It's been a busy day today, but tonight the entire family was out of the house and I realized I could actually take time to check into the Kentucky CW Net (KYN). I adjusted my homebrew bug tamer to up the speed of the key (its an unwritten rule that you don't use slow speed CW to QNI a “high speed” net).
My newest bug, the 1938B McElroy Mac Key that I've been blathering nonstop about the last couple of days was my key of choice. The carburator spring is working fine, though I'm not sure the Advance Auto clerk was sure if I wanted a key or a spring. I don't think he cared either way.
The NCS of the net was right on time with his preamble. He runs at a speed that makes me work to keep up with what's going on, but hey, that's how you get better, right? Fortunately, nets aren't like trying to copy pages of QST sent by W1AW at 40 words per, its pretty routine and still good practice.
The net operates like a well-oiled machine. The ops who check-in are a joy to listen to, they're first-rate CW ops. Some of the check-ins are familiar fists I copy on the slow net, so I'm not totally unfamiliar with the group.
I throw my Zed in when the NCS calls for QNI. He asked for name and QTH, which I provided. I was listening to the other stations clearing out when the net manager checked back in and listed traffic — for me.
With apologies to Alfred E. Neuman, the thought that crossed through my mind was “What, me QRV???”
The NCS sent us down 3 kcs to handle the traffic. The net manager combined the November net report and his SAR totals in one message, just as he does when he e-mails the reports. This is the first time I've picked up traffic from the high-speed net, which thankfully was within my copying ability.
The traffic guys want to send their messages via radio, and I respect that. I already take monthly net reports on the slow net, I'm going to see if I can make the high-speed net at least once early in the month for the same purpose. Timing has usually been the issue for my participation in the high speed net. I'm usually hauling one harmonic or the other someplace (or bringing them home) when the net is on. On Wednesdays they're gone to church, giving me a shot at getting on the air at an earlier hour.
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With the rig still on 80, I later tuned the band to see what was going on. The band conditions were pretty good. I tuned across someone answer a CQ, and even while off frequency, the call sounded familiar. I quickly realized it was my Elmer answering a CQ from a ham in Columbia City, Ind.
I copied the mail for most of the QSO. I believe the Indiana ham said he had a new Vibroplex bug, and was working on getting it (and himself) dialed in. Signals were excellent, both S9+20db. Dave (my Elmer) uses a keyboard for CW, and while perfect, I had to work to keep up with the copy. The spacing between words was a little short for my brain to catch the characters. I'm used to writing notes as I copy, and I found that I copied better just focusing on listening and not holding a pencil or trying to write a thing. I probably need to copy CW more often at this speed anyway.
It was getting late when I heard them sign, I was working on the reports I had received via the earlier net. My copying ability seems to deteriorate as fatigue sets in, so I thought better of calling either of them. It was good to hear a familiar call on 80, few of my fellow amateurs in my locale are interested in operating CW. Heck, many of the newer hams believe CW ops use computers to copy CW, they can't fathom the notion that you can figure out what that beeping sound means in your head.
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With my teen-aged (and ham-licensed) daughter now officially in high school, I've found that CW has become an effective enforcement tool. How? Let me explain …
My daughter Katie is a no-code Tech, but she knows about half of the Morse alphabet. As a musician, she's blessed with the ability to pick up the sound of notes quickly and store them in memory.
Anyway, one of the first things she learned was how to spell her name years ago in CW. And believe it or not, she and I use CW, though not on the radio.
She recognizes her name in CW easily, and anytime I want her to come to the shack, I can turn up the sidetone on the rig and call her without yelling, and without alerting her mother or brother that I'm calling her.
When we were in Florida last year, they got separated from me at Disney World's parking lot. I used my carn horn to honk her name in CW. Great homing beacon.
The enforcement part? I've seen her leaving school and walking across the street, a half-block away. Sending her name on the car horn has saved me time in chasing her more than once — and embarassed her to death in the process.
At this point, all I need to do is simply threaten to honk her name in CW around her classmates and she'll honor most any request I have … not that I would use that to “prompt” her compliance … well, then again, maybe I would! She's asked me not to mention it to her friends or teachers, I think she probably feels like she's already been tagged with a high number on the Geek Index and doesn't need help with a higher score. Well, she's the daughter of a ham, she gets it honestly!
That's it for this time. 73.