Curious: are you saying that you can understand a conversation at 100 WPM?  Pretty impressive, not many can do that.  I know W4BQF at least used to be able to qso at such speeds.  From my perspective it is valid for one to say they are "copying" at what ever speed information is clearly exchanged in a qso. 

I have a daily qso with a friend at 60 wpm, usually for about an hour.   But I have zero interest in being able to copy call signs at high speeds or random word groups etc. at any speed (and am unable to do either).  My interest in operating CW is to use it on the air in qso at whatever speed.  I can't begin to do it at 100 wpm though.  I can't even follow another qso at 80 wpm, so my "copy" limit (using my definition) is in the 60 to 65 range max.

73,

Chuck, W5UXH

My ALS-600 has been there close to two months now.  Hard to get any responses via phone or web query, but they finally acknowledged it was there and said they would get to it some day.  I'm sure they will not just ship mine back as a surprise since they will want some payment (not in warranty).

Chuck W5UXH

Take a look at the DZKIT Sienna QSK demo video at the bottom of this page: http://www.dzkit.com/receiver_performance.htm

No relays in the keying path (all solid state switching); QSK between elements up to at least 60 wpm (in the video you can see the received audio between elements, not sure if my ears can perceive it, but between characters there is no doubt).

Chuck, W5UXH


AJ4MJ commented:

I'm thinking about a Flex and this is an area of consertnation for me, as they currently don't do QSK very well :-(

Bill,

I must admit I also had a bit of confusion with:

"Very quiet [again] this morning on 17. A 'Zero' in NC, only."

My first reading led me to think you were talking about how quiet the band noise was, but the reference to a 'zero' noise level in NC just seemed strange, since I was pretty sure you were not in NC! (And band noise on 17 must always be near zero?)

p.s.  In a qso back in Dec 1979, you mentioned you wanted to ride your Honda 550 to Las Cruces to check out the MSEE program here at NMSU.  By coincidence, we moved to LC about two years ago and our son got his BS here back in the 90's.  

Chuck, W5UXH

K8QLW stated:

"2) I owned a FT-767 for a while back when and if I selected break in, the first part of the first CW character was noticeably shortened. It had a manual transmit / receive switch, which I initially used. "

If you have access to the QST review, take a look at the keying waveform.  The elements (at 60 wpm) are extremely clipped.  It looks to me as if the nominal 20 msec dit length is shortened to 10 msec or slightly less, on both the "first" and "second" dit.

With this extreme clipping of dits at 60 wpm, I suspect it is pretty bad even down at 25 to 30 wpm.

If you do not have access, email me (see QRZ listing for my email) and I will send you a snapshot.

Marc very correctly commented:

>Actually, that is incorrect. Each Q code has a question
>and answer form. QRL without the question mark means "I
>am busy."

QRL without the question mark is one of my pet peeves.  I never, ever, reply to a CQ of this form:

"QRL QRL     CQ CQ ...."

Unfortunately I hear it way too often and from many long time CW ops.

Chuck, W5UXH

Here is a link to two recordings (MP3 files), one from Dec 2008 and one from this past week in June 2009:

http://sites.google.com/site/w5uxhcw1/40m-gurgling-qrm

I have been assuming that the other comments I have read about strange QRM are from folks hearing the same sort of junk, because some of the descriptions are so similar, referring to dripping, bubbling, gurgling etc.

Chuck, W5UXH
Las Cruces, NM

M0RGJ commented:
"This was part of the rsgb news,hope it explains !

Radio Ethiopia causes interference on new 7MHz segment "

I doubt that his is what some of us have been hearing.  Some descriptions call it "bubbling water" or "gurgling" or "dripping".  On the low end, each segment of qrm is roughly 4 to 5 KHz wide, with perhaps another 5 KHz or so gaps where you do not hear it.  I think it usually has these short segments spread between around 7015 and 7040 or 7050.  It definitely is not white noise.  Very unusual warbling tones.

Chuck, W5UXH
Las Cruces, NM

It was also active last December I think, but seems much worse when active these days.  The question was recently asked on another group and W4BQF commented as follows:

"That is just some digital junk coming from over in eastern Europe. It is not PSK or any of the standard digital modes. Not too much we can do about it except QSY! It is a PITA!!"

I don't know what it is myself, but it gets pretty bad in New Mexico at times.  Last night it was really bad, tonight I do not yet hear it.

Chuck, W5UXH
Las Cruces, NM

Marvin,

I think you answered your own question:  "I am having a ball on CW".  To me that means you are making good progress!

I have no idea if there is any real meaningful average since people vary so much.  But your goal of head copy in qso's is the right one in my opinion, and I think it sounds like you are doing great.

I can not offer an example from my own experience because it was 50 years ago.  But as long as you are having fun, most likely you will easily reach your goal of 25-30 wpm for comfortable head copy.  

Keep having fun!

Chuck, W5UXH

Billy commented:  "just done a google search and all i came up with is .-.-.- for period "

If you do a google search for American Morse Code you should find several tables that compare American to International.  Under American (the old telegraphy code) you will find ..--.. for period.  One of the links that shows the table is http://chss.montclair.edu/~pererat/percode.htm

Some folks do converse using American Morse, but I have never heard normal International Morse qsos where anyone uses ..--.. for a period!  Maybe this a European thing?

(Billy had previously written:  "I also use .-.-.- for period as apposed to what i hear more commonly ..--..")

Yep, for the last few days I have been hearing it spread across 40M in several different spots, just as you describe.  Glad to know it is not a new local qrm source at least.  Hopefully it will disappear soon.

Chuck
Las Cruces, NM

Hi Billy,

Just to be clear, I certainly was not suggesting that KA is anything you want to use!  I was only trying to provide the meaning when it was used in the past (most likely primarily in commercial traffic), at least on this side of the pond. I believe I have heard one ham who used it in my 48 years on the air.

Chuck

M0JHA asked about "KA":
Sometimes i hear KA at the start of a transmission<

and WB2WIK/6 commented:
::You shouldn't; this doesn't mean anything.

I have been told KA is the "ATTENTION" symbol, and on the AC6V web page I find a list that says:

KA    Beginning of message

73,  Chuck