The Morse Mode
Roger Cooke G3LDI brings another miscellany of Morse-related topics.
Roger Cooke G3LDI brings another miscellany of Morse-related topics.
Phillip Brooks G4NZQ passed away on the morning of 26 May 2021. Philip was a long-standing RSGB volunteer in a wide variety of roles, up to and including the Board.
Phillip was not only an active member of the Society but also of the Norfolk Amateur Radio Club, extending his national society work into being our regional representative and GB2RS newsreader for many years as well as being a keen supporter of club activities, particularly when it came to promoting the hobby to the wider public.
Always a gentleman in all senses of the word, he really will be sadly missed by many, both on the airwaves and at the club.
Phillip was the Morse Proficiency Test Coordinator and also my first line of contact in getting the GB2CW pages updated on the RSGB website. He is shown in the picture, Fig. 1, at Barford Radio Active on the RSGB Bookstall, a place he occupied most years.
Sending
Self-taught CW operating can be fraught with problems. Again, I use my favourite analogy of learning the piano. A self-taught pianist usually has a selection of problems, ranging from the actual technique of addressing the keyboard, sitting at middle C, keeping the wrists up, fingering exercises, scales (arpeggios), reading music and so on. With CW, the correct technique is difficult to ‘assume’. It really should be taught in the first instance. Looking at old films with a supposed CW operator will show exactly what I mean. Some of those shown in the films are terrible!
Fluency is necessary, no matter what speed is being sent. Spaces are as important as the characters themselves. I remember my first encounter with “NAG here is Sid”. I thought he must have a horse until I sorted out the bad spacing between M and E. Other examples are SOG for SOME, PLL for WELL and lots of others. Running text together is also very bad, making copying − especially head copy − an imposition for the person receiving. Imagine this: Iliveinaverypleasantvillagewithlotsofwildlife allaround.
This is not uncommon to hear on the air, perhaps not quite so exaggerated, but you get the idea! I even had a hard job typing that piece without inserting spaces automatically. Try it yourself and you will see it is not easy. That, coupled with poor character formation as well, can lead to zero QSOs!
However, in our present Covid situation, it is difficult to have face-to-face meetings in which these problems can be addressed.
Chatting with Andy G0IBN from the Essex CW group about this, he told me they have been conducting classes on Skype. So, this autumn Norfolk ARC are going to start similar classes locally to supervise sending techniques. Details have to be finalised but these classes will commence in October.
That brings me nicely to Bootcamps. Norfolk Bootcamps are traditionally held at my QTH, so I think it will be a while yet before we start them up again. Full Covid precautions are not viable in a bungalow. However, Essex CW Group are starting up again. I received the following from Andy G0IBN:
Essex CW ARC Annual CW Boot Camp
Essex CW are pleased to announce their annual CW Boot Camp will be held in Witham, Essex, on Saturday, 16 October, 2021.
Come along to meet your CW friends faceto-face and enjoy a friendly day of CW activities. Due to its popularity spaces are limited, so if you would like to attend please send an email to: g0ibn1@yahoo.com
The Essex group hire a village hall for the event so it is easier to maintain the precautions necessary. I don’t feel like flinging all my windows open in November! If any other Bootcamps are starting up again, please let me know: roger@g3ldi.co.uk Fig. 1: Phillip G4NZQ (SK). Fig. 2: The underside of the YA1860 key. Fig. 3: Rob M0KCP.
Sending Iambically. Or More of the Big PWord!
Having used a single lever paddle all my life, after 60+ years it is a bit late to change habits of a lifetime! I did consider it, but I felt that the time saved using squeeze keying and iambic sending was not really worth it. However, for somebody starting out with a dual lever paddle, practising from the start would be good.
Practice slowly, until your wrist and fingers get the habit and you don’t have to think about counting dits and dahs but feel the rhythm of each letter and number. Then you can work for speed and don’t try to go faster than your fingers are comfortable. Expect progress to be up and down with good days and bad days. Don’t be discouraged if you plateau for a while.
Incidentally, here is a list of all the words in Webster’s II international dictionary with at least five iambic letters: blackberry, bricklayer, bricklaying, clarify, classificatory, electrify, falconry, flycatcher, freckle, gyrfalcon, huckleberry, hydrofluoric, monkeyflower, olfactory, quackery, quicksilver, Rockefeller
The Old MorseTest
This subject was being discussed on the FISTS group: main@Fistscw.groups.io
There are some nostalgic memories there of Morse tests, long long ago! Some obviously had a similar experience to mine. I was accompanied by my Dad up to London and as I remember it was nearly the top floor of this building in St Martins Le Grand. It was 1956 and the examiner could see I was nervous. He gave me a ‘test’ piece to calm me down and then followed by some numbers. He said I had done quite well, so I sat waiting for the examination. Silence for a minute or so and I then asked when he would start. He just said, “That was it! I don’t think you will have to come back again”.
Before we returned to Norwich we visited St Paul’s Cathedral. We had a look round and also went through some stone passageways. As we turned a corner a woman’s voice said, “Is that you Henry?” We were alone and we retraced our steps to try to find who it was but found nothing. Very strange!
Have a read of some others’ experiences. They are fascinating.
Victor Brand G3JNB
Godfrey G4GLM sent the following regarding the key featured last time from Victor G3JNB.
The key displayed by Victor G3JNB is a YA1860 as fitted to WWII British Field Telephone D MkV that had telegraphy capability. The type number will be etched into the underside of the ‘Paxolin’ base (illustrated, Fig. 1) and hence obscured in Victor’s case.
Essex CW ARC’s New Chairman
Rob M0KCP, Fig. 3, has been appointed Chairman of Essex CW ARC. He says, “It was a pleasure to be appointed Chairman of ECWARC. I must thank the outgoing chairman Dean G4WQI for his excellent work over the past three years. 2020 has been an unprecedented year for everyone and I hope that you and your families remain safe and well. Many radio events were cancelled including our own field days, lectures and Boot Camp/CW conference. Whatever 2021 brings, the ECWARC committee will continue to hold online training, nets and other activities to promote CW on the bands.”