Good for me, I actually used my ham rig and had a nice (but short) CW conversation.
...Oh, it was short. My semiautomatic telegraph key, a Vibroplex Blue Racer 2000 (their "Millenium Bug") was really uncooperative. I didn't realize why until after the QSO was over: the speed is set by a weight; the weight is held by a little thumbscrew...and I had not tightened it. Therefore, it had fallen out. So as I sent, the weight wobbled. This made forming the letters and numbers very tricky!
Better luck next time. I really should make up an extension jack panel for the transmitters -- there's half a dozen keys on my operating desk and if the jack was easily reached, changing from one to another would be easy.
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At least you're on the air using CW!
ReplyDeleteGood for you!
I use the built-in keyers in my radios with a Vibroplex Vibrokeyer single-lever paddle.
I chug along at about 10~15 wpm, and just have fun.
All I could think of was "And what do IWW Telegraphers communicate about, and does Palmer know about this...?"
ReplyDeleteYes, a jack panel works great. I have four keys online all the time and use whichever one conditions or my mood calls for. Paddle/keyer, bug and straight keys -I love them all.
ReplyDelete73, Mike W8MDE
It's great to see someone young using CW. My own skills have dropped from 20WPM to almost nothing. Retired recently, I want to get the Ten Tec Corsair on the air with some old Schurr paddles and work up to a comfortable 15WPM. I put CW, manual typewriters, and black powder firearms in the same category: useful, productive, and fun to use. 73,
ReplyDeleteJeff The Bear
Had to learn code. Can't do VHF/UHF weak signal and contesting without it. Mines terrible
ReplyDeletebut I manage 15wpm using a old heath memokeyer.
It not dead and the transmitters are the simplest.
Eck!
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ReplyDeleteYou inspire me - I just moved the kit CW rig from the shelf to the work table. Is that progress or what?
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the CW, sorry to hear about the weight slipping. My 100th Anniversary Original needs to get used more but a paddle is a little easier on the arthritis. I mostly run phone these days, altho there are some fine boatanchors here that glow in the dark.
ReplyDeleteFYI, sad news
http://www.techspot.com/news/43491-last-typewriter-factory-in-the-world-shuts-down.html
73, Jim
Oops, old news. Sorry, just saw it at American Digest and thought it was new news.
ReplyDelete73, Jim