[ADXA] CQWW 160 CW Report

Mon Jan 27 20:35:34 EST 2025

Thanks for that information. I'm with you on copying by ear, I just haven't ever typed while working CW, without locking up the brakes and coming to a screeching halt while I log the contact.

Since the 90's, I have lost a little speed on receiving CW. At the present, I am probably about 80-90 percent copy at 20wpm from ARRL code practice with text from  QST pages. The problem is not decoding it in my brain, but getting it written down before the next "unexpected" character. On the air, with a semi expected exchange, whatever speed you were sending was comfortable to my ear.  From the mid 90's, back into the mid 70's, CW was my go to mode, and many happy hours were spent pounding brass with a straight key until I got a heathkit keyer.  Unfortunately, I took an absolutely monster lightning strike in the mid 90's and I was QRT until I got a bad diagnosis in 2016, and in early 2017 decided I needed to do something to keep my hands and mind busy. The solution was a forty9er rock bound on 7.023 and a whopping watt...or maybe two on a good day. CW is great therapy for the mind, but rock bound and QRP is as stressful as they say golf is. It did serve its purpose, and this "little distraction" was a great help to me mentally.

My whole point is that I've got a bunch of catching up to do, and fortunately ADXA people have been very willing to help, and I am thankful.

I'll take a look at NIMM software and see if I can figure it out. This will be a good start.

Joel, I am looking forward to a demo from a real contester!

Randy W5ZJ

________________________________
From: Dennis Schaefer <dennisw5rz at gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:41 AM
To: w5zn at w5zn.org <w5zn at w5zn.org>
Cc: rcurt at centurytel.net <rcurt at centurytel.net>; BILL KENNAMER <k5fuv at prodigy.net>; w5znjoel at gmail.com <w5znjoel at gmail.com>; adxa at mailman.qth.net <adxa at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [ADXA] CQWW 160 CW Report

I’m going to chime in in support of N1MM.    I would never trust a machine to copy, but using it to send is logical.   Search and pounce isn’t bad, but running while sending with a paddle and logging by hand is tiring.  I have a paddle connected directly to the rig, and also a paddle connected to a Winkeyer, which is connected  to the other key jack on the rig.  There is a Y connector that also allows a straight key to be continuously available.   Overkill?  Of course it is, but I can set the Winkeyer speed to 28 WPM or whatever for function key messages and switch to the paddle if I need to.  The other paddle can be set to a slower speed for callers who need it.  To slow way down or tune something, I can always use the straight key.

When I type in a call, previous exchanges can be filled in if I remember to enable that.  I always make sure it matches what was filled in, though.   It makes things so smooth you can almost appear to be asleep at the keyboard.

I got Mt. Athos on the two bands I didn’t need - 40 and 17.  Then I worked them on 30 last night but we will stand by to see what happens.  I know some SV guys were howling about it being illegal.  With it being the 50th anniversary of the first op and proceeds going to the monastery, permission seems reasonable.  Who knows - WFWL.

Taking a coffee break - pennant antenna is about ready to raise.  It will go up today!

DX IS!
Dennis/RZ

On Mon, Jan 27, 2025 at 1:20 PM <w5zn at w5zn.org<mailto:w5zn at w5zn.org>> wrote:

Randy,

Thanks for your comments. First, I want to be clear that I do NOT, repeat do NOT, copy CW with the keyboard or a computer. For me, that is an unpardonable sin (opinions vary) and all of my CW copy is by my human ears!

During a contest (and only during a contest) I do log and send with a computer using the method Bill FUV describes below. I use N1MM connected to my radio via a USB port that keeps up with the frequency I’m on and also allows me to send using keyboard function keys to send preprogrammed msgs. I also have a WinKey connected so I can send by hand when I want.

When a station calls, I type the callsign in the callsign window and hit enter. N1MM will automatically send my report. When the station responds with his report I type that into N1MM and hit enter again and it logs the Q and sends TU W5ZN. Now, if the station that called is someone I know, I like to send a little personal note so after I receive the stations report and enter it into the appropriate logging field I use my CW padde to send, for example, “QSL Randy” then hit enter and it tail ends and auto sends TU W5ZN. Also if I’m having difficulty copying weak station’s callsign I like to have the paddle handy to send ? or ? agn. I also like to use the paddle when some numb nuts plops right down on top of me and starts calling CQ to send QRL QRL QRL QRL QRL QSY QSY QSY to wake the moron up! 😊

I can easily copy contest Q’s at 35 to 40 WPM, some at a little faster paste, but I like to run at 28 WPM.

If you’re not familiar with N1MM or this process, next time you’re over this way stop in and I’ll give you a demo.

73 Joel W5ZN

www.w5zn.org<http://www.w5zn.org>

From: adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net<mailto:adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net> <adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net<mailto:adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net>> On Behalf Of rcurt--- via ADXA
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:59 AM
To: BILL KENNAMER <k5fuv at prodigy.net<mailto:k5fuv at prodigy.net>>; w5znjoel at gmail.com<mailto:w5znjoel at gmail.com>
Cc: adxa at mailman.qth.net<mailto:adxa at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [ADXA] CQWW 160 CW Report

Thanks Bill!

I've never copied CW with a keyboard, or sent either.  I will load download the N1MM software and see if I can figure it out.  At the present, I am loading the contest exchange into the homebrew K1EL keyer for TX, and just hitting a button. On RX, I am physically copying stations on paper, then loading it into the log.  This makes me feel like a 3 legged dog scratching fleas. I knew there had to be a better way.

Thanks for the information!

Randy/W5ZJ

________________________________

From: BILL KENNAMER <k5fuv at prodigy.net<mailto:k5fuv at prodigy.net>>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:59 AM
To: w5znjoel at gmail.com<mailto:w5znjoel at gmail.com> <w5znjoel at gmail.com<mailto:w5znjoel at gmail.com>>; rcurt at centurytel.net<mailto:rcurt at centurytel.net> <rcurt at centurytel.net<mailto:rcurt at centurytel.net>>
Cc: adxa at mailman.qth.net<mailto:adxa at mailman.qth.net> <adxa at mailman.qth.net<mailto:adxa at mailman.qth.net>>
Subject: Re: [ADXA] CQWW 160 CW Report

Randy,

If you want to make and log QSOs fast, install N1MM on your computer, and connect the computer to your radio for logging and keying. It'll be just as fast as you can type, which is the limiting factor for me, though I can manage 150 an hour on cw, as long as I can copy them first time.

Also, I use Winkeyer as my cw interface, since it allows me to use a paddle as well as the computer.

FUV

On Monday, January 27, 2025 at 09:14:19 AM CST, Randell Curtis, W5ZJ via ADXA <adxa at mailman.qth.net<mailto:adxa at mailman.qth.net>> wrote:

Congratulations! I was honored to give you my 2 points, and if you finish in the money, don't forget your friends!  I walked out to the shack, slid down the band and you were the first station I worked. The second was in Canada and that was it for me, other than being a SWL. I did hear ND on just below you, and he was anchored in place and working a pile up.

Again, having a one track mind, I used your QSO's to see how the pennant was doing. Shortly after I worked you, I wondered back up and camped on your frequency just to copy and do a little counting. I had a bit of "QRM" from the shack dog, who was wanting to be let out, but this info will be pretty close. I listened for about a 10 minute period, and you worked about 28 stations. I was only able to clearly copy 18. The others were either down in the muck, or non-existent to me. In my opinion, this was the supreme test for the pennant.

Your score and amount of Q's is astounding. I did run 6 hours in the ARRL cw contest and managed 102 Q's, a score just north of 8k, and a headache. It was the longest I had continuously run CW since the 90's, and it wore me plumb out. During these contests, I have found that my number one weakness is not the limitations of the station, but is clerical. I just don't have any idea how how the contact can be made and logged, then on to the next station...especially with a little "howdy" in between to the people you know. My plan is to try to find a youtube video of people running a contest station on CW and see how they do it.

To say the least, I am both impressed and astounded at your success, and I know those numbers do not come easy, but take a lot of pre-planning and physical effort.

All the best!

Randy/W5ZJ

On Sun, 26 Jan, 2025 at 4:13 PM, w5znjoel at gmail.com<mailto:w5znjoel at gmail.com> <w5znjoel at gmail.com<mailto:w5znjoel at gmail.com>> wrote:

To: 'adxa'

Greetings ADXA Folks,

Really great time in the CQWW 160 CW contest this weekend. I talk a lot about goals and I do set some of my own, especially for a contest. For this one, my goal is:

1000 Q’s, 50 states, 45 DX countries, and a score of 350,000.

This year I missed my Q goal by 16 with 984, my states by 3 (I always miss ND, but also this year WY and AK), but I exceeded my DX country goal with 50 this year (50 DXCC on 160 in one weekend isn’t bad!) and I beat my point goal with 380,835 thanks to a nice run of 10 point Q’s from JA, EU, and Russia.

The first night condx were very poor here in Arkansas. Only a very few 10 point Q’s. The band was noisy and good DX prop just did not exist. I worked a good group of NA stations but activity seemed to be down based on the number of available Q’s. I worked everyone that called or I could find. I only had a handful of EU stations and a few JA’s during my SR. The best grab was TF3D.

The second night started slow with very few non-dupes on the band, but it was a lot quieter than the previous night. Beginning around 0000z until about 0300z condx to EU and Russia were excellent, with several stations sounding like local USA stations. I was able to work every station that I heard calling, even some very weak stations. I believe I worked every station possible. Condx flopped after around 0330z and there were only a handful of EU worked during their SR. After that things were very flat so I decided to take a 2-hour nap and was back at it around 1000z but only a handful of Q’s were available. I was about to think my score goal would be deficient. Then, around 1230z I had a weak JA call that I was able to work, then another one a few minutes later. At 1255z, 15 mins before my SR, the band popped wide open to JA and I picked up about 20 stations then, right at my SR at 1310z the JA door closed and went dead !! It was a brief, intense few minutes that I enjoyed and beefed up the score nicely with some 10 pointers.

Thanks to ADXA folks KM5G, W5ZJ, K5UR, WB5BHS, N5QS, W5KI, and K5GO (masquerading as ZF5T) for the Q’s, and ZF5T for the mult !!!!!

Full report will be on the 3830 scores page within the hour.

Now for some football……………………..

73 Joel W5ZN

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