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| Lets play radio |
This past Sunday I sat down and got some radio time in, it seems there is so much that can come up to pull me away from some K3 time. I wanted to make an effort to sit at the rig today, relax and call CQ on 14.060 and to see what happened. I cranked the K3 up to 5 watts and let the CQ ring out over the airwaves!! It was not long before Peter KG4GR came back to me he is located in Iowa. I was exspiraneing some type of AC QRM most likely from the 230KV hydro lines at the back of our home. The noise blanker on the K3 seemed to take care of it but Peter was in and out and I got the impression I was the same with him. Maybe
it was this huge solar eruption of the sun the other day that was still having it's affect on the bands. In the past I had checked out the solar forecast before hitting the air waves but I found it used to cloud my ambitions. So now I just go for it without checking or if I do I don't let it affect my operating time. Anyway.........Peter's signal gave me a chance to try out the
K3's APF (audio peak filter again. I have had some troubles in the past with getting this feature just right and it does I am told take some practice. Well it sure did help with Peters signal. I had a nice QSO that had to be cut short as another station unknowingly was calling CQ. I then gave things a little rest and started to read and comment on some blogs I still had the rig on and the head phones around my head just in case China happen to be calling CQ......HI HI. Once again I called CQ and WD9F/QRP came back to me.....and this QSO was a very humbling experience . For some strange reason my brain went into neutral, I just could not get my ears around the /QRP in the Woody's call!!! I asked him for a repeat...still did not get it and at the end of each transmission I would try his call and end it with ?. Well Woody was very polite and patient and dropped the /QRP and stayed with his call only. Once he did that it clicked what was going on. Boy did
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| WD9F/QRP |
I feel foolish and as the QSO went on my foolishness bloomed. I was a bit flustered once I figured out his full call. Then it happened the QSO went off the standard exchange and into a CW conversational QSO. Woody spoke of how he reads my blog and enjoyed my last post about the late QSL card. That was the end of my brain and the connection to my left hand at the paddle!!! It was like the keyer was working on it's own and not in a flattering way. Woody was very polite and weeded through my if you could call it "code". All I can say is nerves got the best of me. Oh well just have to keep plowing along and the weekend is coming and time to practice the brain vs left hand communication again.
6 comments:
Hi Mike, thanks to all nice, polite, friendly and patience operators. Sometimes when it's crowded, qsb etc and I can't copy all, I become nervous. Then I give too many dots or dashes. Aaargh... Sometimes I use my keyboard for CW. Up to 22 WPM is the limit. It works fine for me. 73 Paul
Good morning Paul, I have never yet used the keyboard for CW. I like the idea of sending on my own. Nothing against keyboards but I need the practice so when I am portable I have no troubles sending code.
Hello Mike,
The cat.....is that real?? Beautiful! I like cats, we have two here. One of them attempts of to "herd" us, of course, it doesn't work the other way. hihi
Good afternoon John, yes the cat is for real and he has some very real attitude. His name is Oliver and he is a pure breed exotic.
Hey Mike,
Last time you are in my log was ARCI fall of 2010. We are just not clicking on the hop from MO to ON. Don't worry about Woody copying your Morse, I give him lots of practice! Glad you are enjoying the K3, mine is nearly worn out being 3 years on the table. Took it to the shelter at the local nature park last Saturday and worked the FYBO, that was fun.
Enjoy your blog, have a great winter.
John N0EVH
Good evening John, Yes it was not one of my proudest moments regarding the code. I am really like the K3 it's a great radio. Maybe out paths will cross if you are in the ARRL international CW contest this weekend.
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