CW
& MORSE CODE TELEGRAPHY
Accessories
& Training for enjoying Morse code communications:::
The CW
Projects and Resources of Mike Maynard, K4ICY
Straight Key Century Club - Member #8600
Visit
the SKCC at http://www.skccgroup.com/
What is
Morse Code, you say?
A
brief history and overview of Morse Code - And many interesting
resources on telegraphy:
Communication Across the Nation - The
History of the Telegraph
Brought to you by Samantha, a student in Ms. Smith's 10th grade Social
Studies class
at Brighter Futures Charter School in California. -
Thanks Samantha!
See my Small Wonder
Labs SW+40 QRP CW Kit...
This is a
very well designed kit for transmitting and receiving Morse Code
communications.
Created
by Dave
Benson, K1SWL, at only
$60, this rig has very good performance and many of the features found
on larger rigs.
Intermediate
knowledge of electronics and kit building are required, but well worth
the effort to build one yourself.
The
above pic is a 3D visualization created in MoI, to help
facilitate placement of the controls on a stock Radio Shack project box.
See
my 1-Hour/Junk Bin Challenge!
With only a
small bag of junk parts, I create a dual-lever CW paddle...
Learn the code! - Don't be turned off by
CW, it will grow on you.
Learn
CW Online. With Proven On-Line Methods To Take You
From Beginner To Contester In No Time!
An absolutely
must-use site!
- I was able to perfect my knowledge of each Morse Code character, then
being able to practice and increase my copy speed.
I discovered that I copy code at different speeds differently. For me
to copy a QSO I can handle 15wpm effective,
but I can hear characters over and over and copy them individually in
the 50's (wpm).
To learn code, you must do it by
recognizing the "sound" ONLY,
hear the individual characters as fast as 20 to 25 wpm equivalent but
space the characters apart so that the effective speed is a slow as you
need it (5 to 15).
Learn each letter one by one additionally and proceed only when you
know those letters.
This will yield successful results!
This free software can be run anytime and will help you learn Morse
code:
G4FON
Koch CW Trainer
Version 9
Have
your brand new Tech or General license? And want to dip you toe in the
CW pool? Get ready!:
A
Beginner's Guide to Making CW Contacts
by Jack Wagoner WB8FSV
Learn
Morse Code As A Language
by Duane Ausherman W6REC
This is my vintage WWII Army
Signal Corps straight keyer. It was inherited from my XYL's silent key
grandfather.
After a can of Brasso it cleaned up nicely. You can still find these on
eBay and at army surplus stores for not much money.
See how I built this nifty CW filter:
Here...
Using the formulas in the ARRL Extra manual and some junk parts, this
60hz wide CW audio filter fits in a small mint tin, is powered from a
9v battery and will bring weak and overrun CW QSO's out of the mud... Schematics
and instructions inside...
My attempt to build and use a "Pixie 2" QRPp
CW Transceiver!
My KD1JV DC30 Altoids Tin QRP Repair:
 A ham friend
of mine and fellow kit builder donated this QRP rig board to me.
It's
a KD1JV "Melt Solder" DC30 series QRP CW Rig available from Hendrix Kits. The current version
of this kit is called the DCxx, it's only $30 and has been improved
upon.
(See here:)
It
was my friend's practice board used to help him learn to solder back
when he first got into kit building.
It
wasn't in too bad of shape. It just needed three printed circuit traces
to be repaired, along with a bunch of cold contacts and oddly enough,
an IC socket.
 This little
transceiver is a single frequency CW rig using "direct conversion"
It's
power output is a full 1 watt with input power supply of 13.8 volts.
It's 0.7 watts at 12.0 volts. That makes this rig a "QRPp" transceiver.
It's
actually a pretty good improvement over my own QRPp attempt (see above
link). It boasts good sensitivity and BC/SWBC rejection, along with a
600 Hz Transmit/Receive offset shift.
Shown here, the board was mounted into an AltoidsŪ metal mint tin with
holes drilled.
Space is tight, so the RF antenna BNC connector had to be hack-sawed
down to fit.
 Final tweaks
and adjustments were made to the board.
A piece of
plastic was used as an electrical insulator, and basic wiring
connections were made.
My
goal was not to spend a lot of time and resources to get this one
running, but to show others how easy it is to mount a QRP rig like this
inside of a simple enclosure.
 The final
WORKING DC30 QRP Rig installed in a nice AltoidsŪ mint tin.
This
little radio, of course will not operate as nicely as a commercial rig
costing a grand, but, It is very well designed and implemented, though.
By
it's nature, it's intended to be a sweet and simple little kit for
anyone to enjoy. A great weekend project even for beginning kit
builders.
It'll actually make contacts and many people have enjoyed
contacting other hams half way across the globe - even on the side of
mountain cliffs!
|
| CW
Prosigns |
| Prosigns |
CW Meaning |
| BT |
A Pause or Separator. |
| AR |
End of Transmission.
- when you are sending it back to the other station. Also used at the
end when answering a CQ. |
| SK |
End of Transmission.
- when you are at the final end of a last transmission of a QSO. |
| K |
Go Ahead... Over.
Used when turning it over to another station. Used also after sending
CQ.
NOT to be used after just answering a CQ because the other station has
not verified contact with you. |
| KN |
Go Ahead (Specific
Station).
Same as K,
but only a specific station and no one else can come back to you. |
| CL |
Clear .
Ending last QSO and turning off station. No one else to come back or
reply. |
| International
CW Q-Signals |
| Q - Signal |
CW Meaning |
| QRA |
Call Sign? |
| QRG |
Exact Frequency? |
| QRH |
Frequency Varies? |
| QRI |
Signal Tone Quality? 1-3 |
| QRK |
Signal Intelligibility?
1-5 |
| QRL |
Frequency Busy? |
| QRM |
Signal Interference? |
| QRN |
Static
Interference? |
| QRO |
More Power? |
| QRP |
Less Power? |
| QRQ |
Send Faster? |
| QRS |
Send Slower? |
| QRT |
Stop Transmitting? |
| QRU |
Any Messages? |
| QRV |
Ready? |
| QRW |
Tell (Call Sign) You're
Calling? |
| QRX |
Standby -
When? |
| QRZ |
Invite - Who's Calling? |
| QSA |
Signal Strength? |
| QSB |
Signal
Fading? |
| QSD |
Defective
Keying? |
| QSG |
Send # of Messages? |
| QSK |
Break In? |
| QSL |
Confirmation Receipt? |
| QSM |
Repeat Last
Message? |
| QSO |
Contact Between Stations? |
| QSP |
Relay
Message To? |
| QST |
~General
Call~ |
| QSV |
Send A Series of "V"'s? |
| QSW |
Shall
Transmit On (Time)? |
| QSX |
Listen on
Frequency (x)? |
| QSY |
Change Frequency? |
| QSZ |
Send Each
Word/Group More? |
| QTH |
Location? |
| QTR |
Correct
Time? |
| QTX |
Keep
Station Open For Me? |
Q-signals are three letter combinations used to
represent common phrases or sentences for CW operation. They may be
used as a question with a question mark (?) or statement without the
question mark. For example, "QRZ?" is used to ask for the calling
station(s) to identify again. "Please (pse) QRS" is used as a request
to send the code at a slower speed. "The QTH is" is used to indicate
this station's location.
Although originally used for CW, many Q-signals
have become acceptable for phone operation.
Other Non-Q Abbreviations:
73
- Best Regards
88 - Love
& Kisses
YL - Young Lady,
Unmarried and any Female Ham Operator
XYL - Ex-Young
Lady, A Ham's Wife
OM - Old Man, Any
Male Ham Operator
|