Very nice work. That first QSO is both terrifying and exhilarating, and once you "return to earth", you want to make another one. Stick with it and you will get better. I hope you get you in my log someday. Best of luck. Anthony/AB9YC
Thanks for the post and encouragement. I'm struggling to get into the 5WPM read, but am seeing the light. I can't wait to get on-air! 73! Cam - W4XXV
OH MAN GUYS, I KNOW WHAT YOUR TAKING ABOUT!!! My very first Ham Radio QSO was with a very, very understanding "Elmer" named "John Benn-W6EZA" back in 1962, and he & I were only located about 1/2 mile APART while living in Oakland, CA!!! VERBATIM on his QSL CARD note was: " Jim! A very SHAKY FIST BUT SOLID COPY, CONGRATS ON UR FIRST QSO on 40m CW!!!". I still have his card denoting our very first qso!!! IT DID'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT!!! WOW!!! I was in "Hog-Heaven" for @ least a whole week!!! WE'LL NEVER FORGET THAT EXPERIENCE, NEVER!!! License then: NOVICE (1yr) NON-RENEWABLE Mode:CW.......STRAIGHT KEY
Any ham who is now using cw remembers well going through those first qsos. Don't be afraid to tell us you are a beginner. I still liked my early days as a novice back in 1962 when there were hundreds of us struggling to complete a qso. I am surprised at how many current cw operators got their start as a novice and pretty much stuck with cw the rest of their lives. A year as a novice was a real right of passage. Don't be shy about asking for a repeat. 73, Larry KB0R
I for one love to hear slow cq calls. I've been learning for a couple of years and. while still slow enjoy cw. I am grateful for meeting elmers willing to slow down but much prefer a qso with other beginners. What makes cw fun is there is still an awful lot to learn after you learn the alphabet. Get on the air on the old novice 40m segment. I am73 and may never be fast but operating qrp cw is great fun. So whats the hurry anyway. Have fun, thats what its about.
I also Had my first QSO a couple of nights ago. IT WAS GREAT!!!! The level of adrenalin can only be experienced by bungee jumping or skydiving. I've been bungee jumping and the feeling was about the same. I cannot tell you how nervous I was. The guy was calling cq slow enough for me to get his call the first time. So I answered him back. I too only got a couple of characters the first run but we exchanged call RST and SKCC #'s. I can't wait to do it all over again........and again......and again....
So glad to hear you stayed on the path and crossed the intellectual divide - you're a real ham now Yeah, yeah, I know... there are lots of "real" hams who can't copy a lick of code and have accomplished more than I ever will. But to me, learning the language is a rite of passage into the fraternity of pioneers and inventors who created our civilization... Morse code was the very first practical use of electricity by humans. Imagine that... when it was demonstrated on that first Baltimore to Washington connection back in 1844, people stood silently, almost reverently, in long lines just to be allowed to see the device... it was a miracle to them. And guess what: it still is... Welcome to the club 73 Chris NW6V
**************************************************************** Remember Larry, we (then) NOVICES were the ORIGINATORS of "SPLIT FREQ OPERATION" in that we who followed the RULES were XTAL controlled, and when calling CQ we'd have to tune ALL OVER the Novice band to find whomever was CALLING US!!! THAT was a REAL CHALLENGE!!!
KH6OWL: Nicely written. I've enjoyed your previous articles, also. An idea/suggestion: look around ARRL's site for a few 'slow code' nets and join one periodically. Also, check out FIST's site [http://fistsna.org/operating.html]. Finally, a 'google' search on 'slow cw' might yield some interesting ideas. (Note - don't use 'slow code' for a search term; that's something else ...) Hope to meet you on air sometime. 73.
The joy of sending / receiving Morse code is only surpassed by doing it in /QRP mode, it adds some challenge to an already difficult Art. You will find out that QRPers are more of the rag chew type, loving to give full info on material & aerials. Most of them use straight keys and don't send too fast. It is much more fun to share more than just 599 and Name + QTH it becomes a more "personal" relation. And I get more self satisfaction using my Home Brew GQ 40 U transceiver than my Drake TR 7. No compromise on selectivity, or sensitivity, no over simplified design (250 + parts) either, great result due to mono band config, no loss in band selector etc... Just came back to Ham Radio after 15 years due to QRM pro, and my QSOs are as emotional as my first ones in 1993. Also I use Low Profile indoor Magnetic 2 m diameter Loop, or weird antennas such as rain gutter, or the mast + rigging of my 32 ' Sailboat "Bas" while on vacation via SPC ATU. I enjoy making the QSO that I can make, not trying to make DX or contest. GL BGNU 72 Yves ON7BAS/QRP
But I could tune the entire novice band in about one turn of the receiver knob. And heard a few kHz at a time. Think I had only three crystals for each band (80 and 40). Still have old friends from those days.
It is very exciting to turn down the knob to 5 watts out and watch the spotting networks to see where your signal is getting out. I've sent CQ several times in QRP, no response yet. But, I have spoken to a few QRP stations, and some of then had a stronger signal than the 100 watt stations!
We are at the low of propagation due to solar spots 11 years cycle. Yet I made contact with Southern Spain, Montenegro, Tchequia, England, Germany, France, Holland, Italy, lately with 5 W including 2 ways QRP with DL. The magic of radio is that sometimes there is like a "super conductive" path that carries a weak signal as if distance didn't matter, 1600 Km or 1000 miles QSO on 40 m is nice with a small inexpensive loop hidden in my garden tool shed. Keep on trying, if you can hear QRP, you can be heard by those stations at 5 W too, unless you antenna is an attenuator. Try to dim the power progressively during a QSO to see how low you can go after establishing contact in QRO mode. The benefit is portability, smaller, lighter, can run on battery, no heavy AC power supply, no RAC. If you build your own, don't make it too small, leave room for addons improvements as you improvise your way to customize your project just how you want it. 72 ON7BAS/QRP
