Days 154, 155 and 156 – Morse code!

I started off day #154 by having three QSOs on 6m, I worked SM5P, Jan, OZ1AXG, Flem and IS0BSR/P, Marco.  Conditions were clearly good as all three of these were via Sporadic E and all were using a home made dipole in my loft.

Home made 50MHz dipole in my loft

Home made 50MHz dipole in my loft

It looks as though it’s right against the side of the loft with the cable running at some strange angle but that’s just the perspective of the photograph, this one shows it a bit better.

Home made 50MHz dipole in my loft

Home made 50MHz dipole in my loft

It is quite close to the edge but it’s not banging against it and the cable really doesn’t defy gravity at all!

Later in the evening I decided I wanted to try out some Morse code software and so I arranged a sked with Pete, 2E0SQL and we had a quick QSO using CW on 40m.  I didn’t really manage to get the software to work on receive so I copied Pete by ear although I did use the software to send as I don’t actually have a key here at the moment.

On day #155 I first worked S59DKN, Tom on 40m followed by TM95BV, Bern on the same band.  With the success of my first Morse QSO the previous day I decided to do some more without even bothering to try and use the software to receive it and was very pleased to successfully work ON4CPN/P and ON5ZO/P on 40m during the National Field Day contest.  I made sure I’d got their numbers before I called them so I knew what to expect and it was quite exhilarating to give away some points in the contest.  After that I worked F4KIO/P, Melvin and GB3SLB, Pete on 40m SSB followed by CT1EHI and EC5CYI, Marcos and Eugene respectively on 10m.  Then I had a QSO with DL0YLR, Ilona in Dusseldorf on 20m before talking to 9A1HDE, Sam back on 10m.  After that I moved back to 40m and worked DL0PKW, G8XDD, PA6T/P and G3LAZ.  To finish off the day I worked IK8MDK and II7UI on 20m.

Day #156 started out on 6m again, I worked G7RIS/P and M0IDU/P in a contest and then spoke to OP0P/P on 40m.  I thought I’d give away some more points in NFD so worked DL6FBL/P, G6YB/P and DL0DAN/P all on 40m CW.

I said when I started the QSO365 project that I was determined to make at least one QSO this year using Morse code.  I’m happy to have done it, even with the assistance of automated keying on transmit – Receiving CW is the tricky bit and I’m quite sure that I received the details that were sent me with no errors so I’m pleased to say that I’ve met the challenge I set myself.  I will try and find my key from the loft and do some more later but the pressure is off now.

Later in the day I was tuning around on 10m and heard a strong South African accent which turned out to be Volker, ZS3Y and when he’d finished the QSO he was on, I called him and managed to get through the pileup to work him.  South Africa is a new DXCC for me and one I’ve been quite keen to get for a while and I was lucky because shortly after that the Sporadic E cloud must have moved because he faded away quite quickly.  In the evening I spoke to EI9FN, MS0RSD, HB9CVQ, OZ1PIF and EA1HDD, all on 40m.

3 Comments

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  1. Glad to have you in the log Keith. Every CW contester started out with ‘giving some points’ so watch out because it’s addicitive HI.
    Practice makes perfect, the more you do it, the better you become.
    GL ES 73 de Franki ON5ZO

  2. Thanks Franki, it was good to work a few stations and I really must find my key before I do it again. It’s also nice that you found my blog and commented, I really appreciate it.

  3. It was great to work you on the “magic” 6 meter band during the UKSMG summer contest and be in your log as part of your QSO365 project. Good luck for the rest of the year
    Ian G7RIS

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