[Elecraft] CW Progress

[Michael D. Heit KD7YLA]

Martin,
 I am new in Ham ... jut got my no code tech license last month. I am 
starting new in the code, bought the Gordon West course for general and 
extra and the CW  course. I also have the G4FON course and have begun my 
study of cw @35wpm character speed set to the 15 wpm speed range. I am 
also a senior at ITT technical Institute working on my associates degree 
in Computer Electronics Engineering ... will graduate in March next with 
honors. Not bad for an old fart that just turned 55 is it?  I have been 
taking time out every day to just listen to the code ... I am not trying 
to pick out letter as much as I am trying to hear "words" ...for 
example, CQ,
-.-- --.-  I can now hear that at speeds up to 35 wpm and I KNOW what 
that word is ... I cannot actually  hear the individual letters, but it 
is a word that I have come to recognize. Soon as I get a paddle I'll 
practice sending words too ...
 My time is so very limited right now ... building the Elecraft K2 kit 
with a plethora of options, and for that effort I will get  credit since 
this kit has been approved for my final exam lab experiment in my 
Communications class. The professor was very impressed with the kit, he 
said he doubted that I could actually build it and have it working by 
December. Well, the deal is, I'll put it on a 50 ohm dummy load [no 
emission are allowed outside the lab]  and run it on the day of the 
final exam. When I pass my General and /or Extra exam  that will count 
as 50% of my grade for the course. I got extra credit for the mid-term 
test by passing the Technicians exam. And in all this  I am having the 
time of my life! I'd feel really guilty except for the fact that it is 
so fun .... I have been talking the rest of my fellow class mates into 
taking the tech exam ... and one of the guys bought a glowbug kit and 
had me build it for him ... for his final grade. I might add that we 
have to give a class presentation when we show our lab projects 
describing full operational theory during demonstration of the gear. 
Since the K2 has a lot of microproccessing going on inside, I can also 
use this for my Microprocessor lab final ... soon as I figure out how 
the thing ticks ... in the mean time, my effort to pass both General and 
Extra next month is squeezed in there between the electronics, 
microprocessor class and the requisite "psycobabble" classes (General 
Education requirements)
 Thanks for your wonderful words of encouragement Martin, and to all the 
list members thanks for putting up with us newbies ... thanks to the 
list administrators for giving us the opportunity to grow with you on 
this list and soon, on the air.
 May God richly  bless the United States of America

-- 
73, Michael Heit KD7YLA





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