I participated in the last CQ WW CW contest. I made 535 QSOs. I would like to know how many countries, DXCC enties and such I have contacted overall and per band, etc. Is there a software out there I can used in order to have those statistics by simply uploading or opening my cabrillo log file?

Ian, VE5AE

I'm using Fldigi 3.21 and plan to use it during contests. When I go under the tabs Configure/Contest I select the duplicate option and checked the band tab.

When I test the duplicate function, it works, it detects the duplicates and color codes them. However, it is not band specific. Therefore, if I log a QSO with N1AAA on let's say 160m band. It will incorrectly show that callsign as a duplicate on all other bands.

Anyone knows how to fix this problem?

Additional information: Fldigi is not directly connected to my transceiver; therefore, I need to manually change the frequency or band when I go to a different band.

Ian
VE5AE

UPDATE: I confirmed that the mic is working. I tried AM and it does the same. No matter how much noise I make and how much the mic gain is turn up. There is nothing. I might open the rig to see if there is not a loose wire connection with the mic connector.

When I hit the PTT the rig switch to TRANSMIT but its just like an empty signal. There is no power, no SWR, no ALC, nothing, according to the meter on my rig. The same in PSK31. The only mode that I can operate on is CW; that seems to be fine.

I checked the manual of my IC-761 but I can't find what the problem is!

Any of you knows what is going on?

Ian, VE5AE

I keep testing and checking things and now I noticed that I have the same problem when using my mic on SSB. When I hit the PTT the rig switch to TRANSMIT but again, its just like an empty signal.  The only mode that I can operate on is CW. Then, the rig and its meter is operating normally. I checked the manual of my IC-761 but I can't find what the problem is!

I would like to try PSK31 but here what I'm experiencing. My rig goes on transmit but its seems that Im transmitting an empty signal. There is no power, no SWR, no ALC according to the meter on my rig.
Im trying to increase the mic gain and the Tx knob on the sound card but I still don't get anything. The meter won't give me any readings.

The transceiver and the interface are connected with the ACC port on the back of the rig.

Here what Im using:
Software: Fldigi with Linux
Transceiver: Ic-761
Interface: Signalink USB

Most of you are recommending to check the ALC to make sure there is no overtransmitting but in my case it seems I have the opposite problems.

Any of you knows what is going on?

Ian, VE5AE

I know that FLDIGI can logs QSOs during a contest. Can we save the results as a Cabrillo file with all QSOs and the scores in a format thats ready to be email for a contest all with FLDIGI. Or FLDIGI simply makes a file with all the QSOs and you need to use another software in order to generate the scores in a Cabrillo file?

Ian, VE5AE

My rig is connected to a ground rod ; as it should.

I'm installing an antenna, the antenna will have radials on the ground (or just an inch hidden under the grass). All those radials will be connected together. Should those radials be connected to the ground rod, have their own ground rod or just be radials and not connected to the the actual ground?

Ian, VE5AE

I moved to a new place and decided to try to Transceiver. I'm getting a curious interference. Basically, on ALL HF bands, at every increment of 10 khz (e.g. 7000, 7010, 7020, ... 21000,21010, ... ) I get a loud noise. It is between S7 and S9. Even without connecting any antenna. I was thinking it could have been either a computer or a TV or monitor screen but I unplugged everything and it is still there. Anyone out there knows what it is?

Ian
VE5AE

Question #1
I'm calling CQ and someone answered me. I only copied the prefix K4. What exactly should I send back in this case?

Question #2
I'm having a QSO, I copied the RST and ANT but not the QTH and name. How should I answer this?

I'm new to CW and I'm trying to learn right.

thx

Ian, VE5AE

I'm going to add my two cents here... I passed the 5WPM ticket years ago but never used it. Two months ago, I decided that I was going back to ham radio. Also, I decided that CW was the way to go. I committed myself to learning and my long-term goal was and still is 20 WPM. (I'm planning to operate on HF 99% in CW).

Since I had forgot all about CW, I had to start from square one. Reading advice online and also in this forum. I agreed that the Koch method was probably the best for me. So downloaded just learn Morse code. (A VERY good software). I started practicing two letters at 12 WPM with the characters sent at 20 WPM. It was good, but I realized at one point (half-way through the alphabet) that I was still counting. I tried to move to 15 wpm sent at 20 with mixed results.

At one point, I finally got a rig and decided to listen to live QSO. It was a shock. I was so used to large spacing that I could not copy nothing. I could not copy well even at 10 WPM. Don't get me wrong here, I still had Morse code knowledge. But I was handicapped because I was used to the large spacing.

At that point, I decided to listen to archive W1AW sound file that you can find online. I started with 13 WPM. It did not take me too long and I was doing good at that speed. Now, I trying to master 15 WPM. I'm not there; but I'm getting there. Soon, I will have the inverted V installed and I will be able to QSO. I believe that I should be able to have nice QSO at 13+ WPM on 40-meter.

Honestly, I don't think that there is a perfect way to master the code that fits everybody. Personally, my long-term goal is still to have a good solid copy at 20 WPM; but for a bit, I will try to focus on having fun with CW on the air.

Right now, I'm trying to move from 13 to 20 WPM. And I'm trying to move from paper copy to head copy. (Any advice?)

Before I conclude, I MUST thank people from this forum. N2EY, WB2WIK, KB1OOO and plenty of others. I might have quit at Day 4 if it was not of this forum and the advice I read. You guys don't know, but I was always reading the advice and telling myself, "If they did it; I can too".

73 de Ian, VE5AE

I'm coming back to ham radio after 16 yrs. I was operating only on CW and I committed myself re-learn CW. I'm now around the 15 WPM mark and I'm looking forward to make my first few QSO.

As I recently spend time learning (I personnaly call it conditioning) CW, I wonder about the Railroad company operators all over North America decades ago. How were they learning morse code?

Were they trained by the company or they knew morse before being hired? Did they trained themselves to 15-20 WPM and then get hired and later built their experience?

73 de Ian, VE5AE