Welcome to Straight Keys

Nail, meet head!

I'll keep my ear out for ya Kent.

 

Easy enough for an old fart like me... first time I fired up the slaved Omni VI Plus rigs I accidentally transposed which rig was being used as the second receiver listening on the DX frequency with the one being used for TX and finding the split. Ended up calling the DX on their frequency instead of the split. I was wondering who they were getting mad at until I figured out I had the radios "backwards." Stayed of the bands for a few days after that bonehead maneuver.

 

IF ITS NOT C.W., IT IS JUST C.B.!!!!!

 

oops...

 

err,,, don't know what the hell happened here !!

 

Been There,... Done That...

 

Enjoying this group a lot! I learned code in 1977 when I was 13 while studying for my ham license. Girls, guitars, and motorcycles interrupted that plan for 10 years, until I finally took and passed the novice/tech/general advanced tests along with the 5 and 13 wpm code exams over the course of 1987/1988.

So I was a “know code” ham from the beginning. I just wasn’t much of a “use code” ham until 2013 when (ironically) I took and passed the “no code” extra exam. Since then, I’ve operated nearly 100% CW except for a few phone contacts and a handful of SSB contests. My Morse skills are mediocre, but since I primarily chase DX I have been able to get away with it—who can’t copy their own callsign and “599” even at 40 wpm? hi hi!

My original goal was to put a DXCC certificate on the wall, and once I started really operating CW my DXCC count quickly skyrocketed to over 200 entities! Lately I’ve been working QRP with my KX2 (unless I hear an ATNO—then it’s time to fire up the K3 & KPA500!) and going for QRP DXCC using CW (64 countries so far).

Thanks for this group. Let’s keep code alive! 73 es gud dx de ww2pt . .

 

When I worked VK on CW at 7,900 miles away on my 5 watt home built QCX-40 rig and home brew dipole I found my radio home!

Hey, in an age when you can talk to the ISS with a FM handie talkie, what's left but to go back to the beginning and live the challenge!

73
Brian N
N7BKV

 

And then I was challenged to turn down the power!