CW newbie looking for activation recordings

Hi Graeme, I know that feeling, and I’m sure others do too :smile:

That’s a great start and a good write up, hope to catch you one day on CW.

73
Adrian

I know the feeling well Graeme, I trained as a Merchant Navy Radio Officer 42 years ago sending and receiving at 25 wpm, then as an Airborne Radio Operator (AEOp) in the RAF at 22 wpm, so I sent professional CW for 36 years and still I send extra dits and dashes. I put it down to arthritis and old age (58) but my other excuse is as a professional I used a straight key now I use a paddle!!

Keep up the good work Graeme and I look forward to many CW QSO’s together.

73 Glyn G4CFS

Thanks for the replies.

I managed to get a 500Hz filter fitted to the ft817 a while back, hoping to put to good use in future activations just hope it still works it’s been idle for a while.
Completely different when your sat outside with your headphones trying to make out the callsigns even that felt like a an achievement.

Thanks
Graeme

Graeme sorry to resurrect this thread. Following other threads I was trying to find what is best practice for a complete CW exchange and this (post 19) seemed to be the only “map” on here. Thanks
I have got 2 queries though:
What does the E or EE signify?
What is the difference between BK and KN (I was always taught KN in my previous life).

(Belated) congrats on taking the plunge successfully. I’ve come a long way from someone who felt that AS was all I needed to know if challenged in morse :wink: - but still need to pluck up my courage for that first CW QSO.

E E (dit dit) has no particular meaning, it’s just the very final ‘good bye’. Dit dit followed by dit dit from the other party.

BK is used when you want a quick reply to something, similar to ‘break’ in voice mode. Saves time over sending full call signs etc.

KN (whether barred or not - whole other thread there!) Is an invitation for a nominated station to transmit. Like ‘K’ is an open invitation, ‘KN’ is asking for a specified (named?) station to transmit.

A typical SOTA QSO for me would be -

CQ SOTA DE M1BUU/P K
HB9XYZ
HB9XYZ GM 579 579 REF G/NP028 G/NP028 BK
BK CFM 559 559 73 GL
73 TU . .

BK could probably be dispensed with but it works like ‘over’ in voice modes to indicate that you’re coming to the end of your transmission.

73, Colin M1BUU

Hi Andy

I done a search on the web a while back when I first heard this, I think it comes from the expression of “Shave and a hair cut, two bits”. Secret knock on the door with the other person replying with two quick taps or tooting the horn driving through a tunnel with another car beeping back, over the years it has shortened to one bit sent and two reply, personally I take it as little salute thankyou sort of thing. shave and a haircut, two bits
if you tap TU (thank you) then . . for e e replying, hopefully something like this – …- . .

Hope I get these correct I don’t tend to use them I like to keep it simple with K at the end of each transmission, I always ending up sending something else (more practise required)

KN- Is for specific station only preferably the callsign that answered your CQ.

BK- is an invitation for the other station to reply without sending the callsigns, like have a normal conversation.

Hope this helps
Happy St Patrick’s Day
Graeme

Andy,
The origin of the EE depends on who you ask.
All you need to know, is that it’s a short final greeting, sign off, or even confirmation (QSL).
Like all things morse, it’s a “feeling” thing.
Sometimes it fits in nicely to the rhythm of a qso, other times it doesn’t :smile:
Commercial ops often send TU SEE U EE because, like BEST BENT WIRE, it has a natural, instantly recognizable rhythm.
Bottom line is, it’s a nice thing to do.

As an aside, I I, (ditdit ditdit) is also often used, eg after sending that AS or QRX, I’ll often sending I I (if possible) at regular intervals. This is standard commercial operating practice, a bit like a busy tone on a phone line.
It indicates you are still busy.

II is (was) also used as a collation seperator and an “I repeat” indicator.
e.g. when sending the message
"Andy will meet at Streisângeorgiu town square at 1310z tomorrow.
The code word you need will be a98jn560 and bring 260000 US dollars
Regards"
you would normally send the above (using proper procedural start and finish codes) then at the end collate the important, easily confused info again:
COL = Streisângeorgiu II 1310 II a98jn560 II 260000 = AR K

In SOTA ops you could use this when summit info is requested, but normally people just repeat the summit rather than add the II - REF IS GW/SW-001 II GW/SW-001.

I don’t think I ever use KN in a SOTA operation, and vary between BK and nothing at all when I really want to move things along.
e.g.
a rapid fire exchange would be:
CQ DE G4ISJ K
HB9XYZ
HB9XYZ 5NN
R 5NN
TU
G6PJZ
G6PJZ 5NN
R 5NN
TU

Just do what you feel is right, you’ll soon get to know and recognise different operating styles.
Here’s two of my, quite different styles (warts and all):


II

73

Thanks for that gents v helpful. I know the difference between K and KN, it was the use of BK that was confusing me. I suspect I’ll stay clear of II
A bit more rx practice and then hope to catch you on CW
Dit dit

Thanks Peter. A little fast for me! I got as far as CQ SOTA before losing the plot. (Picked it up again at /p). Practice practice and .-. .–. -

It’s worth mentioning here in case anyone isn’t very confident about their CW or the speed they can work; as the ‘DX’ (summit) you control the speed and flow. If people are too quick, just send QRS…if they don’t slow down, respond to someone who does.
On the few occasions I’ve worked CW from a summit I’ve included ‘PSE QRS’ when I’ve spotted myself and I also encourage people to send a name and even a QTH. It makes the overs a little longer but not a great deal.

Michael (G0POT)

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Hi Andy

The BK option was traditionally used as a substitute for a complete exchange of callsigns at the end of each over during a contact. Best practice is to respond to BK with
BK DE VK1DA UR RST nnn etc. BK

but most times the only thing you will hear as an activator is R UR 579 BK

If you only send K at the end of your over, it probably has the same effect in most situations, but in my view BK is more correct as K can also end a CQ and you want to remove any doubt about whether a third station may call.

When your CQ is answered by multiple stations, you must include the callsign of the station you are going to log and work.

Most of the procedural rules and practices are intended to provide clarity and remove doubt. If you are in doubt, the code you have received is either indecipherable or is ambiguous so it is not doing its job.

Having said that, it is nevertheless true that these things are developed through usage and habits. Listening to other CW contacts taking place will reveal a wide range of techniques but if you average them out, you’ll know what is the most common procedure.

Hope we can work one day.

73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH

Thank you Andrew and Michael

Hi Andy
You could try the 60m band for a few activations with CW to build your confidence up, I would recommend 5.262 MHz not many people down that part of the band and managed to work a few chasers within the UK and Netherlands from G/TW-005 at the start of the week.
I use a simple setup for this band mounted on a 4-6m pole and the antenna is a doublet style built with scrap material in the shed, its aprox 7.5m of wire for each leg fed from 3.5m of 450ohm twin feeder with 4-1 mini g whip current balun and 4m of coax to a T1 tuner or KX3. Seems to preform well from 60m-10m and was made for the 10 and 6m challenge but didn’t have the time to participate much in that event.

Good Luck with your CW and keep at it

73
Graeme

Thanks Graeme, I’ll bear that in mind

Going back to the original request.
Here’s 20 minutes from today of Jürg F/HB9BIN/p on F/VL-051 dealing with the pile up in his usual slick style.
Note the way he sends the chasers call at the end of every contact, as it’s often lost in the noise of the tailenders.
Always a pleasure to work.

Thanks for the recoding Pete a busy activation, probably take me a good to work my through it.

73
Graeme

Forgot to ask what do you use for recording the video clips?

OT
I mostly use the Mobius cam, with occasional fill ins from the phone cam!
Even a few years down the line, the Mobius is still a great little camera for the price.

(by the way I’ve just ordered a couple of 808 #16 cameras to hack for £2.30 each!)

HTH
Pete