Another Straight Key Night Event
Melinda Alsobrook (KI4CIA)
on
February 4, 2006
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Hello all,
First, I'll introduce myself. I'm a 33 year old female (yes, that's right, and active too). I've been a ham for a little over 2 years and have been enjoying CW since August 2005. I enjoy helping with emergency communications and working with the traffic nets. And everything I'm doing now is what I said I wouldn't do 2+ years ago while studying for the tech license. So, for all you other new ops out there, never say "never"!
Straight Key Night 2006 was a first for me. I had a blast - worked 9 stations which is a personal record for number of QSO's in a 24 hour period, and I finally started hearing the different "fists" of the different operators. Well, there's going to be another "Straight Key Night" event on February 1 starting at 0000 UTC and lasting for 24 hours. This one is in the middle of the week (and not on a holiday), so those of you missed the ARRL SKN because of work or New Year's celebrations will be able to participate. You can use a bug or straight key, same rules at the ARRL SKN.
This event is going to be sponsored by the Straight Key Century Club (SKCC). You'll hear SKCC numbers being passed around by the members (there's already over 500). There is no contest exchange and no logs to submit - the only goal is to have fun, meet people, and ragchew. Well, each SKCC member is hoping to be the first to work 100 members.
But we're not waiting until February 1st, there are ops already out there calling CQ SKCC on the SKCC calling frequencies (which are 1820, 3720, 7120, 10120, 14048, 18080, 21120, 24910, 28170, 50090, 14407). Novice portions have been included as much as possible, and this list will probably expand to accommodate the international members.
If you are interested in joining SKCC, check out their website at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skcc/ and email Tom, KC9ECI, at
tom@galesvillefiredepartment.org for a member number. Membership is free. This is a new group, so watch for changes. And if you have any ideas or want to help, please let us know!
73 and hope to hear you on the bands!
Melinda,
KI4CIA
SKCC # 2
FISTS # 11956
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Another Straight Key Night Event
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by KC9ECI on February 4, 2006
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Just a quick addendum, the SKCC is a monthly operating event that occurs at 0000Z on the first of each month. We are now over 1200 members and going strong.
We also have a message forum in addition to the yahoo group that can be accessed at http://www.skccgroup.com
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RE: Another Straight Key Night Event
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by K0BG on February 4, 2006
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My hat is off to you.
You don't have to be some CW guru who eats, drinks, and sleeps Mr. Morse's code. Even someone with a max speed of 2 wpm can have a ball. You just can't let a stigma (the "I can't" thing) place you on the outside looking in.
Alan, KØBG
www.k0bg.com
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Another Straight Key Night Event
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by WU7R on February 4, 2006
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This is a fun group and a great excuse to get on the air with a straight key. All speeds and levels of expertise are welcome. Lots of enthusiasm and energy abound with this group. Come and join the fun...73, Ci
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Another Straight Key Night Event
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by WA5VQM on February 4, 2006
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This has really livened up the old novice portions of the bands. It's fun to hear activity there again. Nor is this for just the speed demons out there, QSOs tend to be more relaxed and easy going on the speed.
Go dust off that old key and join in the fun.
73,
Mark
CW Lives
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Another Straight Key Night Event
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by KI4GNO on February 4, 2006
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This is the breath of life that the CW bands needed! Areas of the band that were quiet are hopping now. The enthusiasm & fun is just plain wonderful. Have enjoyed all the QSOs and looking foward to many more!
73 Dawn (KD4AWN) SKCC #400
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RE: Another Straight Key Night Event
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by W1DFU on February 4, 2006
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This certainly has livened up the CW portion of our bands.
I'm having a ball reliving my Novice days of 50 years ago.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone responsibe getting this fantastic idea off the ground !!
73,
Bert W1DFU
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Another Straight Key Night Event
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by AA7EQ on February 4, 2006
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Bugs, sideswipers, cooties, doorbell buttons, touching two wires together, and any other form of mechanical keying are welcome too.
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Another Straight Key Night Event
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by WB2S on February 4, 2006
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Tom, Melinda, Gordon, et al have created a wonderful group of like minded hams interested in 'retro-digital'! I have not had this much fun with radio in years. What a great group to be a part of. Previously spartan use of some of our spectrum now feel like they did back in the day! Tolerant experienced hams are helping new ones to brush up on their skills. Older hams are pulling out their gear, brushing them off and firing them up!
Many SKCC members also embrace and are members of the other fine CW groups revitalizing this aspect of our hobby: FISTS, NAQCC, and other QRP groups.
Join us, we are having a blast!
73, Eliot SKCC #256 FISTS # 11586 NAQCC #876
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Another Straight Key Night Event
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by K4VD on February 4, 2006
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The bands have come alive with CW.
This isn't simply people exchanging SKCC numbers in contest-style contacts but wonderful ragchews between people that share an interest in mechanical keys of all kinds. On any night, you'll work J-38s, paper clips, bugs, The Thermo-Key and many other contraptions.
I've worked and heard about every skill level out there from first contact to grizzled vetran of the mechanical key. If you haven't been on CW for a while because the last time you called for an hour and got no response... try again around the SKCC frequencies. You will be surprised.
I hope those using keyers will also work SKCC members. Who knows, after a QSO or two, you may be running to Office Max to buy a box of staples to build a key while waiting for your Lionell, Kent, Vibroplex or other straight key to arrive.
My hat is off to the organizers and members of SKCC for keeping the CW spirit alive and well.
73,
Kev - K4VD - SKCC 605
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Another Straight Key Night Event
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by KE6US on February 4, 2006
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I'm sitting here with my Hallicrafters 612 AM radio (with 640 & 1240 clearly marked "CD") tuned to the local oldies station in the background. The Drake 2-B is tuned to 7.120 which is filled with CW stations. Amazing! It's 1957 all over again.
I didn't enjoy the "duck and cover" exercises to protect me from intantaneous nuclear incineration, but band conditions were sure good then. The 50's are a good place to visit with SKCC, but I wouln't want to live there.
Eric
KE6US
www.ke6us.com
SKCC 86
PACTOR is...never having to say "QRL?"
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Another Straight Key Night Event
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by W9JDH on February 4, 2006
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Fellow hams, Tom, Melinda, Gordon, and others have done what I thought would be impossible. They and the members of SKCC have literally brought CW activity back to the airwaves.
The enthusiasm and the number of hams out there who have now got a desire to learn and use CW is almost overwhelming. When I first saw a post about this group forming, my opinion was that it would die before it ever got started. Did I ever get fooled!!
Folks, this group is very different than a lot of other grous in that you do not just work a station just to get another number on your list, but you also make friends. If you have not listened to the bands for a while (especially the Novice portions) I encourage you to do so. Drag out that old key and it won'tbe long until you will be among the many CW ops that are bringing this art back to life.
Friendship, Fellowship, and Fun!!
Jimmy, W9JDH
SKCC #80
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Another Straight Key Night Event
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by K7FD on February 4, 2006
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Sure has flipped the ON switch on 80m around the northwest! Now in the evenings it's not unusual to hear 5 to 10 qso's going near 3.720MHz...
73 John K7FD SKCC #984
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RE: Another Straight Key Night Event
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by NS6Y_ on February 4, 2006
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Hey this sounds like fun, I need to get my k2 finished and work on my CW so this is just right. Guess I'd better melt some solder.
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RE: Another Straight Key Night Event
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by N7BUI on February 4, 2006
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"Bugs, sideswipers, cooties, doorbell buttons, touching two wires together, and any other form of mechanical keying are welcome too. "
AA7EQ...Do cooties conduct electricity? Or is this some type of keying device I know nothing about! Inquiring hams want to know.
By the way this is a great idea!
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RE: Another Straight Key Night Event
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by W2LJ on February 4, 2006
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A Cootie key is also known as a sideswiper. It's basically a straight key on its side except that you make contact on each side of the swing. It takes a bit of getting used to; but once you master it, you can send Morse for hours without straining your arm or elbow.
Tom et al. have done a wonderful job. It's great to hear so many straight keys and so much CW on the bands - just like my Novice days back in the 1970s.
Between SKCC, FISTS and the North American QRP CW Club I would have to say, with apologies to Mr. Clemens, that the reports of the demise of CW are highly exaggerated!
Join the fun - today!
73 de Larry W2LJ
FISTS #1469
NAQCC #35
SKCC #49
QRP-ARCI #4488
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Another Straight Key Night Event
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by KI4CIA on February 4, 2006
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Hello and thanks for your comments.
To add to Tom's, there were many changes while this article was pending approval. Tom's already mentioned the website and the new message board at www.skccgroup.com.
There are awards now - SKCC Centurion Award and SKCC Centurion QRP Award, with more to come.
There are two (that I know of) who have already worked 100 members and received their Centurion Award. One worked 100 members in 8 days!
Also, we've added these DX operating frequencies - 3.530 and 7.055.
The first operating event was a success! It was even more fun than SKN 2006 because I worked my first pile-up on the novice portion of 40 meters and I had 10 QSO's in a 24 hr period!
Now if we could just get a little bit more activity on 17, 15 and 12.
73, Melinda
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RE: Another Straight Key Night Event
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by AF9J on February 5, 2006
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Cool!, I'll have to check it out. I'm sorry I missed the Feb. 1 event.
Hi Melinda, I'm a YL like you. I've been licensed since 1978, and am active as a contester. This'll give me a chance to take out the kit rigs I've built, and fire 'em up. Oh yeah, and use either my bug I've had for the last 23 years, or my Bencher straight key (it's a killier straight key feelwise people - give one a try). It'll be nice for a change, to not work 30wpm machine gun contest CW, and have nice relaxed QSOs like I used to have back in the 80s as a novice and an early general. By the way, has there been any thought to extending this to 30 meters (I'm looking for an excuse to build a SWL DSW-30 for that band)? This is a chronically neglected band.
73,
Ellen - AF9J
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RE: Another Straight Key Night Event
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by KC9ECI on February 5, 2006
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Ellen--
We sure do work on 30M! Toss out a CQ around 10.120 and see what you can reel in.
BTW, looking at the scores published so far for the ARRL's 10M contest last December, looks like you're going to take 2nd place in WI for the mixed mode QRP catagory.
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RE: Another Straight Key Night Event
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by AF9J on February 5, 2006
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Cool. Thanks for the info. Yeah, all too many hams ignore CW in mixed mode contests. By the way, where did you get my claimed score from (I haven't seen anything on the ARRL website)? My CW operating probably contributed to my score. All too often in mixed mode contests, hams ignore CW. For my score, it's always been a lifesaver (especially years ago, in VHF/UHF contests).
I just got back into contesting (and hamming in general), after a 4 year layoff (money got tight, I sold off most of my gear, and my life became waaaay too hectic). I'm a QRP nut, and have been, ever since I was in college in the 80s (age here is 42, been licensed since 1978; I got my Extra class in 1994 the hard way - at 20 Wpm). I've been contesting QRP exclusively since the early 90s. My main rig is an Icom IC-703 Plus. Oh yeah, and I do all of this from a 2nd story apartment. My 2 cats sometimes try to be my co-operators, LOL. I finally broke down, and purchased a contest logging program last November (WriteLog - a good program), which eliminated a lot of the logging, and duping hassles I used to have with paper logs.
Thanks for the info on 30m SKN activity. I'm looking for an excuse to do more 30m operating (I looked into PSK-31 on 30m, and found out there's hardly any activity on 30m for this mode, oh well).
73,
Ellen - AF9J
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RE: Another Straight Key Night Event
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by KC9ECI on February 5, 2006
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From http://www.arrl.org/contests/claimed/logs_rx.html?con_id=99
AF9J SINGLE-OP 10M QRP MIXED WI 4830
A bit further down the list you'll see the other entrant in that catagory, some KC9 call.
Watch this, I'm going to use your own bio...somewhat:
I'm a QRP nut too,(age here is 39, 40 come March, been licensed since 2003; I got my Extra class in 2005 the easy way - at 50 questions, multiple guess). I've been contesting QRP exclusively since I got my ticket, with one excursion into the ranks of QRO that left me feeling dirty like I needed a shower and a trip to confession. My main rig is an Icom IC-703 Plus. I finally broke down, and purchased a contest logging program last December (The AClog contesting package - a good set of programs), which just made things easeir for me.
Slick huh!
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RE: Another Straight Key Night Event
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by AF9J on February 5, 2006
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Cool. You have a 703 Plus too. I got mine back in Nov. 2004 (I only live 10 miles from AES, and it was On Sale at a price I couldn't resist). It was an early one, so I got (for free) all of the factory upgrades in '05 done to it (bootstrap the finals so they wouldn't blow up [which some of the early ones did, under certain operating condx.], the CW keying hangup fixed [I won't lie, I use the internal keyer when I contest], and the 60m mod [seems like an interesting band to try out]).
It's a good little rig (and is certainly ergonomically friendlier than the FT817), and unlike the FT817, has an RF speech processor (a necessity for QRP phone in my opinion [especially during contests]), and RTTY. It's phone audio is as good as the SGC SG-2020 I used to have (and much better than my old Index Labs QRP Plus which seemed to only have SSB as an afterthought), which I had to sell in 2000, when times were tough. And, it's a better rig for CW, than the 2020. It also has OK DSP. I put in the 500 Hz CW filter a few months back, which sure came in handy, during last weekend's CQ 160m CW contest (believe it or not, I actually made 42 QSOs, with 20 states & provinces, with my 140ft, end fed antenna [wound around my 2nd story balcony]). I run my 703 Plus at 5 watts or less, at all times. I'm glad I have it.
73,
Ellen, AF9J
P.S. - just be as bad a Catholic as I am, and forget confession (I did, and I lived accross the street from my church) if you run QRO. :)
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RE: Another Straight Key Night Event
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by WB2S on February 5, 2006
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Ellen:
I also live in an apartment (3rd floor). I am curious about your antennas, particularly your 140' end fed. I cannot locate an email address for you. If possible, please email my QRZ.com email - if you do not mind answering some questions about apartment operating. I am interested in your contesting and casual operating experiences on various band.
73, Eliot SKCC #256
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RE: Another Straight Key Night Event
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by WA6CDE on February 6, 2006
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Oh darn... why do you have to go doing this when it was so nice and quiet down on the CW bands. It used to be that everyone was quiting CW.... why even the ARRL was saying that no one used it any more and that the new hams didn't have to lean it...as it was too hard... which was great for us oldies... we could leave the radio locked on a frequency and the volume up so when you heard CW you knew it was for you... but, now someone has to go changing all of that...
I liked the idea of NO CODE after all it left a sections of the bands just for us...
And as far as the DX contests... well when the other nations voted to quit CW... fine.. no more interfearance from those peskie... over their counties... nice and quiet ... peaceful... and I was looking forward to the day that I could get on and talk to my buddys on cw.. and those other countries wouldn't know what we were talking about.. grin... our own secret language... they couldn't copy.... (oh and don't think computers can copy all code.. especally when you upset the spacing... or weighting.. atttt nope... grin...)
But, nooooo now someone has to come on EHAM and show evryone the best kept secret on the ham bands... why what next the ARRL is going to introduce a entry level ham ticket... geee all except for the code requirement... sounds like the old novice band thing... but, whats this... they want to come back to CW... aggggggg what next... class licenses... sometimes I wonder about the ARRL and its wisdom... and just who is incharge of the boat back their...
Look... no one down on cw except us old farts... and we all talk in CW... its hard to understand... (why just listen to the no code people whine about it) its a lot of dedicated work to learn it.. Its no fun and boreing to all the rest who want to get on and squeeze the pickle... so why would anyone want to learn a old outmoded means of commucations...(ref FCC/world raido conferance) ... why even the navy said no more .. digital is in.. cw is history... soooo take heed and head up to the other end of the band where its more fun and all your buddies are ... newbies... the only interfearance we get now is from them RTTY guys having there contest... and wiping out the QRP frequencies... but, hey then comes this group who want some sort of straight key night every month... sic
Now I have some newbie guy on cw asking what the 9 in RST 579 means... he is arguing that his signal should be a 8 or nine... after all he says mine is... says he just got a key and wants to know if I can copy him... ahhhh watch this... I'll send him ... QLF grin...
THERE GOES THE HAM BANDS...
LOOK.... PLEASE DON'T SPREAD THE WORD THAT WE ALL ARE HAVING FUN DOWN HERE... Were trying to keep it A SECRET...
Someone go get the welcome mat... and flip it over...these guys are taking it serious... what next ... they will be joining the CW MTC (morse telegraph net on sat moring at 0830 PST on 7.084... slow speed cw at 0930) darn... too much fun...
WA6CDE
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Another Straight Key Night Event
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by KA2JIZ on February 6, 2006
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Great! What a breath of fresh air. And the Novice frequencies too. My happiest cw was 15 meters as a Novice 1980 or so. Most enjoyable six months on the air. And what DX!
Very nice that this was posted by a YL. Exceptional American and Allied cw operators
during WW2.
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Another Straight Key Night Event
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by AH6GI on February 6, 2006
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I built a 100 mw QRP CW transmitter and tested it by soldering 2 one inch wires to the board. By pinching the wires, I can send at maybe 10 WPM.
I figure this will be just the perfect match to my SB-303 with 500 Hz filter.
Some of the most ham-fun I had was as a novice on 15 meters in 1963. This was with a DX-60 and SX-101A. The SB-303 is a better receiver and the new QRP transmitter is more than good enough.
de ah6gi/4
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Another Straight Key Night Event
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by KB9YGD on February 17, 2006
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Yes indeed a very good article Melinda e s of course every one must remember that ``Real Hams`` do CW,keep logs e s Qsl 100%...73,``The Real Ham``
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Another Straight Key Night Event
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by N5VWN on March 16, 2006
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At least it's free. Unlike fist and 10/10. I'm sure they have thier reasons, but there are enough things in this world wanting my money. A little bit here and there. Anyways, this one is a welcome relief.
n5vwn
flying pig#1100. . .free!
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