK....for a while. I wasn't real big on CW but to upgrade had to learn it. Went from No-Code Tech to Extra in 364 days. My first HF I bought used, a Heathkit HW-101 http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif . The only thing it came with was a power supply. No one had a mike, so I went & bought a straight key and soon developed an intense enjoyment of CW

CW is my favorite mode & it doesn't matter if it's 2 WPM or 20 WPM, I enjoy working ALL! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif I went on to get involved with CW traffic nets, currently serving as a Net Control Station of the Ohio Slow Net as well as being involved with other NTS CW nets.

Even though I got my Extra when the test was still 20 WPM I prefer working the slower ops...working some of the higher speeds (above say 25 WPM) is like having a QSO with a machine gun.

Keep at it Arnie, I look forward to chatting with you on the air soon...

Rich K8IG

k0ru

03-11-2002, 02:10 AM

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Hello Arnie,

Well being a die hard CW nut here, I found this post very heart warming, like some here I to have many fond memories of warming up the tubes, stabalizing the VFO (had rocks also) and warming up the feedline many of nites working alot of wonderful people.

Oh yeah I worked Fone when I first got into ham radio back in the mid & late 70's. #But my heart has always been CW, I think it has something to do with this...

My voice doesn't sound different, they can't make fun of my speach, the can't recongnize my acsent, ummm, hahaha well you get the idea.

Thanks for bring back some very wonderful memories, and if I've worked you on the air thank you so much for being apart of my life, if we haven't worked I hope we do some day.

I could list on and on those that have made Ham Radio so exciting for me, but I won't. (see profile) I find it wonderful being able to get on the bands call CQ and usually get a new one here, or there, but more exciting is the return visits from CW Ops I've worked before, their always excited to hear me on, and we always have a wonderful QSO, you would think the RST, QTH, WX was all that happens if you listened to some folks, but believe me the only thing you get out of CW is exactly what you put into it.

Enjoy, hope to work you all some day.

73 - W8YRB
Rob

mackinac

03-11-2002, 05:46 PM

A lot of folks sure are having a lot of fun getting on HF and working CW contacts. #But HF and having fun aren't the only uses of Morse code. #Check out this pic of W4WWQ racking up the DX Q's from his portable 241 GHz station: #W4WWQ on 241 GHz (http://www.mgef.org/images/241ghz_w4wwq.jpg)

Well, he did only make one contact, but that is more than just about anyone else on that band. #The point being that the simplicity of Morse makes it very useful when all you are trying to do is just make any contact at all. #It's a very handy tool for the experimenter. # #With further experimentation the Morse may be replaced by high speed digitally encoded voice transmission or whatever, but it was the Morse code that made that first step a lot easier.

For more on that story: http://www.mgef.org/zms_241_2.htm

03-11-2002, 07:34 PM

Well I've got to admit, CW's been a blast. I've been licensed for about nine years and decided to get an upgrade to General to play on the HF bands. I bought a K-1 as a reward for passing the 5 wpm test. Did I say pass? It should have been called a squeek!

I built the unit and listened on the bands for a few weeks. Man, some of you can fly! I finally got up the nerve to send out a CQ. And as you Old timers can atest to, I was sending faster than I could recieve. So I had an abortive QSO with some station up in MN. A couple of days later (x-mas eve to be exact) I mustered up enough courage to try it again.

I got an answer to my CQ from K5PSH. He said his name was Jerry and he was from Texas. Turns out he lived in the town I was born in. Go figure! But he kept sending Jerry Texas, Jerry Texas. I was sitting there saying to myself, "Yah yah, I got it... Jerry from Texas!" Anyway we completed the QSO and I was telling my wife about it, and I just started laughing. It suddenly dawnwed on me that he was saying "A Merry Xmas", not "Jerry Texas". A M vs. J, you'll figure it out.

I've made about a dozen contacts since. Five watts doesn't punch many holes through the noise. KG4LDD was a great contact (see above post) and was actually my longest, it lasted about an hour. Sorry, Steve, you were actually my eighth contact I was thinking you were about my fifth but unfortunately misspelled fifth as F I T H. It can be hard trying to spell and send at the same time. HI

I've told a few of the Hams that I've QSLed that I appreciate their slowing down to give me a chance to copy. I liken it to an F-15 fighter having to slow down to the speed of a Piper Cub. The F-15 is trying to keep from stalling while the Cub is trying to keep the fabric on the wings. We're just trying to keep up!

I'd have to say it has been a lot of fun and challenge.

See you on the bands.

72 es GD,
N0YGY

w8znx

03-12-2002, 10:44 AM

for over 35 yrs was a hard core fone man,

one week after i got my novice tic i picked
up a heath twoer 8 hours work i was a novice on
2 mtrs fone, code was for passing tests,

hated hated the code,

well a few yrs ago i wrked es wrked to pass the 20 wpm
extra,

so tnx to some cw loving friends
after my ass to get on cw,

i figured might as well get on cw,

now love it, mostly run low pwr, old xmtrs, DX 20
GRC109, ect

but the most fun has bn running, HB low pwr 7 to 15 wts
es qrp, es qrpp, hb lash ups,

latest lash up is a acorn tube job abt 750 mw, dc in,

not puting out much abt 150 mw out but have made a
contact, thank u N0MF,

it puts 5 or 7 watts in a new qro world

still spend more time on fone then cw

but if i only ran fone it wld be just too much of a boor

tnx 73

mac ola w8znx ex wa8znx wd8mzk kl7hwi wn8pzc

yv6azc

03-12-2002, 04:16 PM

You’re right Arnie,

After 26 years of hamming I still wake up early on week ends, call CQ on 20 meters CW and have the same emotion of wondering who is going to call back.

At the beginning, with a manual key and no more than six or seven wpm, I had the opportunity of meeting a lot of veteran hams who taught me the art of having an enjoyable QSO by slowing down their keyers or bugs. I felt honored by those fellow hams. They had the patience of teaching me, just a beginner by then. #They spent a lot of time at very slow speeds and they didn’t seem to care at all. I think they had to feel a kind of satisfaction by doing that, as well as I do now. #Those courteous rules are followed by most of CW operators.

As a CW instructor at the local radio club, I have noticed that many people just want to learn enough CW to pass an exam, but sooner or later they jump into the lower end of HF bands. A friend of mine (Pedro) to whom I was teaching CW in the club, told me once that CW was easy to decode with his computer, so he wasn’t interested in learning CW beyond his need to pass the exam. After getting his license he promptly found out that his computer wasn’t very helpful into a pile-up or when a bug or manual key was being used. Now he’s an enthusiast CW operator and has discovered that world you have well described in your post. Another friend (Carlos), after five years of working on local SSB nets, start wondering what those guys down there were talking about and, after a few days of hearing the signals, he could identify the call-signs on a local CW net in 40 meters. A few months later, he dared to try it and felt the warmest welcome when everybody start transmitting at his very slow speed and encouraged him to continue visiting the net. It was worth the time he spent re-learning CW. #Now, two years later, he is very proud of hanging a DXCC award on his wall.

Like you, Pedro, Carlos and I are now “hooked on CW”. It is hard to express with words, (much harder for me, using a language different to my mother tongue) but you can be sure Arnie, I know exactly what you mean, and must congratulate you on your contagious enthusiasm about CW.

CUL, 73 ES DX
DE JOSE …-.-

n7uo

03-13-2002, 02:52 AM

Arnie!

Be careful, CW has an incredible hook in it. I can't think of anything that gives me a bigger kick than chasing the world with CW. It's a "fer" or "agin" with CW, but most who try it are hooked as soon as they've gotten past the first few QSO's.

I wish you well in your return, and I'll look for you on the bands.

73's

Frank/N7UO

W7CO

03-13-2002, 08:38 PM

Great subject. I have been licensed since 1976. I was able to get my 13wpm and then locked the key away. For the last 10 years I was pretty much off HF altogether. After 9/11 I decided it was time to get back on board. I know that when all fails, CW would be there. I bought the Yasue FT817 (QRP) with the idea that I would be forced to work CW. I have been copying daily and my speed is getting better. I have been afraid to start sending in fear someone might answer. hi hi. Your comments have given me confidence to start getting on the air.

Thanks

Mike KE7MH

W2RST

03-14-2002, 04:06 AM

For years phone ops have been asking me "why CW?" I've always given them the same answer, time and time again. My answer is simply, "because it's fun!"

After reading these posts, I'm glad to see so many others feel the same.

73,

Bill - W2RST

w1eof

03-14-2002, 06:54 AM

Great article Arnie! Put a huge smile across my face to hear about another ham finding out about the magic of CW.

I was fortunate that I loved CW from the git-go. It was never a bad thing, it was just something "neat" I had to learn (30 years ago, at age 14). In those 30 years I've worked almost 100% CW. I find the CW crowd to be almost without exception polite, courteous, and helpful. Just exactly what a ham should be. So keep up the good work guys, and keep spreading the word.

Just a reminder to you and everyone else: If you are interested in preserving CW on the ham bands, if you want to get together with other like-minded hams, check out FISTS at: www.fists.org. It's a great organization, and we have slow-speed nets, a "code buddy" program so that you can have a sked and get your code speed up at your own pace. Check it out.

73,

Mark W1EOF

KA5TJW

03-14-2002, 07:53 PM

Well....I dusted of my MFJ code tutor and I'm starting to re-learn the code. I, too, learned just enough code to pass my novice test in '84. I recently passed my general test and I am waiting for my new ticket to come in. I am really interested in QRP and bought a partially assembled TEN-TEC 20M CW transceiver on ebay. I intend for my first HF contact to be CW. Thanks for the posts, my interest has been re-kindled.

73
ka5tjw

w1dfu

03-14-2002, 09:01 PM

It must be catching.I had been trying to "re-catch the ham radio bug" for a long time.A fews weeks ago I decided to give CW a whirl after a long absence.The rest is history.I'm #getting my speed back up to a respectable level and I'm having a ball.My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.If anyone wants to sked feel free to e-mail me at w1dfu@vermontel.net

NE5U

03-15-2002, 01:51 AM

Hi Arnie,

Great post and great thread. Not one disparaging remark about Morse Code.

If you want to add some more fun to your CW experience try working CW mobile. It's a blast. Rob (W8YRB), he posted a good bit above this, is the primary driver behind me increasing my interest in using Morse Code. Especially CW mobile. He was kind enough to spend a bunch of his time working with me to get my speed up as well as my sending quality. His reasons for liking CW and mine parallel though he's been at it much longer than I.

I've been lucky enough to be home, this month, more than on the road so I haven't made a mobile CW contact in over a month but the last one was at 75 MPH on I25, going south, just before Raton Pass, late one night. I distinctly remember the contact because I had a wonderful time with it. If someone would have looked in my pickup they would have seen a big smile nested in intense concentration. I even worked another mobile (hey WA4BNO, if you are reading, could you QSL please. I count my first mobile- mobile CW contact as a major event in my Ham careeer. I would love to have the card to prove it.)

I use an FT100D (great rig), ATAS 100 antenna, and a bencher paddle for all my mobile work. The sound from the rig is channeled through my stereo system. It makes for a very nice operating environment. (sound familiar Rob?)

73 all

Mike,
WM5LL

KB8ANY

03-15-2002, 05:50 PM

Great post! CW is not just more fun. Once you get good it is easier to use than voice. 73. Paul

k8ny

03-16-2002, 12:57 AM

Hey Arnie,
Welcome back to cw, it's really great to work this mode as you well know!
I returned to the air in 1998 after being off for 20 years. Originally licensed 42 years ago, I never let my ticket lapse, just was not active.
Wow, was it great returning and even more wonderful getting back on cw. I have always had a love for cw since I was stranded in that mode for 3 years (1960-1963 not being able to afford or build a phone rig - I guess that was a blessing in disguise!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif) .
My code speed was about 15wpm when I returned but have now managed to move it up to 30wpm. Most of my cw speed increase has come from running mobile cw on my commute back and forth to work (50 miles each way) but just getting on cw and working a few stations will start to increase anyone's speed.
And yes, you are correct, cw ops will always slow down for a slower station when asked. In fact, most good cw ops will slowdown for a slower op even without being asked! It's common, old time, cw courtesy.
There is a camaraderie that exists on cw and contrary to popular belief, most cw ops are very friendly and helpful.
I am real glad you're back to cw Arnie, most folks just don't know what they're missing!

Bob K8NY #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

03-17-2002, 05:54 AM

Great post, Arnie!

It is nice to see so many ops discovering, and re-discovering, the fine art of CW! It truly is a very enjoyable part of the Amateur Radio hobby!

I have been licenced since 1996, and were it not for CW, I am sure I would not have found the hobby to have provided the many enjoyable hours it has. I unplugged the mic long ago, and have no idea where it is, but if I should happen to come across it one day, I shall be sure to remove the battery, which must surely be quite corroded by now.

I have been known to operate a paddle, a bug, a straight key, and even a few bare wires now and then... whatever it takes to get a few dits out the antennae.

I tend to work 15 meters pretty much all the time if it is open... usually at the following location:
http://www.qsl.net/va5cw/slo-chat.htm #(...Gee! ... is that my call sign in there?) #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

This spot has yielded many fine chats with many fine ops! It is the best feeling to work a new call and have them say "tnx QRS fer a new op - its been fun - I will be back". #When the band is open, anyone looking for a nice, leisurley chat, can usually find someone to accomodate them here. It is a nice spot to loosen up at.

From the replies to your post, Arnie, my faith is restored in the fact there ARE ops getting into (and back into) CW to discover the pleasure involved in this unique and mysterious mode of communication!

73 Bill
VA5CW # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

VA6AW

03-17-2002, 03:15 PM

To Arnie:

It sure is great to hear that Charlie Whiskey is alive and well in this age of "off the shelf" Radio operating.

I became a Ham operator in 1971, though I have been inactive for some time. I still scan the bands occasionaly with an old 5 tube receiver but is leaves much to be desired.

I clearly remember learning about amateur radio when I met a blind student that was in charge of our high school amateur rado station in early 70's. I beleive his call sign was VE6ABJ and the school call was VE6AVE, if I am correct.

From this "Elmer" I learned to send CW and have never forgotten how. Its a little rusty though. I will also never forget the moments when I went on the air for the first time with a FRDX and FLDX 400 pair and began contacting Russians, Europeans and many other CW'ers over the pole at 2 or 3 AM in the morning. I can still hear the sound of their signals on the low end of 20 meters as the Northern Lights warped their signals. A Wonderfull sound

I also frequently look through my old QSL collecton and can remember many of my contacts as if they occured just yesterday. How many Hams can say that about a SSB contact from 25 years ago. This has rekindled my interest and I applied for a new callsign. I hope to be back on my favorite band (20) as soon as possible.

Clearly, many Ham operators still use CW and we must make sure that this mode remains a vital part of the Amateur Radio community.

Gary VA6AW

03-20-2002, 11:57 AM

Hi there,
I am just learnig for HAM license exam and I was finding some ways to learn morse code. Thank you for the link and thanks the guys from ARRL for the simply idea about the training mp3 files !
73!
Milan, OK2-34679 (meanwhile SWL...) http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

K5EHM

03-21-2002, 04:08 PM

CW is great and I fully agree! #Too bad the ARRL and FCC are not on the band wagon. #We are often compared to CB's but throw in the cw and that comparison quickly disappears. #I have always said, most people can talk on a mic or keyboard, but if you really desire to utilize a side of the hobby that is still fun, after more than a 100 years, try cw on for size. #Don't become frustrated though, give it a fair chance and you will "hear" a great deal of fun being exchanged on the air. #With regards to speed, most hams will be glad to honor your QRS, so don't be afraid to use when you feel the need.

73, Mike -#K5EHM

WF0H

03-21-2002, 10:15 PM

Yes, there is something unique about CW that keeps bringing me back to it. Oh, I've tried every mode I could find, and enjoy many of them, but I just have to keep my CW from getting too rusty.

There is just a feeling of alchemy in the air when I sit down before a radio, any radio, and start to work the key. For just plain fun, I like to use an ancient mechanical 'bug' which produces a 'banana boat swing' rhythm. For long ragchews at high speed, a keyboard eliminates a lot of mistakes, but when I use a keyboard I don't use the common CW abbreviations as much. Most of the time, I use a keyer, but I've never appreciated the finer points of iambic 'squeeze keyer' operation, so please forgive the occasional extra 'dits'. I do not like any key that is smarter than me.

I believe that there has actually been a resurgence in CW recently. I am hearing signals in places that have been silent for many years! Of course, some of this may be due to the sunspot cycle, but I think that there are lots of people discovering CW for the first time, and they are doing it even though they don't have to. Bravo!

73

wa1vqp

03-22-2002, 05:48 PM

Hi Arnie,
Great post. I wonder if there may be others out there with my problem: KEY FRIGHT! I've been a ham since the (gasp) 1970's and never had the inclination to try CW until lately. My CW skills were never strong and I #decided to commit myself to being able to actually carry on a reasonable CW contact. I have been listening to W1AW and CW QSOs on most nights for over a year now and am now at the point that I can copy most simple QSOs fairly well in my head at 10 WPM or less. But the thought of trying to actually call someone or (worse) calling CQ terrifies me. I have never been at a loss for words on phone but a key scares the witts out of me. I continue to tell myself that I just need more time and practice copying but I now suspect it is rationalization on my part. I hope someone has some advice / I really want to be able to share in the fun that I hear all you raving about!

Ken; 73 de wa1vqp

n4qa

03-24-2002, 12:14 PM

To Ken, WA1VQP:

I know your fear, Ken. Had it for my first several CW contacts.

Just do it...

Many hams out there will slow down for you...and the very few who won't ?...forget them http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Lately, I've been hanging out on the 20 meter QRP CW calling frequency...14060 kHz...give me a call !

73.
Bill, N4QA

KB9VSB

03-26-2002, 10:26 PM

I really liked this article I have been trying to increase my speed and my childeren are learning with me . But I have reacently found out through K9EG's holy-er than thow insight and have since been put back in my place as a "5 word per miniute general" so I guess I will just give up and go back to C.B. where I belong.With so many warmly united elmers such as him I will never be worthy of my ham ticket nor will my childeren so sorry I shall repent now.

KB9VSB

03-26-2002, 11:43 PM

Exellent article Arnie, When I started studying for my general class ticket I had no clue that the code requirements were going to be dropped to 5 words per miniute. good thing for me but I would have kept trying for the thirteen any way ,in fact I am getting pretty close and my childeren and wife are learning with me. I always wanted to learn code even when I was a kid. But I Regret to say I now have to give up my favorite hobbie because Carl, K9EG has so thoughtfully put me in my proper place as a "5 word per miniute ham" I apologize to all the worthier than I hams that would rather keep me and my family down where we belong.I will remeber that I am not worthy to report a tornado or offer my equipment for use in case of an emergancy or natural disaster because I wouldn't want to polute the amateur hobby with my less than worthy code skills.So I will go back to the FRS. Where I belong. But I really did enjoy your article 73's

KB9VSB

03-26-2002, 11:56 PM

KB9VSB

03-26-2002, 11:59 PM

My sincere apologies to k9eg I mis read the call on my message board so I opened my mouth and inserted my own foot .the call I was refering to was ke9g sorry http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

n3yj

03-27-2002, 04:20 PM

I got my tech in 1984 and really had a bad time with the code http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif
5wpm was a killer. I've just used the (87) rule to up grade to gen.
and now that code this no longer a thret to my ability to advance
I plan to try and learn it again. It's kind of like hunting with a longbow
or flyfishing or even making a fire with flint and steel.
Not every one can do it. I hope I can. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

03-27-2002, 05:23 PM

I avoided ham radio for 30 years because I didn't know code and wasn't sure I could learn it. I found a good computer program and was copying close to 10 WPM in five weeks. It was REALLY ugly for about two weeks but I soon found myself enjoying it - now I hate myself for not doing it sooner.

Oh well. Now, can some of you CW veterans answer something for me? I am about to buy my first rig and I have read a lot on what kind of equipment to buy. What is the rationale for learning on a straight key versus a "bug"? It seems most of the hard code CW types wouldn't be caught dead without a Vibroplex in hand.

Also, can somebody explain what iambic means when used to describe paddles? All the manufacturers seem to throw the term around without really explaining it and it is hard for a newbie to understand exactly.