Monday, 23 May 2011

Finding the incentive.

Even though a fellow blogger friend of mine recently said that the secret to working the rare DX for the <100 w station was morse code, I, and I suspect most of us (and especially the die-hard phone users like myself) begrudgingly already know this.

Radio wise I have been stuck in a little bit of a rut recently, stuck on 91 DXCC, with 49 confirmed on eQSL, so I'm one off being able to print the next certificate off, I have been busy though, sending QSL cards off, however radio activity has been mostly working special event stations and any stations of interest, like when I worked F/HB9LCP, Sandro, on holiday 100 Km from Bordeaux, on the N. Atlantic coast, great QRZ.com page showing his camper vans.


Anyway back on subject, a pal of mine has recently taken up the code, and is slowly and surely catching me up DXCC wise, well I cant have that, so what better incentive is there to learning than by actually having your own morse key, so this is on it's way from the US of A.


It's an Iambic paddle from Vibroflex, I saw it and fell in love with it..

Seeing that on my desk will be the incentive learn the code.
Or become an expensive and shiny doorstop.

http://vibroplex.com/IAMBIC.html

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8 comments:

  1. Paul Stam PAØK23 May 2011 at 07:12

    Hi Paul, I must admit that my DXCC score with SSB is the same as with CW. But morse is sometimes nice to do. 73 Paul

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  2. PE4BAS, Bas23 May 2011 at 08:48

    Hello Paul, currently I do have 160 DXCC confirmed all mode. On SSB only it is 155 I believe...but if you really need the last 50 I think CW is the way. I tried several times to learn CW, but haven't got enough self dicipline to learn the complete code. I recognize CQ and CQ TEST and 599 or 5NN and K. When I'm contesting in CW (with computer) I listen to my own CW as well so I can recognize my own call earlier. Good luck with the key and learning morse code. 73, Bas

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  3. Dick23 May 2011 at 13:11

    You will enjoy your newe Vibroplex. I have the Vibrokeyer, single paddle model. The older version so not as shiny as the chrome. 73 Dick

    ReplyDelete
  4. Paul M0PCZ23 May 2011 at 19:02

    Hi Paul and Bas,

    Well that's interesting that you find that having the CW makes not a lot of difference to your DXCC tally.

    Well the keyer should be on it's way by now, and I have started learning via the Koch method, starting with 'M' and 'K' at 12 WPM.

    and Hi to Dick, maybe we will qso one day, sooner rather than later..?

    Depends how the learning goes..

    ReplyDelete
  5. GW0KIG23 May 2011 at 20:10

    Hi Paul

    Good luck with the CW. I am back on CW now after a 20 year break! It took a while to build back up the confidence and speed and I am still very much a novice! The Paddle key looks great but when you first start sending you might want to try a straight key until you get your speed up.

    73 Kevin

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  6. G4NKX26 May 2011 at 08:55

    Hi Paul
    I saw one of these Paddles going on E-bay earlier in the year and I got pipped at the final furlong - Nice Paddle, CW IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRAVEL....!
    I rarely have a mike out in the shack - I've only had a handful of SSB contacts since first being licensed - I think I'm on 92 DXCC nearly all CW, but I had a 5 year break - now fired up, fingers twitching :-)

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  7. G3SDW27 May 2011 at 16:19

    If you want to send and appreciate real CW then you really need to learn on a straight key first after all this is how it all started.
    You can use both keys side by side that way you will appreciate both, trust me i`m a vet lol.

    73

    Ken

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  8. Paul M0PCZ28 May 2011 at 16:53

    Thanks for the further comments, my Mother bless her is desperate to spend some money for my birthday coming up, so I have found the ideal present (I think) and that's an MFJ practice straight key and oscillator.

    A vet are you Ken, (trying desperately to think of a pun here.....) aaah, is that because you use a BUG key...??

    ReplyDelete

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