QRQ CW

[WU3U]

For the past few weeks, I have been training my ear to copy speeds above the 30 WPM I've been doing for a while now, after having met a few Hams on the 80 meter band who are into "QRQ."

We've been meeting on the 80 meter band to practice at about 40 WPM, as we want to get into the 45 WPM range, which is regarded by some QRQ ops as the beginning of true QRQ.

Just wondering if anyone else on the board is into this sort of thing who'd like to meet for skeds, exchange E mails, and so on.

73,

Tim
N8LXR

[AG3Y]

Paul K3STX is an excellent QRQ operator! Rattle his chain and he will give you a GREAT qso !

73, Jim

[N0NWO]

I can't even THINK 40 words per minute, let alone send that fast.

Minton

[WD8OQX]

Quote[/b] (n0nwo @ Nov. 05 2004,14:39)]I can't even THINK 40 words per minute, let alone send that fast.

Minton

I guess some of us need a faster "clock circuit"

[WF7I]

I used to know a blind ham in Phoenix who could routinely copy 50 to even 60 WPM! It was almost like receiving RTTY in your head.

[K3STX]

Tim,

There are lots of guys who meet on 40 M to play this game, > 50 wpm. Best times are before work, and then from about 7 pm to about 10 pm EST. From around 7.025 to 7.035 MHz. I usually get on a bit later (dealing with my little kids in the early evening) and get on closer to 10:30 EST and it is tough getting a QRQ QSO. Unless you consider someone sending 20 wpm with a bug set for 60 wpm "dits" QRQ.

I'll look for you guys on 80.

paul

[W8MW]

Tim, do you have a time and frequency established? #Or is it one-on-one schedules?

It would be great to hear some regular QRQ operation again. #In the 70's I stumbled into a sorta tongue in cheek CW club called the Chicken Fat Operators. #Most of the guys ran between 50 and 80 WPM, most were using keyboards and Ten Tecs in full QSK. #No snobbery or taking anything too seriously, just guys who love CW and discovered how much fun it is when the pace is fast and the conversations are interactive. #I think CFO got up to about 1000 members and at one time you could hear them clucking just about every day on 80, 40,30 and 20. #Some of us are still alive but unfortunately a lot of those grand old men of CW are no longer with us. #

73
Mike

[AG3Y]

Actually, guys, I'll let you in on a little secret. The faster CW is sent, the easier it is for a computer to demodulate it because it starts to resemble a true machine-based algorhythm, even though it is not!

More letters will get through bursts of static and qrm, and the accuracy for the code reader actually goes up, sometimes WAY up !

However, the idea that your fingers are actually being used to form the letters, etc. etc. gets lost when you resort to a keyboard and computer to send and receive CW. For the purist, that removes a great amount of the "fun" and the sense of accomplishment to be derived from having the ability to send and receive QRQ CW.

I would really love to be able to send somewhere around 50 wpm with my fingertips, but the only way that is ever going to happen is if I type out those letters on a keyboard. However, I can come close to copying that fast on a good day!

As an alternative, I could suggest that one of the modern soundcard digital modes be used in place of computer-sent CW. If your desire is to simply have a conversation with someone else, and you wish to use a keyboard instead of a microphone to do it, Baudot, Hellschreiber or even the older FEC Amtor do great jobs of punching through QRM/N . They feature fast turnaround and are very satisfying modes to work!

Give them a try! You might like them as well !

73, Jim

[KY5U]

Maybe one of you speedy guys can help me. I am copying about 60% now at 35 WPM, but I can't send faster than 25. Any tips on sending? How do you guys send >50 WPM?

[AG3Y]

Well, as I mentioned in my post above, I am really not a "speed freak" when it comes to sending. #My thumbs get in the way all the time ! #

But I will also mention that I have never been a real fan of the Bencher paddles. #I think they are built too light for someone who is as heavy fisted as I am. #I had the pleasure of operating with a Vibroplex Iambic keyer, which is built much heavier than the Bencher. #Sometimes, loosening up the spacing and setting the levers so you have to "slap" them a bit harder results in an increase in both speed and accuracy! #My current paddles are Ham-Key, which are somewhat lighter than the Vibroplex, but heaver than the Bencher, and less expensive than the Vibroplex to boot!

An alternative to the Iambic style of sending is to use a single arm paddle such as the VibroKeyer. This is like using a "bug" with automatically generated dots and dashes. The major difference is that in order to send a "C" or a "." ( for instance ) you have to wiggle the one arm paddle side to side, instead of squeezing the two paddles together. A lot of guys still prefer to do it that way, and a good keyer has automatically completing dots and dashes, which makes the code extremely accurate and easy to send!

I top out at about 35 wpm sending, but that is fast enough for almost any type of work that I do. #If I need to go faster, like for a contest, etc. I will key some canned messages into a keyboard and let it fly, that way! #But that is NOT my favorite way of working CW!

73, Jim