SOTA Activations w/ CW

Hi Guru,

If your ft817 is on the first menu line 10 (VOX, BK, KYR) then there is a shortcut to the cw speed. press and hold KYR (button C) and you are immediately in setup menu 21 (CW Speed), adjust speed then press the F key long enough to return to normal, as usual. This is handy when you know you might want to adjust the keying speed for a slower or faster incoming call. And after that QSO you use the same shortcut to return the speed to the level you want.

There’s another shortcut key, that I just noticed when checking the manual for the tip above. If you want to know your frequency relative to the other station, you can get a burst of your sidetone by pressing the Home button when in CW mode, without transmitting anything, or changing any menu options. This can also be done by turning off the BK setting, then using the paddle or key, which generates the sidetone without transmitting.

Every time I look in the manual I discover something new to me.

73 Andrew VK1DA VK2UH

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It should be common courtesy to slow down to the speed of the sender. If that is to fast for the sender then the sender requests QRS. As for me I send at the speed of the sender,

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Hi Andrew,
I didn’t know it and I think this can be very helpful indeed.
When I activate, I usually stay in the menu PWR METER, as I usually set output power to minimum e.g. 500mW while checking and adjusting ATU for optimal SWR and then go up to 5 watts once the SWR reading strikes as safe enough to me.
I’ve been trying this out on my FT-817 now and I found out that both menus are close each other.
Being the menu VOX BK KYR just one step forward from the PWR METER menu, I hope I’ll be able to remember to move that step forward after ATU adjustment is done.
Thank you very much for this tip.
Best 73,

Guru

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Hi Steve

Welcome to Sota’s CW world. You would love it!
I believe most of activators will slow down except when its difficult to do so (some rigs…).

I will slow down for sure, like others have done with me in past.

Vy 73 de Pedro, CT1DBS

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I’ve done 2 summits with CW so far. I send at 12 wpm. I’ve had some chasers come back to me faster but with some spacing in between letters and that is a big help. And they repeat their call also. Go for it. You will be happy you did it. I know I was. The chasers were new at CW at one time too so they know how we feel and they are very patient.

Roland K7FOP

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I usually perform activations at relatively low speed - 17WPM. This help chasers to copy week signal from my QRP FT-817ND.

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Just because I feel like complicating things :slight_smile:

I keep my character speed at about 20 gpm, but I reduce/increase my group speed depending on the person who I am making contact with.

So it is possible to send 5 gpm with a 20 gpm character speed.

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welcome to cw, i will always slow down to answer a new one. 73 es dx

Hi Oleh,
It’s true that QRS CW is easier to be copied when the signal is very weak, and I often call QRS (18 WPM) to DX activators with good results. Fast CW when signals are very weak is very hard to copy because any little QRM or minimum QRN crash can smash almost the full character sent (letter, number, punctuation…)
QRS code is also easier to be copied by the activator in the middle of a pile-up.
However, I personally don’t feel comfortable with activating QRS below 18 WPM, as this extends the time for the activator to work all the pile up and this is not often possible due to time and weather constrains.
With my usual activating speed of 22 WPM and my fair farnsworth practice whenever necessary, I never ever found a problem of a chaser not able to chase me due to being unable to copy my code or, at least, I’ve never been made aware of such situation.
I think activating at 10 or 15WPM in order to give a chance to one potential CW beginner one day, doesn’t worth it because it penalises on the other hand the whole group of chasers all the time everytimes. This also punishes the activator having to spend more than double time in the summit to complete the activation. That’s not fair from my point of view.
Best 73,

Guru

Guru, I don’t understand the logic of your argument.

You don’t HAVE to chase a 10-15wpm activator. If you don’t have the patience or the time, you could chase another activator or go have a coffee. Presumably, the chasers who do stay don’t see themselves as ‘penalised’.

As I new activator (and still QRS) I don’t feel “punished” for spending a longer time on the QSOs, rather I feel a sense of achievement doing something challenging but also grateful that chasers are prepared to work with me at my speed.

I am greatly heartened by the number of experienced chasers on this thread who say they are happy to slow down and encourage us newcomers to SOTA.

Andy (G8CPZ / M0ALC)

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Dont’ get me wrong, please!

Perhaps, I didn’t explain myself properly. I’m sorry for that.

I’ll try to clarify.

I am and I have always been pleased to QRS when I work CW from my shack, sometimes responding QRS and adapting to people calling CQ at any slow speed they may be using and some others calling CQ myself at about 18-20 WPM (rarely I call CQ slower than that now)

LEt me remind you that I spoke about activating myself at that slow speed, nothing about chasing. I wrote: I think activating at 10 or 15WPM in order to give a chance to one potential CW beginner one day, doesn’t worth it because it penalises on the other hand the whole group of chasers all the time everytimes.

Of course, that’s absolutely logical, normal and that’s the way we all felt when we started CW, but I’m sure you will also understand that the same type of challenge you currently find in completing a QSO during an activation, others (like myself) find the challenge not in just completing a QSO, because thousands of them have been completed by now, but in dealing with a big pile up (the bigger the better) and working 2, 3 or even more stations per minute over as many minutes as possible, recalling the names of the operators and calling them Andy, Colin, Helmut or Jorge during the activation. Those are the type of challenges I enjoy now during a SOTA activation and we, experienced CW operators, also have the right to enjoy and have challenges to achieve during a SOTA activation.

I learned CW back in 1985 and you will surely guess I made hundreds of QRS QSOs.
I have progressed pretty well since then, but I still like and enjoy the challenge of working SOTA and dealing with the pile-up.

As I explained in a previous post, I usually don’t QRS when activating because I find penalising to stop the normal pace of the operation to search the menu in my FT-817 where the CW speed can be modified. Now that Andrew explained me there’s a shortcut to access that menu, I may try to do it next time I activate SOTA, if I find it’s necessary.

I hope to QSO with you very soon, Andy and I’ll be absolutely pleased to QRS for you.

Best 73,

Guru

Hi Guru, thanks for the clarification and like you I hope we do work each other via SOTA soon.

My turn to clarify my previous comments …

From what I’ve read on this reflector, “the activator rules”. So, I took it for granted that experienced activators like yourself will work at whatever (high) speed they want and slow down only as needed for a QRS chaser. Since QRS chasers are normally the exception they wouldn’t increase the overall activation time by much.

I guess I was confused when you spoke of “the activator having to spend more than double time in the summit to complete the activation”. I assumed you were talking about an inexperienced activator like me who is QRS on every QSO (hence taking twice as long), and not yourself.

Anyway, it’s clear now thanks.

73, Andy (G8CPZ / M0ALC)

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All,

Being the one who asked the question and a cw newbie I appreciate all the replies. To clarify, I would never try to jump in the fray of a pileup occurring at a faster pace than I, but, when all died down I would jump in and see if I could make the contact. It has been my experience as a chaser, on ssb only so far, that the activations where pileups occur is not the norm. Maybe it is with cw as the low power signal gets out much better. To all, who would welcome a newbie checking in I hope to chase your activation soon. To those who prefer not, I hope to work you when I get better. Just keep activating so I will have something to chase!

73
W9BRI

Guru has explained the key issues facing the QRS activator very well.

I usually will QRS when activating, if I sense that a chaser needs a slower speed, or if I hear “QRS”. It’s usually quicker to QRS than to repeat an entire transmission. I usually start with increased spacing, but I’ll dial in a slower speed for the chasers who come back seriously slow.

If you activate often, and chasers learn that they can contact you reliably, there often is a pile of chasers to work through! If the weather is challenging, or time is limited for any reason, you may have trouble contacting all your chasers. Since most of us are chasers also, we see both sides of the coin.

The QRS activator needs all the help we can give! He’s often new to radio as well as challenged by CW. Perhaps there are challenges on the peak, wind, rain, etc., and it’s too hard to explain when sending slowly. When I wait in the pile to contact an activator, sometimes I hear a few other chasers sending at almost twice the speed that’s appropriate - and often QRO also. The bewildered activator can’t even get the chaser’s call, he must ask for repeats, and the pile is actually slowed down!

I agree that slower speeds work better through QSB, QRN, and QRM. I really like it when a weak station calls me QRS - even twice - so I can get him without repeats.

I think we just need to remember to be considerate and learn as we go. Sometimes lately I’ve had to do quicker activations because to the short days and limited time on the summits. I seem to have a huge number of loyal chasers - so I try to send short exchanges when the pile is deep.

What’s appropriate for a regular CW QSO may not be OK for SOTA.

Please activate at whatever speed you can go. Most of us chasers want to see more CW activations! Ask chasers to “PSE QRS” if they hit you with machine-gun CW. However, especially if you’re slow, remember that there might be 20 or 30 chasers out there wanting to contact you, so do what you can to make it move faster. This means un-learning some of the things that you were taught about regular CW QSO’s. If you’re QRS, use your time just to work the pile:

  1. Call CQ with your call at the start, and continue your CQ until you get a bunch of chasers, but then don’t call CQ again, until you have no chasers.

  2. Send your call occasionally - but not every contact - PLEASE! Sending your call often serves no one. 99% of your chasers already know your call.

  3. Do send your SOTA REF at the start and very occasionally. However, if you’re got a pile, it’s because you’ve been spotted, so most of your chasers already know your call and your summit. If there’s a question about your REF or call, your chasers will ask “REF?” or “CALL?” or “CAL?” or just “??”.

  4. Never send “YOUR RST IS 599” Just send “UR 599” or “5NN” for short. If you think you’re weak to the chaser, send your RST twice.

  5. Never send “MY SOTA REF IS W0C/FR-031”. Just add it to your call:
    “DE W9BRI ON W0C/FR-031” or something similar.

  6. When the chaser has what he needs, finish up fast - send “TU 73” or similar, and move on.

When a QRS activator sends too much redundant or “friendly” information is that everyone’s problems increase. The activator gets tired and overwhelmed by the piles of chasers calling on top of each other. He may quit and leave the more patient chasers hanging, after some of them have waited a long time to make a contact. The chasers can’t believe that the activator is sending his call and maybe even his SOTA REF every contact, so they get more frustrated and may behave badly as they try to make the contact.

Even worse, the activator isn’t having as much fun as he should be - since he’s sending too much - so being burned-out, he may just activate one band, instead of 2 or 3, leaving over half of his waiting chasers out of the game, with no contact and no points.

If you’re a QRS CW activator, choose your frequency wisely. Avoid the QRP hot-spots like 10.110 and 14.060 MHz where all the newbies call CQ (on top of you). Many of them can’t hear you. Choose frequencies near where you see other activators’ spots. Listen to be sure the frequency is clear, and send “QRL?” before calling CQ. Avoid 40 and 20M during contests - or move up the band away from the QRM.

Try to post an ALERT well before your activation, if you possibly can. This will help your chasers prepare, but more important, if you post an ALERT on SOTAWatch, the RBN (Reverse Beacon Network) will automatically SPOT you within a minute after you call CQ and send your call - if you’re getting out OK. Call “CQ CQ DE W9BRI SOTA” once or twice. Once you have an RBN spot, you will have a pile! Usually there’s no need to self-spot, if you use an ALERT and let the RBN and the “RBN HOLE” create your spot on SOTAWatch.

Activating gets easier after a while, and CW improves the more you do it. Good things take time and patience.

Above all, be safe and have fun. Build carefully on your experience. We all want to hear your QRS CW signals from the peaks!

73

KX0R
George

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All, you have provided some very valuable information that will prove beneficial no matter whether activating or chasing. I did want to clarify that I am strictly chasing at this time and I wanted to make sure that all of you activators were willing to give a QRS station a chance. I understand that I should wait until a pile up is close to ending before I jump in so that I do not cause quicker stations to spin the dial because I am taking too much time. You all have been great throughout this thread and I appreciate it very much.

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Well said George. As a new CW operator I agree with all of that. Short and Sweet.

Roland K7FOP

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Awesome tutorial!
I’ve been a chaser just over 2 years now and really admire the work the activators put in to get OTA and the respect chasers show each other as opposed to DX pileups I’ve worked. Most chasers give their callsigns once, most give complete calls and most do not attempt to be the last caller after a QRZ from the activator.

SOTA is a great facet to amateur radio and it’s where I spend most of my time OTA. Thanks to all the activators and chasers, 73!

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Spot on George (KX0R)! After making over 25K CW contacts as an activator and over 4300 CW contacts as a chaser, you can definitely teach many of us a thing or two about good operating practices for SOTA. Thanks for your comprehensive post!

73, Brad
WA6MM

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I will gladly slow down for you if I’m activating. Most likely by adding spacing between letters. I’m a new CW op myself. It sure is great to see CW making a comeback!

73,
Rex KE6MT

When I activate either sota or pota I use my Ameco straight key and can only send legibly at around 18 WPM. I try to remember to slow the last mention of my call so that QRS folks can read me. If they answer slow I will try to remember to match their speed. If I don’t just remind me with a “QRS pse” and I’ll certainly apologize and slow down. I’ve experimented with this method and found that I get more QSOs in the long run.

If I hear two stations trying to call me I will pick out the weakest or the slowest first. I’m partial to QRP and one QRP technique is to send QRS. And a QRO station will almost certainly call again without being buried by QRS the next time they try.

Keep practicing and get together with an SKCC op on the old 40m novice band to build up your speed. They will QSO with you even if you use a paddle. You can email me any time for a sked. My email is on my QRZ.com page.

I’ve also found when chasing that sooner or later the pool of callers start to dwindle. That is when I try to push my QRP rig at the end of the line.

Happy Hunting and hope to cu soon.
72/73 Mike Morris
KA5VZE