[Elecraft] For All CW Enthusiasts...

[Fred Jensen]

Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> The sender is Denise Stoops, the first female operator at KPH transmitting
> the closing message at the recent "Night of Nights" activity.

I managed to get a 6MHz KPH QLB into K6KPH this last NoN on my K3, I 
think on 40m ... they're about 120 mi from me.  I think I surprised 
them, it took a bit to answer, and after I was finished, a whole bunch 
showed up which probably kept them busy.  Chris, K6DBG who was there 
told me later he saw me in their log.  I'm not sure but from the fist 
that answered me, I think it might have been Dick Dillman.

A great deal of marine traffic was handled using MCW rather than CW, and 
I sort of liked to keep the BFO on and offset the beat note from the MCW 
frequency a bit.  Seemed to give a much richer, more easily copied signal.

All of the guys on my crew were middle aged, I was 16.  They had shiny 
Vibroplexes in satin-lined wood cases.  I had a WW2 surplus J-36 built 
by Lionel that looked like it had gone ashore at Iwo Jima.  I got it for 
5 bucks at Sam's Surplus in Los Angeles, it was all I could afford, and 
I took some grief over it.  However, I could slow it down with just the 
weight whereas they had to add extra weight ... Vibroplexes were/are 
notoriously hard to slow down.

Contrary to what you may think and from the speed DA is sending in Ron's 
YouTube clip, most traffic was handled much slower at perhaps 15 WPM or 
less [accuracy before speed], and some ... OK a lot ... of the fists 
were pretty awful.  DA is a huge exception.  So were the signals afloat 
-- drift, huge chirp, massive hum, all at a time [1956-7] when the ham 
bands were remarkably clean and stable.  We should all take pride in 
that.  They may call us "Amateurs," but the label doesn't always apply.

16, a ham for 3 years, working ships at sea on the Holy Frequency with 
5KW and huge antennas ... how much better could it get? :-)

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2009 Cal QSO Party  3-4 Oct 2009
- www.cqp.org