I have completed the Level 1 CW OPs course and a lot of you have followed my progress and frustrations via my blog. This is a follow up to that course. I have had some people contact me wanting to help and I am grateful. One CW teacher, W6BK, David Elliott called and talked to me about getting over the hump. Apparently this is quite common that once you pass the course you never get on the air because you are either scared of being to slow, not being able to copy, etc etc. Thanks David for trying to contact me on the air that day but we can barely hear one another. I have been practicing sending and taping out license plates, the alphabet, etc. I was practicing late one night using 5 watts and was getting ready to quit and decided to try 500 watts. I sent my CW on a straight key which enables me slow my sending speed down. We tend to send faster than we can copy and people will answer you at the speed you sent. Anyhow, I sent my CQ and got an immediate answer. I didn’t know what to do except change my underwear! At first I didn’t get anything, he kept sending and then I got a few letters. Now it was my turn so I sent my call again and QRS for slow down please. He sent again and I got another letter. I then sent my call and “I am new and need to go slow”. He sent again and then I sent ? ? and he immediately came back a lot slower. I got his call, minus the first letter. I thought it was a B but it ended up being a V. His call was VK4TJ and then I got the RST he sent. I was so excited that I thought I got the contact and then he sent an email to me after that confirming it was indeed him. I could not sleep that night and it has really motivated me to get on the air and stop using practice as an excuse. Practice is important but get on the air and suffer through it. I had made a brief contact to a friend in Canada but I knew what his call sign was as we had a schedule contact. I did hear it and we did make the contact but this one felt like I got it on my own and boy was I a kid again. Thanks for all those slow operators or those that can slow down to help us new guys. Our little slow group shares emails and encouragement and continue to try to contact one another. The joy this hobby can bring always amazes me. 73 until next time KH6OWL https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com/2017/04/02/cw-ops-and-that-first-cw-contact/
FB OM. I remember my first CW contact after I got re-licensed and back on the air. It was exhilarating and terrifying. I'm still not very good at it, but my goal is to do 80% CW for calendar 2017. So far I'm doing well, although the past couple of days doing WWFF-KFF have skewed it a little (I have a non-ham logging for me and she doesn't know any CW, so I've stuck to SSB)
Good for you! Congrats! Just one question if I may? Are you 'practicing' on the air? or into a dummy load?
I've run across many new hams lately, who want to give CW a try. Go for it! There certainly is plenty of empty spectrum "down" there.
Good rag chews are a blessing for new ops. Please hang in there and it will all fit together with time. Hope to hear you on the air, Mike WA6JJM
Yep, what he said. If you're not putting that 5W into a dummy load... don't be surprised if you get someone coming back to you. It's been eye opening to use my QRP CW radio and see RBN spots come back. Yes, it's a bit more at the whim of propagation than if I run 100W, but it's very rare that 5W into my attic dipole or field expedient inv-V on 20, 30, or 40m doesn't show RBN spots all over N. America. Yesterday from a park bench with said expedient antenna 40m was showing me hitting stations 2000 miles away at +18dB. If my math's right that's 64x background level so a solid signal for sure.
I am currently trying to learn code and am only about half way through. It's very difficult but I'm anxious to make my first CW QSO. Hopefully I'll stick with the program and get that first one under my belt too.
My first was a VK too. Or was it a ZL? Heart pounding, head spinning, nerves wracking; QRS and break in is your friend. Deep breaths too! Once I was on the air for a bit, the best compliment I got was from another VK. Says I had a nice recognizable fist. My head got big. 40m and Waltzing Matilda in the afternoon. The good ole days! I think the best practice is a live QSO. Been away for a bit so need to get back to speed. Heart pounding, head spinning, nerve wracking... At least my key still works. Once you get past the visualization and go straight to the audio it gets better.
YOu have to tell yourself it is easy and you just need to practice at a good spped so you hear the letter and not the dits and dahs. Memorized the sound. I am terrible but stick with it because it sure is fun.
My first CW contact with with Art, NS7E. Great guy and really slowed down for me. It took me 3 passes with him calling CQ to finally get the nerve to push the paddle down. Hard to send while your hand is shaking with anxiety! A very frightening and exciting experience. That hooked me. Now I can't get away from code.