Formula For Fun...

[KC2JCA]

The first word out of my mouth was WOW. The second was WEE! Admittedly I am as new a Ham as you can be. Issued my first license on February 1st, 2002. Just upgraded to 5WPM Code about 2:15pm EST today.

Worked my first 40 meter contact at 2:45 for a whopping distance of 25 miles. But, I considered that lucky because I am running a Heathkit HW-8, with a less than adequate final transistor, pushing out a whopping .75 watts, if I'm lucky. My antenna? Why it's just a 14 gauge stranded wire dipole that is waaaaaaaay too long for my designated antenna erecting area so it slopes a bit, up to about 20 feet and low end at about 7 feet. But that's just the middle part. 6 feet of the high end hangs down vertical, and 22 feet of the low end is horizontal across the back of my lot.

I call the antenna my "VertiSlopaHorizontaPole".

Oh, back to the 40 meters CW Contacting Jamboree of Overall Excitement and Merriment. My second contact was to a friend 12 miles to my South. Oh my, I'm getting shorter distances. Not what I had in mind, but I'm still only pushing 1 watt.

Third contact, heard KB1BIC calling CQ around 7.110 and figured what the heck. It's only 220 miles between him and I and the broadcast SW is starting to overtake 40 meters at my QTH, I'll give him a try.

Holy Mackerel, he called me back! I couldn't believe it.
WOW-WEE! 220 miles on 1 watt and a wire.

Knock me over with a feather.

So, you think the thrill is gone from Ham Radio and think there ain't no good reason to learn the code? Try working 1 watt on a wire, you'll find all the fun and excitement you can ever handle.

73, Jim - kc2jca

[WA0KNP]

The thrill is definitely not gone from ham radio. #I've been licensed for about 40 years and I get the same rush when I hear my call coming back to me as I did during my first QSO. #I took a break for about 15 years and just got back on the air a little over a year ago...and I certainly regret losing that air time..but I'm making up for it now. #Incidentally, I'm running 85 watt into a 70' wire..and occasionally, just for added kicks, I back the ICOM down to less than 5 watts and it still works great!It's nice to see a post from someone who is having fun, rather than from all those "wise old owls" who would use this site as a political forum and gripe session. #Keep on having fun!

73,

WAØKNP "Ray"

[N8CDN]

Jim,

After 22 years of being a ham, I still say "wow"!. My latest "wow" was just the other night when I worked an LZ on 20 cw QRP into my 5btv. I just returned to cw after 11 years of mostly inactivity. I returned to hf last year on phone but quickly tired of the " 59 see you later.."qso's. In the last month and a half, I have worked over 20 cw contacts. Most under 50 watts and am having a ball! In fact, If I go a night or two away from the shack, I start to get restless and I just have to get on. I am all for simple antennas. In fact my old , rusty tower is going to come down soon. Congratulations and welcome to the hobby!

73 de Terry N8CDN

[ad4c]

Congratulations dear Jim for having joined the best hobby in the world where you will not only have fun but learn communications skills as well.I started as you did 35 years ago in CW with a very small single tube 6V6 colpits osc tuned in plate crystal control in 7005 Khz and from my native country(CO2) I could work fisrt nights just local stations within 100 miles but when the next days propagation opened I could work my continental QSO a station from the OK land,more than thousand miles away with just 1 W like you have now,my WOW! was huge and jumping in my chair as a kid,called my whole family so excited,hahahahaha I was kust 18 years old but felt like been 5.I have spent all my entire life to nowaday been a ham,I love the hobby and to tell you the truth CW is still the king of modes,I own a modern sofisticated radio but I love to run less than 10W out of it in 20M with just a hamstick mobile antenna and you can't believe how far we go with that,so keep going having fun and don't be disapointed if your contacts are shorts because I know for sure you will jump in the chair very soon as I did years ago and still do today.Have succes and again thanks for joining us.
God bless America
Hector
AD4C

[WB2WIK]

Congrats on the upgrade and finding the joy of CW and what it can do.

30 meters is one of the best places to try CW QRP, since only CW and digital modes, and only 200W maximum power output (for American hams, anyway) are allowed. Although I rarely run less than 5W, many others run a whole lot less, and I hear them fine. On 30m CW, I've completed 2-way contacts with Australia (from my home in California) when the other station was running 100mW output power...that's about 80,000 miles per Watt. Others have done much more than this.

The only modes that are competitive with CW in terms of maximum performance with minimum power are narrow-bandwidth digital modes like PSK31, which come close. However, all those modes require accessory equipment (like a computer) that you cannot stuff into your pocket and take with you, as you can with a QRP-CW rig. And all those modes require a much larger investment in station equipment as well. An HW-7, or any number of compact QRP CW-only rigs, can be found for $100 and will indeed work the world with a wire and a lantern battery.

WB2WIK/6

[KC2JHP]

Ahh, Jim, this is great fun, eh? I'm an even "newer" ham than you (less than a month), but my ticket was a Tech/CW from the start. My first contact was on 80 & was in Charlotte, NC (KE4QZB Brian - real nice guy). But I was blasting 100+ watts at him thru a low dipole (12' up), nothing like the QRP contacts you've made. Hey, get this: I just recently made a 10-mtr dipole out of some left-over stuff around the house: 16+ feet of 3/8" threaded rod & an 8 foot piece of 1 1/2" PVC pipe. I attached this arrangement to the side of my roof - it's only about 14' up at the peak, & slopes down a couple feet at the edges. As soon as I turned the rig on, I heard CW sigs from europe. I answered a CQ call from Bulgaria - and got a reply! WOO-HOO! Made me nervous, but I was still able to get a successful QSO. Followed this with a contact in France, & then Germany, & then a bunch in west & southwest US. I just got up the nerve to try 10-mtr SSB a couple days ago: I heard a guy in England with a 5-watt qrp signal, & he was working a guy from Texas. When they finished their QSO, I gave the English fellow a call, & we had a nice little chat - it was outstanding! I tell ya, I'm having so much fun I feel like a little kid! Why didn't I get this ham ticket sooner?
Tim
KC2JHP

[KD5QZB]

Talk about fun!!!! I am still scared of CW even though I just passed my code exam at the end of March! I am enjoying HF so much more than VHF that my wife says she could have me committed to an institution without breaking a sweat. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

Today's the day....for that first tentative CQ on CW. I am looking forward to joining in with my barefoot rig and my 14AWG wire strung around my apartment (yes, I did the RF calculations!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif. CW, here I come! (Next I'll call CQ with my Tuna Tin 2!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif So when you hear that 3 or 4 wpm CQ, it'll be me!

To quote Charles Osgood, "See you on the radio!"

73,

Michael
KD5QZB

[n5xm]

What an outstanding thread! It is so wonderful to see such honest enthusiasm instead of all the negative stuff that seems to be everywhere. CW dead? I should say not...I'll have had my ticket 6 years at the end of this month, but have been doing CW just under three years, and I absolutely love it. I haven't put my microphones away or anything like that, but if I go for more than two or three hours without making a CW contact I start twitching and acting funny. I'm not a CW snob, but there are some out there, so when you do run into them, don't let it bother you when they refuse to slow down to work you. There are plenty of people who will, and besides, with time your speed will come up and it won't be a problem. Work hard to have a good fist, and people will enjoy working you. Ham Radio is the finest hobby there is, and I am very proud to call all of you fellow Hams, so keep up the good work, and look for me on the air and give me a call!

[na7us]

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif Really great to see your enthusiasm. Never let it die as there is so many things to do in Amateur Radio. Now spread it around and find someone who has never heard of it and give them the gift of the same thrill. My best to you and will looking for you on 40 from here in Seattle. Feel free to email me and set up a sked!

[KC2JCA]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (K7TUT @ April 14 2002,15:20)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif Really great to see your enthusiasm. #Never let it die as there is so many things to do in Amateur Radio. #Now spread it around and find someone who has never heard of it and give them the gift of the same thrill. #My best to you and will looking for you on 40 from here in Seattle. Feel free to email me and set up a sked![/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

You bet! And, I'm guiding my son along into Ham Radio. At 11, he's really interested in everything and I think he was surprised to see old Dad doing code.

My previously mentioned 220 mile QSO has long since become a memory in the distance department. Yesterday I pushed my 1 watt out 830 miles to Hebron, Indiana. Special TNX to K9KLR for the quick reply on 40 meters. I did get lost in the QRM rather quickly.

Weeeeeeeeeeeee!

73, Jim - kc2jca

[MAB2003]

i just got my license in the mail this saterday 4-13-02 but i got my callsign earlier so some of you may heard me on the polomar reapeter anyways plan to hear me more i will uprade on morse code at the end of this month
mike (kg6ktz)

[WA7NIW]

Hey King (7) Tut,

You want to be my first CW QSO in 34 years? Email to sked.

Dick, WA7NIW

[kd7qkh]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (K7TUT @ April 14 2002,15:20)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">:D Really great to see your enthusiasm. #Never let it die as there is so many things to do in Amateur Radio. #Now spread it around and find someone who has never heard of it and give them the gift of the same thrill. #My best to you and will looking for you on 40 from here in Seattle. Feel free to email me and set up a sked![/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Hi K7TUT!

So is that why I am not finding you on 147.1 now?

I am seriously considering moving into QRP now to add into by bag of tricks. But am looking for some plans for transmitter/recievers for it. Where is this $20 in parts plan?

I am working on getting my code up to par.

Glenn
KD7QKH/AE

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

[kk6ss]

So very wonderful to see your excitement! I have been a ham for 34 years now and still love those "magic" contacts. Keep up the fun and good work!

Dean,
K6DDJ

[k3jdp]

Yeh, it is a big thrill. I remember when I got my General ticket, I was overcome with excitement and joy to be able to talk to hams all around the world. What really gets me, though, is the hams running around with Technician tickets, that don't want to upgrade. I just can't understand why. We've got some Tech operators in my area that seem to be perfectly content with vhf & uhf. I just don't get it.

[KB4FOS]

"I remember that my great Aunt Regina once gave me an old RCA portable stereo record player, 45 and 33LP. So I wired it to an FM wireless mic kit that Radio Shack sold and had some fun as the local neighborhood Murray the K. I used zip cord transmission line, a car radio whip stuck up in a pine tree at about 30 feet. It had a "confirmed", one mile range. WEIR radio played a rock and roll "lite" format and was once heard as far south as Naranja Drive."

JaxJoe KB4FOS

[w5hw]

I have noticed what I believe is a definit increase in CW operations. #I am 83 years old and have been a ham 68 year. I operate mostly on cw, abt 99%. #I dig for slow QRP sttions and what I b elieve is new commers. #I try to answer ALL calls. #I have a lot of fun. #I try to ans. all QSL cards. #Idont have anythin else to do and all day to do it. #Helping what I believe to be new hams, slow hams qrp signals give me a lot satifaction. #One thing I detest: #Being used for CODE PRACTICE. #That is the lazy dude that just wants to practice or send canned crap and never listens. There are some. #I have had qso,s that lasted hours at 15 words per minute and enjoyed. #Lets stamp out: NOW BACK TO YOU :puncuatuon periods, commas and diddley dits. Patience and understand leads to happy qso,s. #73 W5HW CL