From ac5shfistop at gmail.com Sat Aug 2 12:13:15 2014 From: ac5shfistop at gmail.com (Tim O'Conner) Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2014 11:13:15 -0500 Subject: [Fists] New Members and Award Recipients Message-ID: Welcome to new members and congrats to recent award recipients. Tnx to Graham, G3ZOD for keeping us up to date. See lists below. 73 Tim, AC5SH New Members: Macky JO2JIW 15152, Guy N8MUT 16779, Hands On Museum WA2HOM 16780, Dave KK4PNS 16781, Dan W6RSO 16782, Nathan KK4EAF 16783, Grant KT6L 16784, Richard WX2H 16785, Roy KK4CCL 16786, John WS0G 16787, John G7KYH 16906, Alf V31CR 16907, Scott 2E0CSW 16908, Martin G0PJO 16909, John G3YOU 16910, Dave MI0VKO 16911, Mike G4YME 16912, Ken MM6EBJ 16913, Phil G0JSP 16914, Andy M0ITM 16915, and Shirley M0WXG 16916. Awards: Milan S58MU 8905: Basic Century Award.  Phil N1DN 14602: Basic Century Award.  John G4LRG 14873: Perpetual Prefix 50 & 100 Endorsements.  Pete G0PNM 16592: Basic Century Award.  John GM0EPO: #209 Basic Century. Derek M0DRK: #8344 Millionaire. David KB9MLE: #13933 Platinum. John G4LRG: #14873 Perpetual Prefix 150 Endorsement. Pete WA6OEF: #15666 Millionaire 6 Million Endorsement. Pete G0PNM: #16592 Millionaire. Phil F5IYJ: #16622 Basic Century. For more information about FISTS Awards, available free to paid-up members worldwide, please see the Awards web pagehttp://fistsna.org/awards.html From karl at fistsna.org Mon Aug 4 17:28:32 2014 From: karl at fistsna.org (Karl) Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2014 16:28:32 -0500 Subject: [Fists] Active FISTS Member Lists Message-ID: <00a001cfb02b$0ca620d0$25f26270$@org> FISTS, NA has two active member lists which we maintain for the benefit of our members. The first is the WM7D Search List which lists all active members in our chapter (North, Central and South America and islands of the Caribbean). This list is updated as often as we have we have input for it, new members joining and those coming back to active member status. This may be daily, but generally not less than every 3-4 days. If for some reason you have paid your dues and you do not appear on the list, please contact me. Glitches, Murphy and human error do happen. You can reach the list by the link below. Thanks go to Mark, WM7D for setting up the list for us. Thanks, too, to Dennis, K6DF for doing the updates to this list. http://www.wm7d.net/FISTS/ The second list is a worldwide active FISTS members list which you can download in any of three formats by going to the link below. Due to the complexity involved and volume of the list it is only updated quarterly. (1 Jan, 1Apr, 1 Jul, 1 Oct) Thanks go to Dennis, K6DF for compiling the list in the various formats and putting them on the website. http://fistsna.org/howdoi.html#memlist 73's Karl, KB1DSB FISTS, NA Chapter, president karl at fistsna.org From karl at fistsna.org Tue Aug 5 13:02:42 2014 From: karl at fistsna.org (Karl) Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2014 12:02:42 -0500 Subject: [Fists] Your FISTS CW Club Store Message-ID: <00e101cfb0cf$13e7f040$3bb7d0c0$@org> Your FISTS Store has added two new "T" shirts to the inventory. And, the Golf/Polo shirts with the embroidered FISTS Logo are now available in sizes from Medium to 3XL. All prices include postage for US members. Non-US members, please contact me for postage. http://fistsna.org/store.html If you do not use PayPal, you can order by mail. Make check or money order payable to FISTS CW Club. Include a note of the item(s) you are ordering, include size for any apparel. Mail to me at summer QTH - FISTS CW Club, c/o Karl Zuege, KB1DSB, 33 Hiawatha Estates, Arbor Vitae, WI 54568-9754 . 73's Karl, KB1DSB FISTS, NA Chapter, president karl at fistsna.org From n1ea at arrl.net Thu Aug 7 23:13:50 2014 From: n1ea at arrl.net (D.J.J. Ring, Jr.) Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2014 23:13:50 -0400 Subject: [Fists] 2m CW FISTS QSOs Message-ID: I know UK is small compared to USA, but the highly populated coastal areas are similiar in size. Would anyone like to have some activity on 2m CW on one night a week? 73 David N1EA From g3zodna at gmail.com Fri Aug 8 13:18:42 2014 From: g3zodna at gmail.com (Graham Smith) Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2014 18:18:42 +0100 Subject: [Fists] G0EML catalogue of N2DAN Mercury paddle keys Message-ID: <005401cfb32c$ce5dcb20$6b196160$@com> Ray G0EML is creating a catalogue of N2DAN Mercury paddle keys. He will be grateful if any current owners of this outstanding key can supply him with the serial number and finish (i.e. chrome, brass lacquered, or gold), and if not the first owner, tell him who the previous owner of the key was (if known).  Ray can be contacted via email: raymondbullock13 at live.co.uk 73 de Graham G3ZOD FISTS #8385 FISTS Membership Secretary (Europe) http://fists.co.uk From va3rj at torfree.net Fri Aug 8 18:41:00 2014 From: va3rj at torfree.net (NAQCC) Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2014 18:41:00 -0400 Subject: [Fists] NAQCC Sprint Announcement Message-ID: <20140808224110.710F44012F8CC@sheppard.torfree.net> NAQCC Sprint Tuesday night! Our August sprint is this coming Tuesday evening local time (August 12, EDT - 8:30-10:30PM, CDT - 7:30-9:30PM, MDT - 6:30-8:30PM, PDT - 5:30-7:30PM), which translates as Wednesday August 13, 0030 to 0230Z in all cases. I will refer you to the proper URL: http://www.naqcc.info/sprint201408.html There you will find all the details as to time, frequencies and other important information. Certificates: SWA (simple wire antennas) certificates by call area, VE and DX for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers (New!). A Certificate for top score in the GAIN antenna category. Prizes: Too many to list!! - check out the prizes page on our website. This is a monthly event that caters to the CW veteran, the CW newcomer, straight key and bug fans. All are welcome to participate (this includes QRO); but you must use QRP power levels to compete for awards. If you've been hesitant to join in our sprints because you hear other sprints running at breakneck speeds, have no fear. Our sprints are geared to the newcomer to CW and/or contesting. Virtually everyone including the many veteran contesters who regularly enter our sprints will slow down to YOUR speed to help you make your contacts. If you are not already a member of NAQCC... membership is FREE! Now is your chance to join the largest QRP CW Club in the world!! We currently have 7350+ members in: All 50 States - 9 VE Provinces - 100 Countries. Sign up on the NAQCC website today (http://naqcc.info/) and receive a handsome certificate, with your membership number on it, which is good for life. Come join us and have a real good time! 72/73 de Dave VA3RJ NAQCC #0004 for NAQCC http://naqcc.info/ From w2lj at verizon.net Mon Aug 11 20:49:31 2014 From: w2lj at verizon.net (Larry Makoski) Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 20:49:31 -0400 Subject: [Fists] 2014 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt Message-ID: <846976.66364.bm@smtp114.sbc.mail.bf1.yahoo.com> On behalf of the New Jersey QRP Club, I'd like to thank all of you who participated in the 2014 Skeeter Hunt. A good time was had by all! We had a record 159 QRPers sign up for Skeeter numbers and so far 30 log summaries have been submitted. An event like this cannot be a success without your participation, and it seems like we're getting that and more - we're growing in size! Don't fret about submitting your log as you still have time - but not forever! Log submissions are due when the clock strikes Midnight on Sunday, August 24th turning into Monday, Augyst 25th - that's two whole weeks after the event. You can send your summaries, soapbox comments and photos to w2lj at arrl.net And if you didn't have a Skeeter number, but you joined in on the fun, send in your summary anyway. We've already received two submissions from Non-Skeeters and the highest scoring wingless one will also receive a certificate, Thanks again! 73 de Larry W2LJ Skeeter #13 --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com From karl at fistsna.org Fri Aug 15 15:21:43 2014 From: karl at fistsna.org (Karl) Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:21:43 -0500 Subject: [Fists] More thoughts for those working hard on becoming CW ops. Message-ID: <007601cfb8be$27e77150$77b653f0$@org> I do hope that "PATIENCE" is still the watch word and you are all having fun learning the different way to express yourself in English. From a FISTS Friend, he says Morse code is not a new language, but just another way to communicate in English. Good thought, as me saying it was learning a new language might be scary to some. Again, it doesn't matter what program or method you might be using to get your copying down. Just stick with it. Progress to copying slow CW QSO's on-air then faster ones. Try the W1AW Code practice on-air sessions, they are in varying speeds. Do not get frustrated if you miss letters or numbers, practice improves your copying. One gent replied that he used the road sign/billboard idea when he went through a military communications school. Says it really worked, but to definitely do it in your head. Now, that itch to start developing your "fist" has to be getting pretty strong. You have a variety of possibilities, all are off-air. You can hook your key to an oscillator. A dummy load hooked to your rig, with the power turned down is another way. You should still be able to hear the audible sound of your sending. If you have a tape recorder you can record your sending. Play it back and listen to how you sound. You want to work on smooth sending of a letter/number/punctuation/prosign. Work on your spacing between them and words. Write up a script of info you would exchange during an on-air QSO and practice that. Working to send smooth and accurate is so much better than speed. I am investigating another off-air way to do code practice using an internet based QSO program called CQ100. Working on finding sources for interface to hook a key/paddles to pc or laptop via a USB port. When I have some sources will post them. Or, if others know if some, please share. CQ100 is currently set to use your pc keyboard for sending. This may be a way to actually do off-air QSO's as you get your ear and "fist" in shape. Stick with it, keep to your schedule and have fun. Experienced CW ops please share your tricks and thoughts with this folks so we can help them get on the air. 73's Karl, KB1DSB From w2lj at verizon.net Fri Aug 15 21:39:51 2014 From: w2lj at verizon.net (Larry Makoski) Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 21:39:51 -0400 Subject: [Fists] 2014 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt Log Summaries Message-ID: <456423.2311.bm@smtp120.sbc.mail.bf1.yahoo.com> So far, I have received Skeeter summaries from the following: WD4EXI N4EWT W3ATB WA1GWH K4ARQ NA3V WD8RIF WB8ENE N0YET N2JJF KB1PBA K1SWL K4YND KQ2RP K0ALN WA4PIG K0RGI VE3XT K2ULR N4KGL WA8REI AD4S K4UPG WI2W N1LT W1PID K2WO K2AL WB3GCK WH6LE WD4MSM NQ2W K2TD AB4QL N1ABS AI4SV W3BBO K3RLL AB9CA WV0H K7TQ W4MPS WA0ITP N0SS KX0R If you don't see your call there, I need to hear from you! Remember, log summaries are due NO LATER than 12:00 Midnight Saturday August 23/Sunday August 24. At that time, results are frozen and we will go with what has been received. Summaries follow this fictional example: Larry - W2LJ - NJ Skeeter #4 - All CW Skeeter QSOs - 23 Non-Skeeter QSOs - 5 DX QSOs - (if any) S/P/Cs - 18 Station Class Multiplier X4 "SKEETER" Bonus - 100 points (and here is where you would list the callsigns of the stations you worked that qualify you for the bonus points), I'm trying to keep current with this and am composing the Sopabox now so I can post the results as quickly as I can after next weekend. Thanks! 73 de Larry W2LJ Skeeter #13 --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com From karl at fistsna.org Thu Aug 21 12:11:21 2014 From: karl at fistsna.org (Karl) Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 11:11:21 -0500 Subject: [Fists] Mark your calendars, sharpen your pencils, limber up your "fist" Message-ID: <010101cfbd5a$8dd13c80$a973b580$@org> UPCOMING FISTS ON-AIR ACTIVITIES FISTS Tuesday - every Tuesday. No special Log or rules. Get on the air and have fun. NAQCC/FISTS - Honor Nancy Month - Challenge. September 1-30, 2014. NAQCC/FISTS - Honor Nancy, WZ8C Sprint. September 3, 2014, 0001-0300 UTC. G3ZQS Memorial Straight Key Contest - September 5-7, 2014. Get Your Feet Wet Activity Day - 24 hours UTC, third Sunday every Month. Starting September 21, 2014. FISTS Fall Sprint - 1700-2100 UTC, October 11. 2014 Veterans Appreciation Operating Event - 0001 UTC, November 10 through 2400 UTC, November 12, 2014. Go to: http://fistsna.org/ to get details on each event. 73's Karl, KB1DSB From w2lj at verizon.net Thu Aug 21 18:41:09 2014 From: w2lj at verizon.net (Larry Makoski) Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 18:41:09 -0400 Subject: [Fists] Last call for Skeeter Hunt Log Summaries Message-ID: <840323.38658.bm@smtp120.sbc.mail.bf1.yahoo.com> Log summaries are due NO LATER than 12:00 Midnight Saturday August 23/Sunday August 24. This is the last call! At that time, results are frozen and I will go with what has been received. So please, if you have not e-mailed me your log summary, please do do before then! Any questions, feel free to pop me an e-mail at w2lj at arrl.net or you can visit: www.qsl.net/w2lj for all the info. Thanks! 73 de Larry W2LJ Skeeter #13 --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com From n1ea at arrl.net Sun Aug 24 02:14:21 2014 From: n1ea at arrl.net (D.J.J. Ring, Jr.) Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 02:14:21 -0400 Subject: [Fists] G4ZPY SK Message-ID: The FISTS UK Website says G4ZPY FISTS 2278, Gordon Crowhurst became a SK Aug. 22. RIP dear friend. Your beautiful keys will make beautiful Morse after you've gone. 73 DR From w2lj at verizon.net Sun Aug 24 10:36:09 2014 From: w2lj at verizon.net (Larry Makoski) Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 10:36:09 -0400 Subject: [Fists] Skeeter Hunt 2014 Final Scores Message-ID: <742343.5688.bm@smtp117.sbc.mail.bf1.yahoo.com> Well, the deadline for log summaries for the 2014 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt has come and gone. The NJQRP Club offers a hearty and well deserved "Thank You!" to all who participated. Thanks also for your enthusiasm which helps keep this event going from year to year. We're growing by little bits, and with your help, we aim to make the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt a "must have / must do" outdoor QRP event for summers to come! So without further ado - the top five finishers are: 1st Place -KX0R - George - 20,680 points 2nd Place - NA3QC - The North American QRP CW Club Team - 13,368 points 3rd Place - N3CU - Ken - 12,717 points 4th Place - N0SS - The Mid-MO Amateur Radio Club Team - 8,836 points 5th Place - WA0ITP - Terry - 6,232 points Certificates of Acheivement will be received by these fine Skeeters, as well as by those who finished top for their state or province, as well as the top finishers in the SSB and Mixed categories. The top "Non-Skeeter" wil receive one as well. To see the Scoreboard and the Sopabox comments, please see the links to those pages at http://www.qsl.net/w2lj/ Thanks again and hope to catch you on the air for the NoGA Peanut Power Sprint this Spetember! 73 de Larry W2LJ Skeeter #13 --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com From g3zodna at gmail.com Thu Aug 28 19:26:48 2014 From: g3zodna at gmail.com (Graham Smith) Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 00:26:48 +0100 Subject: [Fists] Support for the paper VA14_C3_40 'Conflicting CW Procedure' Message-ID: <008901cfc317$8a5c6990$9f153cb0$@com> The document "Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur" ('EOPRA') contains misunderstandings related to some aspects of CW procedure in conversational (non-contest) QSOs. Fortunately the vast majority of CW operators know the correct procedures and have ignored the misunderstandings, but some are now using erroneous procedures on-air. For a more detailed discussion of the issues, see http://fists.co.uk/docs/iaru/VA14C340Support.pdf. The paper VA14_C3_40 (copy available at http://fists.co.uk/docs/iaru/VA14C340.pdf ), written by the Icelandic Radio Amateurs Association, is being put forward at the September IARU Region 1 Conference in Bulgaria so that the IARU can endorse the correct procedures, as used and documented in amateur radio books (such as the RSGB and ARRL Handbooks) for a period of over 70 years. Prior to this and over a period of 6 months, the Icelandic Association was not successful in persuading the authors of 'EOPRA' to correct the text. The IARU also confirmed to the Icelandic Association that in endorsing 'EOPRA', it had not been intended to try and change operating procedure and the errors had been inadvertently overlooked. The procedures concerned may seem trivial, but are important because of the confusion caused when all operators are not "on the same page", particularly in relation to the end of transmissions. Over the weekend of 17/18 August 2014, the Nordic Amateur Radio Union (NARU) agreed to endorse the paper. Please help the Icelandic Association by requesting that radio clubs and societies that you are a member of support the paper and also that any that are present at the conference do so there. For more information, see the Association's analysis at http://bit.ly/MGrcRj and share this link with others. 73 de Graham G3ZOD FISTS #8385 FISTS Membership Secretary (Europe) http://fists.co.uk From kb6nu at w8pgw.org Fri Aug 29 09:06:31 2014 From: kb6nu at w8pgw.org (Dan Romanchik KB6NU) Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 09:06:31 -0400 Subject: [Fists] Support for the paper VA14_C3_40 'Conflicting CW Procedure' In-Reply-To: <008901cfc317$8a5c6990$9f153cb0$@com> References: <008901cfc317$8a5c6990$9f153cb0$@com> Message-ID: <732602F6-DA73-44C2-98C7-100EAA4FE464@w8pgw.org> This is very interesting, Graham, and the first I've heard of EOPRA. I heartily agree with the position of the Icelandic Radio Amateurs Association. I'd also have to say that I disagree with some of the wording in section II.9.6 Carry on and wrap up the CW QSO. One of the bullet points there says, "While replying to a CQ, do not send the call of the station you are calling more than once, better still is not to send it at all (you can trust the operator knows his own call?)." It can be confusing if the station replying to a CQ does not include the call of the station who sent the CQ. If I'm calling CQ, how do I know that a station who only sends his callsign is calling me? Also, if conditions are not good, the station replying to a CQ might want to send the calling station's call more than once to ensure that the station who called CQ is sure that he is being replied to. I'll certainly be giving this more visibility in the NA FIST newsletter. 73! Dan KB6NU ---------------------------------------------------------- CW Geek, FISTS NA KeyNote Editor Station Manager, WA2HOM at the Hands-On Museum (www.wa2hom.org) Read my ham radio blog at http://www.kb6nu.com On Aug 28, 2014, at Aug 28,7:26 PM, "Graham Smith" wrote: > The document "Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur" > ('EOPRA') contains misunderstandings related to some aspects of CW procedure > in conversational (non-contest) QSOs. Fortunately the vast majority of CW > operators know the correct procedures and have ignored the > misunderstandings, but some are now using erroneous procedures on-air. For > a more detailed discussion of the issues, see > http://fists.co.uk/docs/iaru/VA14C340Support.pdf. > > The paper VA14_C3_40 (copy available at > http://fists.co.uk/docs/iaru/VA14C340.pdf ), written by the Icelandic Radio > Amateurs Association, is being put forward at the September IARU Region 1 > Conference in Bulgaria so that the IARU can endorse the correct procedures, > as used and documented in amateur radio books (such as the RSGB and ARRL > Handbooks) for a period of over 70 years. Prior to this and over a period > of 6 months, the Icelandic Association was not successful in persuading the > authors of 'EOPRA' to correct the text. The IARU also confirmed to the > Icelandic Association that in endorsing 'EOPRA', it had not been intended to > try and change operating procedure and the errors had been inadvertently > overlooked. > > The procedures concerned may seem trivial, but are important because of the > confusion caused when all operators are not "on the same page", particularly > in relation to the end of transmissions. > > Over the weekend of 17/18 August 2014, the Nordic Amateur Radio Union (NARU) > agreed to endorse the paper. > > Please help the Icelandic Association by requesting that radio clubs and > societies that you are a member of support the paper and also that any that > are present at the conference do so there. For more information, see the > Association's analysis at http://bit.ly/MGrcRj and share this link with > others. > > > > 73 de Graham G3ZOD FISTS #8385 > FISTS Membership Secretary (Europe) > http://fists.co.uk > > ______________________________________________________________ > FISTS mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/fists > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:FISTS at mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html