Any HF CW ops here?

[DonTom]

For the last few years, I have been taking a CW rig on all my RV trips. I set up a TW4040 (or TW8080, etc) out side this RV, on the ground which makes it very easy to set up at RV parks and such. I also use this same antenna from my main house in Reno, NV, because it's easy to hide from the HOA Nazis.

The TW4040 is a portable vertical dipole and the center coils can be changed for different bands 80 through ten meters.

I have been using  a KX2 with it and had countless CW QSOs at every stop, with just ten watts RF. You can see my "/7" logbook on QRZ.COM  as I have mostly been in AZ for the last couple of months.

These days, I only operate HF CW. Any other CW ops here?

73, -Don-  AA6GA  /M  Turlock, CA (at the rest stop)

 

[Heli_av8tor]

Tried learning CW on my own in Jr. High. Didn?t get very far ?. I don?t think my brain is properly wired for this skill.

 

[DonTom]

Tried learning CW on my own in Jr. High. Didn?t get very far ?. I don?t think my brain is properly wired for this skill.

I wanted my ham license very much  back in those days, so I was even thinking in CW, during the days it was a requirement. These days, there is no incentive to learn CW, no longer required for any class of ham license, which I always thought was a bad idea.

So now, most CW operators are around  my age (70). When I was a teenager, most CW ops were also my age. Now, very few new CW ops. Almost no young ones at all. A dying mode.

But CW is surprisingly addicting.  Most hams who get reasonably good at it, get hooked on CW.  I only do CW and there are many other hams who also only do CW.

73, -Don-  AA6GA /m  (Turlock, CA, headed home to Auburn, CA, after  a two month trip)

 

[HappyWanderer]

I?m one of those No-Code Extras. I carry a variety of wire antennas and a vertical in the motorhome, along with a 25? flagpole that provides lots of options. I always ask permission first and have never been denied, even at state parks with lots of rules.

My 10-40 EFHW gets used the most, although I occasionally get my 102? G5RV in the air. The Air Boss is great for shooting lines. The vertical is a last resort, due to needing radials.

 

[DonTom]

I?m one of those No-Code Extras. I carry a variety of wire antennas and a vertical in the motorhome, along with a 25? flagpole that provides lots of options. I always ask permission first and have never been denied, even at state parks with lots of rules.

My 10-40 EFHW gets used the most, although I occasionally get my 102? G5RV in the air. The Air Boss is great for shooting lines. The vertical is a last resort, due to needing radials.

That's the nice thing about my vertical dipole,  no need for radials. 

"No-code Extra" used to be a rather large oxymoron!  I had to take my 20WPM sending and receiving at the FCC office. How times have changed.

-Don- Turlock, CA Rest stop--stuck here with a bad fuel pump!

 

[HappyWanderer]

The code requirement kept me away from the hobby for many years. Despite the efforts of some great instructors, I just couldn?t get wrap my head around it.

I?ve always been jealous of you Know-Code guys.

 

[Molaker]

KN0GSS (KN zero GSS)...that's was my call sign way back when. As those in the know can tell, I never got further than "novice". I got my nervous novice license in 1955 (8th grade). I could not afford my own rig, so I would CQ from a buddy's radio occasionally. We (my buddy and I) were about to shoot for a "general", but I moved too far away to visit him and had to give it up. Soon after, girls diverted all my funds, so I was done.

 

[DonTom]

KN0GSS (KN zero GSS)...that's was my call sign way back when. As those in the know can tell, I never got further than "novice". I got my nervous novice license in 1955 (8th grade). I could not afford my own rig,

Back in those days, I used to go to the local dump and make my transmitters from TV sweep tubes and get other parts that way.

The only problem was finding a decent receiver back then.

These days, I simply  buy everything. But it used to be fun to home-brew.  Money has taken some of the fun away, just too easy to buy everything these days.

73, -Don-    AA6GA/m  Turlock, CA

 

[edjunior]

I was a Morse Code operator in the Air Force for 20 years (well, 18 technically...I cross-trained for a couple of years).  But we did nothing but copy code when I went through.  I never learned to send.  That being said, I can send, just very slowly.  But I never have gotten much into it surprisingly enough after I got my license.  I keep saying I need to just buck up and do it, but I keep losing my "roundtuit"

 

[DonTom]

I was a Morse Code operator in the Air Force for 20 years (well, 18 technically...I cross-trained for a couple of years).  But we did nothing but copy code when I went through.  I never learned to send.  That being said, I can send, just very slowly.  But I never have gotten much into it surprisingly enough after I got my license.  I keep saying I need to just buck up and do it, but I keep losing my "roundtuit"

What did you try sending with? I use an iambic keyer. Can you type? Many use keyboards these days. So sending could be the easy part.

-Don-  Turlock, CA

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Love portable and mobile CW ops.  Nothing better than camping in the mountains working the bands with a wire in the trees.  Long trips in the car become a fun day of mobile operating.  Running an Icom 706 in the car with an elecraft KX2 paddle and K1EL memory keyer.  Driving the RV demands too much attention to play radio underway but it's a very comfy hamshack when parked.  First long trip in the RV we made was to Quartzfest.

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM

 

[DonTom]

Love portable and mobile CW ops.  Nothing better than camping in the mountains working the bands with a wire in the trees.  Long trips in the car become a fun day of mobile operating.  Running an Icom 706 in the car with an elecraft KX2 paddle and K1EL memory keyer.  Driving the RV demands too much attention to play radio underway but it's a very comfy hamshack when parked.  First long trip in the RV we made was to Quartzfest.

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM

I discovered the KX2 paddle works very well, as long as those round thingies the paddles contact are removed and cleaned once in a while.

BTW, I just ordered the KXPA100 RF amp for my next RV trip. That was last night before I realized I was stuck here in Turlock, CA with a bad fuel pump. I expected to be home by now.

73, -Don-  AA6GA/M Turlock, CA

 

[edjunior]

What did you try sending with? I use an iambic keyer. Can you type? Many use keyboards these days. So sending could be the easy part.

-Don-  Turlock, CA

It was just a simple paddle key.  I suppose the keyboard would be easier.  I may look into it again.  I just kinda lost interest a few years back after a couple of "life events".  I am an expert typist.  I think this was one of the things that made Morse Code so much easier for me to learn back in tech school in the AF.  I could type upwards of 100 wpm (back in the day...I can still do pretty good, but probably not like that anymore).  And in my heyday, I could copy code at 60+ wpm.  I definitely cannot do that anymore, but I do still remember all the code.

 

[DonTom]

It was just a simple paddle key.  I suppose the keyboard would be easier.  I may look into it again.  I just kinda lost interest a few years back after a couple of "life events".  I am an expert typist.  I think this was one of the things that made Morse Code so much easier for me to learn back in tech school in the AF.  I could type upwards of 100 wpm (back in the day...I can still do pretty good, but probably not like that anymore).  And in my heyday, I could copy code at 60+ wpm.  I definitely cannot do that anymore, but I do still remember all the code.

60+ is amazing. I normally only send at 16 WPM, but can handle sending and receiving above 25 WPM if the other guy knows how to send correctly. But I find ham radio to be too much work above 16 WPM or so. Don't want to need to have to concentrate that hard. At 60 WPM, you must be hearing it all as words.

Back in the late 1960's there were a lot of ex military hams who learned CW in the service. I always noticed they were always the very fastest senders.

FWIW, I was drafted into the army and they put me in the infantry and I spent a year in the Central Highland jungles of Vietnam. I had nothing to do with radio in the service. But I was into ham radio well before I was drafted.

73,  -Don-  AA6GA  Auburn, CA

 

[WG9KJOHN]

WG9K John here and I winter in Sebring Fl in a camper.I use a yeas ft450d in the truck with a Wolf River coil on the side and this setup works very well.I also use the coil on a try pod base whip an eight foot whip as a portable antenna for working parks on the air (parksontheair.com).Also run mainly cw and do have a random wire above the trailer for 40,20,and ten but working on another wire for 30 meters.So hope to hear you on the air sometime.........John

 

[DonTom]

WG9K John here and I winter in Sebring Fl in a camper.I use a yeas ft450d in the truck with a Wolf River coil on the side and this setup works very well.I also use the coil on a try pod base whip an eight foot whip as a portable antenna for working parks on the air (parksontheair.com).Also run mainly cw and do have a random wire above the trailer for 40,20,and ten but working on another wire for 30 meters.So hope to hear you on the air sometime.........John

Nice to meet you. I just looked you up and saw  your page on QRZ.Com.

We're the same age with many of the same interests.  I used to be into boating and fishing in the Sacramento River Delta. I am still into camping, but these days, mostly  backpacking in the Tahoe National Forest.  But I never bring any radio stuff with me on backpacking trips. But I sometimes will on a shorter hike, with my KX2 and wire antennas.

I also use the KX2 from my RV. I just recently ordered a KPA100 for it to use with the RV, which I will probably receive today.

Here in Reno I use a Yaesu FTdx1200 with the TW4040 (same antenna I use  with the RV) . I have the same type of rig at my house in Auburn, CA.

I always use my call with a "/7" when I am here in Reno, NV.  If no "/"  it means I am at myn other house in Auburn, CA.

In my "/7" logbook, you can see the pages of QSOs I had from my RV on the last trip with running only ten watts.

These days, I only work HF CW, no FM, no SSB at all.


I hope to run into you on the air someday!  I work mostly 40 CW.  But sometimes on 80M CW later in the evening. When band conditions were better, many years ago, I was mostly on 30M.


73, -Don-  AA6GA/7 Reno, NV

 

[WG9KJOHN]

Hello Don we are camping in Florida for the winter in Sebring. I do operate from here with my new IC-7300 and from the f-250 Ford I use my Yaesu FT-450D. using a Wolf River Coil on both rigs and a random wire sometimes.I do a lot of Parks on the Air which is like working pile ups sometimes. Still do some fishing and motorcycle riding and we also campground host back in Indiana.So yes it would be nice to catch you on cw sometime , I listen a lot on 40,30,and 20 most days randomly ,but chasing some of the park activators mostly.I follow them on facebook or "pota.us" or 'slack". OK have a great day and cut dit-dit.....John wg9k

 

[DonTom]

Hello Don we are camping in Florida for the winter in Sebring. I do operate from here with my new IC-7300 and from the f-250 Ford I use my Yaesu FT-450D. using a Wolf River Coil on both rigs and a random wire sometimes.I do a lot of Parks on the Air which is like working pile ups sometimes. Still do some fishing and motorcycle riding and we also campground host back in Indiana.So yes it would be nice to catch you on cw sometime , I listen a lot on 40,30,and 20 most days randomly ,but chasing some of the park activators mostly.I follow them on facebook or "pota.us" or 'slack". OK have a great day and cut dit-dit.....John wg9k

Lately, I have been on every day on 40 CW and on 40 as well as 80 CW every night.  Either from Reno or here.  But band  conditions between here or Reno and Fl have not been all that great lately on those bands.

When I was in Big Bend Nat'l Park in Texas a couple of years ago, about half of the guys I worked on 40M were in Florida.

73, -Don-  AA6GA, Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

Any CW ops out there these days?  I have been on 40M CW almost every night from this RV. Now I run 110 watts to my TW4040. Once in a while I get on 80M with my TW8080.


I am running my KX2 to a KXPA100  at 110 watts. Even with 3 watts drive it puts out 110W according to the display. It will overheat in the middle of a long CW transmission and then it shuts down unless I run a fan to blow the heat off the fins. I have a USB fan that works well for that purpose and it has never overheated while the fan was on.  So I  now run it at the full 110 watts instead of turning the drive down even more.

-Don-  AA6GA/7  Gila Bend, AZ