Learning the hard way.

For the last couple of days I have been using the CW GET software to help practice my CW sending. Although it can be quite distressing to see thaT what you thought was good CW isn't. CW GET is not like the human ear. It doesn't make any allowances. If your timing is slightly out your G will appear on CW GET  as a T and an N and so on.
One thing is for sure when I do go on air for my first (for 20 years) CW I will use my straight key rather than the paddle- results were a bit better with that! More practice needed on the paddle I think!

End of year

This is the QSL card and sticker I received from Radio Prague just before Christmas.As a young SWL I used to send reception reports to many broadcast stations (back in the 80's there were quite a few more of them) but its something I have not done for years. When I heard that Radio Prague is to leave the airwaves at the end of January 2011 I thought I would send a report for one of their last QSLs. I am also awaiting a card from Radio Slovakia, another broadcaster about to leave shortwave.

So for 2011 I will be trying to collect QSLs from some of the remaining broadcasters-who knows it may be the last year of major international broadcasting?

One of my radio ambitions for 2010 was to get back into using CW. Sadly, although I have been doing some practice and am able to receive reasonably well I have yet to pluck up the courage to get on the air with the key! So this will become my goal for 2011. I used to love CW and bitterly regret not keeping up my skills with it when I was younger. Now in my forties getting back into the mode seems much more of a struggle.

Anyway a happy and healthy 2011 to you all and I hope to hear and work some of you on the bands in 2011. Who knows it may even be on CW!

Memories....

I first learnt Morse Code or CW when I was 19 years old. I remember learning it... but I don't exactly remember HOW I learnt it if you see what I mean. I have memories of a Morse code tutor program on a borrowed ZX81 computer (remember those?). I remember Morse code practice sessions at the weekly radio club meetings in Port Talbot. In fact I seem to remember this Morse business went along fairly easily, and before I knew it I had passed the 12 words per minute test, as was required in those days and I earned my full UK licence.
Its not as if I threw away the key, and forgot all about Morse (as many did after gaining HF access). No sir, I promised the amateur who taught me CW that my first QSO on the HF bands would be on CW, and it was, on 40 metres. I went on to use CW fairly frequently after that. Of course at that time I was somewhat younger- about 22 years younger in fact!
Over the passage of time there have been times when I wasn't active on the HF bands, house moves, relationships etc etc meant that at times I was a fairly inactive radio amateur. When I did eventually get re established with an HF station I guess my confidence in CW operating had gone and I became an SSB and latterly data modes enthusiast.
So this year as I mentioned a little while back it is my intention to get back on the air with CW. Now It shouldn't be that hard-should it? I remembered most of the code-so its just a matter of practise and getting my speed up! Its funny but I don't rememer first time around having problems confusing the letter B with the number 6, the letter H with 5 and so on- but I am having those problems now!!
As much as I hate to admit it but it must be AGE. I am someone who has been lucky to enjoy good physical health, in fact I don't feel much different in that way to how I felt 20 years ago. But my brain obviously does! Still I will keep plugging away at the CW. This time however, when I do get my CW up to speed I will be making sure I practice enough to keep it that way.

use it or lose it.

I have been trying my best to improve my CW skills over the last few days but I can already see it is going to be a long journey. I have been amazed at how much I have forgotten! There are some excellent software packages which help, in addition to "Just learn morse code" which I have previously mentioned I have also been using "Morse Machine" and "Morse Gen" by Julian G4ILO. These programs along with some casual CW listening on HF have formed the start of my quest. I am now however a firm believer in the saying "Use it Or Lose it"!!
Still this learning keeps me busy when the bands are not good. 80 and 40 metres seem very noisy here lately and my radio activity over the past few days has been confined to few local QSOs on 2 metres along with a single PSK QSO on 30 metres.

Making a start

Further to my last blog I have been starting to re-learn CW or Morse if you prefer.Paul PC4T  mentioned a free piece of software called CW-freak however I found that this software dodn't seem to want to work on the Windows 7 based PC that I am using. I have found another piece of software called"Just Learn Morse Code" by LB3KB and am trying to devote a little time each evening to my morse studies!!


I had a little more time for radio today than I expected. Due to the heavy snowfall here in South Wales I was unable to get to work. The picture today shows my street as it appeared this morning-covered in snow! Snow like this is not that common in this part of the UK and as I write this most of it is still around and we are likely to have sub-zero temperatures overnight so the journey to work tomorrow should be interesting.
Anyway I ventured onto 40 metres SSB this afternoon and made a couple of contacts before moving onto the PSK31 mode.