Straight Key Night

I'll try to get on and make a few.

I don't even own an up-and-down-pumper straight key anymore, but do still have a Vibroplex bug ("Blue Racer," vintage about 1966 or something) and that counts for SKN.

We're going out at night on the Eve, but SKN goes through New Years Day also. So, along with the QRZ.com NYD net, I'll get on and make a few just for old time's sake. Have done so, most years.

 

I agree. Bugs are straight keys, since there's nothing electronic about them; purely mechanical, as are sideswipers or any other method of keying that doesn't involve electronics.

 

I think "hand sent morse" (non-electronic) pretty much covers the (non) issue.

 

The rules don't specify hand-sent. The rules for ARRL Straight Key Night (link) specify only the mode; not the method. The ONLY reference made to the method is:

That means you may use anything to generate Morse.

vy 73,
Bryan WA7PRC
SKCC 2507

 

i suppose it could be called Straight Key night as a word play.

it is New Years Eve after all.

So "straight" meaning sober, not drunk.


... just a thought ...



... or not ...

 

if you look back through issues of QST, the published "rules" have changed over the years. originally the announcements only talked about straight keys - meaning what is customarily called a straight key. The inclusion of bugs may have been implicit all along - i wouldnt know - but its only been explicit in recent years.

If you read the announcements, it has always been about about "old fashioned" or "nostalgic"

Now we're morphing into "hand sent" and then taking another leap to include paddles and keyers. might as well include keyboards since that involves hand motion, too. And if youre going to include computer generated keyboard Morse, the next step is to include macros.

i dont know about anyone else but i have a hard time getting warmly nostalgic about pressing the "F" keys on my laptop.

so if its OK with everyone else, I'll stick with straight keys for Straight Key Night.

y'all use whatever you want, and just relax and lets have a real QSO or roundtable . . . but if you use electronic keyers, keyboards , or computer macros, don't be upset if I do not nominate you for Best Fist.

 

I have a nice Nye straight key, my K1EL WinKeyer USB, a contest logger program that can send Morse using macros and keyboard.

I was taught to send nearly PERFECT Morse by a retired Navy Radioman ("dad", to me). If you work me, try to guess which of the above I'm using.

vy 73,
Bryan WA7PRC
SKCC 2507

 

Lousiest SkN I've ever experienced. Did not hear one Fist. Heard plenty of skccs and Qrp ops. Where were all the Fist ops??? If things don't improve, I'm hanging
up my key and going back to SSB!!!!
Joe, N2ADP, Fist #3118

 

After a late start, MANY signals were heard on 20, 40, and 80m. I eventually found places to call CQ. I had a nice QSO on each of those bands:

Code:

[U]CALLSIGN	FREQ	NAME & QTH		[/U]
AD0DA		14.060	Bert - Louisville, CO
KA0AAM		7.115	Dwayne - Wichita, KS
AC7JW		3.535	Jason - Woods Cross, UT

All three had good fists.

I used my nifty K1EL WinKey USB to send a preprogrammed CQ, and then switched to my Nye straight key upon making contact.

vy 73 es HNY,
Bryan WA7PRC
SKCC 2507