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Best learner beginner cheapo set up?
- Thread starter cphilip
- Start date
Ok well now... I have devised a clever scheme....
I located the University's Ham Club. I had heard they were defunt but I see some activity from early this year. So hopefully not. And I know this stuff is probably still here. Repeaters and such. Not much action on thier site lately but I think I have found them. Here is their shack:
Now... since I am a Safety officer here at the University my plan is to threaten them with an audit if they don't teach me everything I need to know about the Tech exam and enough code to pass the Plus level!
just kidding... sorta...
I located the University's Ham Club. I had heard they were defunt but I see some activity from early this year. So hopefully not. And I know this stuff is probably still here. Repeaters and such. Not much action on thier site lately but I think I have found them. Here is their shack:
Now... since I am a Safety officer here at the University my plan is to threaten them with an audit if they don't teach me everything I need to know about the Tech exam and enough code to pass the Plus level!
just kidding... sorta...
Well they indeed did. At least the Technician one is now updated. It says July 06 question pool and I probably took it 20 times today. I think I only failed it once or twice early on and not by a lot. Near the end I was passing it consistently with only 3-4 missed. Passed it at least 15 or more times in a row. i want to get so as I only miss one here and there. Lots of good stuff there though as it then takes me into areas I need to study and learn. Because I get instant feedback and I can go out and look for a little more detail on some stuff as it comes up.
Also got my practice keyer a few mintues ago via UPS. Let me ask this, is there a certain gap that's standard between the contact thats best to use?
Also got my practice keyer a few mintues ago via UPS. Let me ask this, is there a certain gap that's standard between the contact thats best to use?
test/key
On the key, adjust where it is comfortable, but not to wide a gap, you will find it where it is comfortable.
Test ...now you know where your weakness is, this weekend or sooner look for hamtest on line, and take the test and see if you pass or a few spots where you are weak, take it a few times and when you pass it at least a few times, you will make it...
www.hamtestonline.com
guaranteed to pass
doctor :shock:
On the key, adjust where it is comfortable, but not to wide a gap, you will find it where it is comfortable.
Test ...now you know where your weakness is, this weekend or sooner look for hamtest on line, and take the test and see if you pass or a few spots where you are weak, take it a few times and when you pass it at least a few times, you will make it...
www.hamtestonline.com
guaranteed to pass
doctor :shock:
Key Gap-Tension
Hello CPhilip:
On the gap of the straight key take a common piece of writting paper and slide it under the contact now adjust the tronion(the screw above the spring) and the one at the end of the key lever so as the paper just slides snugly under the contact and tightn up the troions.The spring contact should be a tight downward movement,when you rest your fingers on it it should not make contact.The spacing on your key depends on your speed really and your charactor formations that way being somewhat tight you wont make them mushy a lot of people have the tension set way to lose and send badly.
Here is a group that you can go to and ask all kinds of questions abt keys and keying - skcc Straight Key Century Club
a Yahoo Groups ,you must join the group but we have many ex commercial radio oprs and cw experts that can answer your every question>Good luck and success is with you!-73
DE-K8PG Paul CW LIVES :usa
Hello CPhilip:
On the gap of the straight key take a common piece of writting paper and slide it under the contact now adjust the tronion(the screw above the spring) and the one at the end of the key lever so as the paper just slides snugly under the contact and tightn up the troions.The spring contact should be a tight downward movement,when you rest your fingers on it it should not make contact.The spacing on your key depends on your speed really and your charactor formations that way being somewhat tight you wont make them mushy a lot of people have the tension set way to lose and send badly.
Here is a group that you can go to and ask all kinds of questions abt keys and keying - skcc Straight Key Century Club
a Yahoo Groups ,you must join the group but we have many ex commercial radio oprs and cw experts that can answer your every question>Good luck and success is with you!-73
DE-K8PG Paul CW LIVES :usa
Ah... interesting. Well mostly so far I am concentrating on receiving. While I was looking around out there I found this site which has a nice little program for Mac users. I am trying out the demo and it works nicely.
I am working on the Koch method and working in "letter groups". Right now working on my second letter group. Seems easy and works really nicely. But for Mac users this may be the preferable one even though, if you want it past the intro 30 days it costs 20 bucks for a license. But its preferable to the other mac one I found. far more so...
http://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/morsemania.html
Very nice. Download and demo it if you like.
Overall I am not going to spend a lot of time on CW other than to break the monotony of studying the Tech Exam questions and issues. At least not right now. Because it's my primary goal to take the Tech test soon. And or if I feel confident to take the Plus at the same time it would be gravy. I am not planning on it but it depends on how much time it is before I go take the tech. If thats soon then no... but if its going to be a month or so then I might just go for it all. Tech and Plus.
I am working on the Koch method and working in "letter groups". Right now working on my second letter group. Seems easy and works really nicely. But for Mac users this may be the preferable one even though, if you want it past the intro 30 days it costs 20 bucks for a license. But its preferable to the other mac one I found. far more so...
http://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/morsemania.html
Very nice. Download and demo it if you like.
Overall I am not going to spend a lot of time on CW other than to break the monotony of studying the Tech Exam questions and issues. At least not right now. Because it's my primary goal to take the Tech test soon. And or if I feel confident to take the Plus at the same time it would be gravy. I am not planning on it but it depends on how much time it is before I go take the tech. If thats soon then no... but if its going to be a month or so then I might just go for it all. Tech and Plus.
Just in case someone else reads this and is wondering about a cheap set up.... I too vote for the Bencher. It's by no means the "best" but works well. I can tap out 40wpm +/- with no problem. The main thing is keeping it clean and adjusted to what feels good to you.
Code Stuff
I everyone - I'm da "new guy" here but, not new to ham radio - been a ham since 1974! Wow, I'm ancient! Anyway, I would recommend the basic straight key for beginners since learning to send and receive really go hand in hand. Way back in the mid 60's, we had electronics class in high school and our instructor was a cool guy who offered a 1-semister class in Morse Code and the next semister was basic radio theory and practice. So, what else could we do? Most of us got our Novice licenses near the end of the class and some upgraded to General as soon as our code speed went up. (Got my novice license, good for just 1 year and never owned a station, never upgraded due to other 'distractions' (read: girls)....
Our teacher's method of learning the code was to start with the simple letters, E, T, A, N then D, U, B, V. See the pattern? All of them are mirror images of each other. We learned the 'opposite' symbols in Morse Code which eliminated a lot of the confusion from the start then once we could write the entire alphabet we started working on speed. It worked for me and CW has been like a second language. I would drive down the road and spell out road signs and billboards in Morse Code in my head or sound out the letters verbally which made recognition much easier. I had code tapes at one time but, found that about the 3rd time through them, I had memorized much of what was on there so they were not nearly as effective as a random generated program is.
We all learned on straight keys for sending and practiced good formation of the code, a dash 3 times longer than a dot with proper spacing between letters for the speed we were sending. There's a LOT of very sloppy code being sent on the air and some of it with 'bugs' that are poorly adjusted for he speed they're sending; long dashes and dots at 25-wpm just don't work well together.
The bottom line is practice, practice and more practice. Find a buddy and to send and receive with and it's always better to have someone better than you that can challenge your capabilities so you have to work at it. Morse Code is really a natural for me after all these years of using it. I was not using it for about a year once and my speed capability came down but after a few hours on the air, it came back fairly quickly. I don't care a lot for 30+ wpm since no one can write that fast. I like to operate around 17-18 wpm which is comfortable for me and when needed, I can write things down. Now when in a QSO, I pretty much write down what is important and copy the rest in my head.
Anything worth learning is always worth the effort put into it to learn. Some take longer than others. If you hate it, you won't learn it. If you enjoy it, you'll do well with it. I think it will be around for a long time since the hams are the only people still practicing CW on any regular basis any more....
My $.02 worth of wisdom....
Paul - K7IN
I everyone - I'm da "new guy" here but, not new to ham radio - been a ham since 1974! Wow, I'm ancient!
Anyway, I would recommend the basic straight key for beginners since learning to send and receive really go hand in hand. Way back in the mid 60's, we had electronics class in high school and our instructor was a cool guy who offered a 1-semister class in Morse Code and the next semister was basic radio theory and practice. So, what else could we do? Most of us got our Novice licenses near the end of the class and some upgraded to General as soon as our code speed went up. (Got my novice license, good for just 1 year and never owned a station, never upgraded due to other 'distractions' (read: girls)....Our teacher's method of learning the code was to start with the simple letters, E, T, A, N then D, U, B, V. See the pattern? All of them are mirror images of each other. We learned the 'opposite' symbols in Morse Code which eliminated a lot of the confusion from the start then once we could write the entire alphabet we started working on speed. It worked for me and CW has been like a second language. I would drive down the road and spell out road signs and billboards in Morse Code in my head or sound out the letters verbally which made recognition much easier. I had code tapes at one time but, found that about the 3rd time through them, I had memorized much of what was on there so they were not nearly as effective as a random generated program is.
We all learned on straight keys for sending and practiced good formation of the code, a dash 3 times longer than a dot with proper spacing between letters for the speed we were sending. There's a LOT of very sloppy code being sent on the air and some of it with 'bugs' that are poorly adjusted for he speed they're sending; long dashes and dots at 25-wpm just don't work well together.
The bottom line is practice, practice and more practice. Find a buddy and to send and receive with and it's always better to have someone better than you that can challenge your capabilities so you have to work at it. Morse Code is really a natural for me after all these years of using it. I was not using it for about a year once and my speed capability came down but after a few hours on the air, it came back fairly quickly. I don't care a lot for 30+ wpm since no one can write that fast. I like to operate around 17-18 wpm which is comfortable for me and when needed, I can write things down. Now when in a QSO, I pretty much write down what is important and copy the rest in my head.
Anything worth learning is always worth the effort put into it to learn. Some take longer than others. If you hate it, you won't learn it. If you enjoy it, you'll do well with it. I think it will be around for a long time since the hams are the only people still practicing CW on any regular basis any more....
My $.02 worth of wisdom....
Paul - K7IN
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