[Boatanchors] several shack set up questions...

[Morris Dillingham]

Good questions all, Eugene.  I'll try to help on the code question.  There
has been much discussion about the best way to learn the code.  You heard
right about the faster speeds being better for learning the sounds and not
requiring the dit/dah counting.  If you learn with the too slow method, you
will find yourself setting up a natural barrier that keeps you below a magic
speed of around 10-12 wpm.  With the slow speed method, you have to do a
conversion for each character from dits and dahs to the character.  With the
faster method you hear the actual character much as you hear the vowel sound
of a character "A" and recognize it immediately.  It's like a second
language.  For more help on this I would suggest that you join the
SolidCopyCW Yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SolidCpyCW/ or
http://tinyurl.com/7a58e

I'll listen for other folks to answer your other questions as I have an
interest in some of them also.  Good luck and keep asking questions.

         73 de KI4IUA 
         Morris   


-----Original Message-----
From: boatanchors-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:boatanchors-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Eugene Hertz
Sent: Friday, July 08, 2005 7:20 PM
To: boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Boatanchors] several shack set up questions...

Hello all,

I am sloooowly working on getting my very first shack set up in a spare
bedroom.  I had a few questions for you seasoned hams...

1. Multiple receivers and antenna switchover relays.  I have only one
transmitter (at least for now!) a CE 100V. But I have multiple receivers
(sp600, harris rf-590, and recently a vhf/uhf submarine thingy
"R-1524(P)/WRR" ). I would imagine that it is not uncommon to have more than
one receiver on at a given time. How does one make sure that you dont blow
up your receivers when you key? If I only had one receiver, the switchover
relay (TR relay-yes I know thats an inaccurate term) would prevent the
receiver from blowing up. My TR relay has an extra set of contacts to mute
the receiver.  But with multiple receivers, what do you gents do? Do you
have your Tx attached to several TR relays? In that way if you key the Tx
you would disconnect the antenna to all receivers? 

I would imagine this problem gets more complex if I had more than one
transmitter and/or more than one antenna. How do you fellows handle all
this?

2. Connectors in the shack. I find my equipment all has different
connectors, some have bnc, UHF (PL-259?) and also "N". I was wondering if
people a) standardize - for example using adapters all to "N" connectors
(bnc to n adapter, uhf to n adapter, etc). In that way, all cables are N to
N cables? Or b) do people make up custom cables such as "N" to "BNC". or c)
something else?

3. Maps in a shack? I often see world maps in photos of shacks.  I was
wondering how people use them? I had always imagined that one could put a
pushpin to represent each QSQ. I have 100 Watts to use and will hopefully
put up a dipole. Would I be better served with a map of the USA only?
Interested in your input on maps.

4. Ok. This is sure to stir controversy.  I have begun to learn the code (so
I can actually use the equipment I have!) I've been using Gordon West's CDs.
He starts at 5 WPM and I have about 10 letters under my belt.  I just
recently read on an australian ham club website - cant find the url right
now - that says one should never learn the code anything slower than (I
forget the exact number but lets just say) 12WPM.  They were talking about
the farnsworth method.  They noted that one should not learn dits and dahs,
but rather the cadence of each letter as one little pattern.  My concern is
that by learning at 5wpm that I will have a tough time getting much faster.
This site notes that this is common when learning the code by dits and dahs
because the brain cannot process individual dits and dahs much beyond a
certain speed. Any way, I am sure there are lots of opinion on this but I
was interested in hearing them.  I am fascinated by morse and those OMs who
can send like they were born sending.

Thanks for the time and bandwidth, but appreciated 

Thanks!
73 DE KC2NWG (working on the code!)
Eugene



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