This interesting information reaches us via Tam MM0TLW, Southgate Amateur Radio News, and Ofcom.
A GPS jamming exercise is taking place in Dumfries & Galloway from January 10 until February 4 2022, and further similar exercises are planned for later in 2022. Southgate ARC does a great job of summarizing the details, please click here for their detailed post and here for the original Ofcom information.
Via Tam MM0TLW, here’s a quick pointer to a potentially interesting TV show: Guy Martin’s Lancaster Bomber – on the surface it appears to be about an airplane, but apparently there’s content that evolves around Morse code.
Click this link for some details published by Southgate Amateur Radio News
(Btw – they also advertise a Morse code online course – maybe worth a look?)
Many of you may have received an invitation already, and we’ll remind you again later, but here it is: Saturday morning, the 25th of December 2021, Christmas Day, at 10:30am, we will all gather for the 2m radio net using the GB3DG repeater.
It will be a short meeting to pass on Season’s Greetings, so there are no excuses! If you can reach the repeater, please make sure to join and say hello!
Many thanks to Clive GM4FZH and William 2M0WML for idea and arrangements – it is my understanding that these two are responsible, please let me know in case I’m neglecting someone here!
Via Nadine MM0WNW
Listen again to The World this Weekend (from about 22 min 40 sec) for a good report on the first Transatlantic transmission received by Paul Godley 100 years ago – received at Ardrossan on the west coast of Scotland and the history of short wave radio.
Clive GM4FZH will present the WARC Christmas Quiz again this year. He prepared this overview for you – click here to download a PDF copy.
Via Karl Zuk N2KZ, we have mentioned it before: This weekend of December 11 and 12, 2021 is the main event of the centenary celebrations for the transatlantic tests of 1921.
If you’d like to watch the live stream that begins at 2am UTC on Sunday 12th, please click this link to access the YouTube video.
The following content has been collected by Nadine MM0WNW and I’m posting on her behalf.
During an excellent CW Discussion Evening at the start of December 2021, it became clear that there is a range of ways WARC members use Morse code (some inspirational stories were shared). It’s clear that there are a lot of different learning styles, so it’s useful to be aware of different approaches to learning the code and improving proficiency. Following the meeting, several individuals have made suggestions – so here’s a beginning list of recommended resources.
He says: There are loads of online resources available including pile up simulators, QSB and QRN simulators, and of course live on air practice.
Some Recommended Resources:
Joining FISTS – CW Society
The club produces practice CDs containing MP3 code at various speeds, I bought these to give a little back to the club, not sure how much use they were as I could remember quite a lot of the text on subsequent “listens”.
ZL1AN – Teach – Windows program
Scroll down the page to find the download link
This can teach letters, numbers and punctuation, and when proficient use the load practice text function to have access to 990 5 min Morse-newspaper articles. Good fun and has helped me a lot. I set a task of two lessons per day for a year. At the end of each lesson the CW article is shown on screen to check against. Speed and spacing are variable by the user, allowing the student to go as fast or slow as you please.
Morserino-32
This is a fun hardware project (Easy to build) that can send random characters, numbers and punctuation.
Depending on mode, the user then sends the character back on the box which if sent correctly will display it, if you get the timing wrong, it shows a series of “e” and “T” characters.
The club who designed it releases software updates occasionally. It can also be used as a practice oscillator and will display the characters sent to it. For classroom use a low power tx is built in to allow real QSOs between multiple users (in the same room). Don’t try to take it on an aircraft though, it looks quite suspect!
First Class CW Operators’ Club – has an excellent page – with links to the following online resources, plus other helpful information. Three of these resources are listed below, but there is much more information on the page https://g4foc.org/Improving-Your-CW
Morse Trainer by Ray, G4FON (FOC 1874)
This free Windows software uses the Koch method, teaching CW two letters at a time sent at the speed that you want to achieve, e.g. 15 wpm. When those two are mastered others are added. As you improve your skill you can add QRM, QSB and QRN. You can also adjust the character speed and the spacing between the characters.
Ray gave the presentation “Improving your Morse Code skills from 5NN TU to effortless casual rag-chewing” at the 2018 RSGB convention.
Learn CW On-Line by Fabian, DJ1YFK (FOC 1796)
This free course, using the Koch method, lives in “the cloud.” It includes teaching and practice at various speeds using text and code groups. There’s even QTC practice for the WAE contest.
Pileup Practice by Chuck, NO5W (FOC 1944)
Chuck has been providing the software used for the Kansas City DX Club’s pileup competition at the Dayton hamfest for about the past ten years. He’s put several years worth of his competition archives on his website. They’re great practice for digging calls out of the mob.
Clubs: FISTS (Karl agrees with Tim about the usefulness of this club)
Quarter Century Wireless Association
K9YA.org – Free monthly CW newsletter
Software:
CWCOM – (TRY IT! TRY IT !! TRY IT!!) A wonderful way to learn Morse – Windows only (note from the editor: can run on Mac or Linux using Wine). Use an Australian server to send Morse (with your computer’s down-arrow key and more!) and see your code fist produce characters on-line. Talk to others in Morse from all over the world with just your computer! (Everything you do is accompanied by on-screen text to encourage you and to build your self-esteem!)
Free download: https://morsepower.blogspot.com/2016/08/cwcom-program-to-communicate-using.html
The MFJ Morse Code Tutor – hold in your hand an endless source of code to listen to.
Books/Articles:
The Morse Bible (Third Edition – 241 pages)
William Pierpont’s leviathan and authoritative tomb regarding all things Morse (free download)
Highly recommended: RSGB book on learning Morse
Highly sought after: RSGB early edition Morse book authored by the legendary Margaret Mills
Plus Karl’s unbridled tribute to Margaret Mills (see newsletter, start at page 5)
Regarding the CWCOM software Karl mentioned. I built an adapter based on the description on the website, to connect my real paddle to the computer and use it with the application – that worked very well and I recommend it for a more natural feel and better learning/practice effect.
I also recommend https://lcwo.net/, mentioned above by Frank as Learn CW On-Line by Fabian, DJ1YFK – easy to access since it runs in the browser, and works very well.
Once more in addition to a suggestion by Karl, I found an MFJ-414 DELUXE CLASSROOM MORSE CODE TUTOR for sale on Facebook. I actually don’t recall how much it cost me, but these devices are very versatile and good fun to play with.
Finally, I mentioned the Facebook group “Slow CW UK” on the night of the Zoom discussion – with over 600 members you can easily find others for practice CW conversations.
After our recent brainstorming evening it became clear that there is great interest in CW. Next Thursday our meeting will be all about CW, and Karl Zuk N2KZ – who is a real CW master – has agreed to chair the evening. In his own words:
Are you interested in Morse Code and CW? Join us this Thursday for a casual interactive talk all about the subject and great ways to learn all about understanding code. Karl Zuk N2KZ will join you for a conversation all about it.
We hope this will be interesting to many – bring your questions, your Morse keys, your CW related anecdotes and experiences – and of course you are more than welcome if you already know all about CW.
Finally, Karl provided us with a copy of his “Morse Code Survival Manual” – a great little book he put together himself. Please download your copy here!
We have received several queries recently about club efforts in the area of training – something the club has always offered, most recently through the efforts of Clive GM4FZH as our lead instructor. Clive recently resigned after many years, and Covid struck even before then – as a result, amateur radio training and exams have changed and so has the club’s involvement.
There is now a new page titled Becoming a Radio Amateur on this website, also accessible through the top-level menu, which details our situation at this point in time. We will keep this page up to date as things progress. Please feel free to pass on a link to the page wherever necessary!
This content comes to you courtesy of Karl Zuk N2KZ
Saturday, December 11 to Sunday, December 12, 2021
Celebrate the renowned event of one hundred years ago – The famed amateur radio tests between Greenwich, Connecticut and Ardrossan, Scotland.
“Yes! Amateur Radio can be heard across the pond!”
A complete calendar of events during the month of December 2021 is attached below. Tell your friends! Listen in!
Pictured: The site where Scottish amateurs will be listening for American signals: Along the North Crescent Road beachfront in Ardrossan, Scotland.
For an RSGB announcement of the event, with extra details and more links, please click here
Click the calendar image to download a PDF copy of the document
