Comments on: My New Hobby – CW http://pthree.org/2010/05/22/my-new-hobby-cw/ Linux. GNU. Freedom. Wed, 16 May 2012 07:36:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4-beta2-20489 By: Dick Smith http://pthree.org/2010/05/22/my-new-hobby-cw/#comment-110911 Dick Smith Wed, 26 May 2010 02:33:37 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1385#comment-110911 Way to go Aaron. I've been licensed for 59 years now and CW has always been my first love. Learned it the hard way, but it got me my Novice back in '56 and been going strong ever since. Good luck with your testing. It'll be easy, you'll see. Way to go Aaron. I’ve been licensed for 59 years now and CW has always been my first love. Learned it the hard way, but it got me my Novice back in ’56 and been going strong ever since. Good luck with your testing. It’ll be easy, you’ll see.

]]> By: Steven Rosenberg http://pthree.org/2010/05/22/my-new-hobby-cw/#comment-110909 Steven Rosenberg Mon, 24 May 2010 20:20:36 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1385#comment-110909 Aaron, I've had a Ham license for quite a long time - KC6FYL. I haven't been on the air in years but like you CW was what interested me. I was also interested in homebrewing and did manage to make my own crystal-controlled transmitter for 40 meters as well as an antenna tuner. I never got around to making a receiver, but I'd like to do that someday. It's funny - getting more into computers and Linux/BSD pretty much gave me something to do that wasn't amateur radio, so that's part of the reason I'm not doing it. I will probably sell off some of my equipment, but I just might keep an HF rig (got one of those in the early '90s) and give it another try. I just found my old 73 Magazine code tape in my boxes of old junk - and I even have a cassette player on which to listen to it. I did manage to do 13 WPM for the General test but never got the 20 WPM for Extra. Now you don't need 20 WPM, but I'd have to learn all that theory to get an Extra license. Maybe getting on the air is the answer ... Good luck Aaron. I don't know where the sunspots are at, but in the late '80s the solar activity meant that 10 meters was a very hot band for worldwide contacts with cheap equipment. If/when that happens again it could spark some interest. Aaron, I’ve had a Ham license for quite a long time – KC6FYL. I haven’t been on the air in years but like you CW was what interested me.

I was also interested in homebrewing and did manage to make my own crystal-controlled transmitter for 40 meters as well as an antenna tuner. I never got around to making a receiver, but I’d like to do that someday.

It’s funny – getting more into computers and Linux/BSD pretty much gave me something to do that wasn’t amateur radio, so that’s part of the reason I’m not doing it.

I will probably sell off some of my equipment, but I just might keep an HF rig (got one of those in the early ’90s) and give it another try.

I just found my old 73 Magazine code tape in my boxes of old junk – and I even have a cassette player on which to listen to it. I did manage to do 13 WPM for the General test but never got the 20 WPM for Extra.

Now you don’t need 20 WPM, but I’d have to learn all that theory to get an Extra license.

Maybe getting on the air is the answer …

Good luck Aaron. I don’t know where the sunspots are at, but in the late ’80s the solar activity meant that 10 meters was a very hot band for worldwide contacts with cheap equipment. If/when that happens again it could spark some interest.

]]> By: aaron http://pthree.org/2010/05/22/my-new-hobby-cw/#comment-110906 aaron Mon, 24 May 2010 05:19:25 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1385#comment-110906 test test

]]> By: longfellow_ca http://pthree.org/2010/05/22/my-new-hobby-cw/#comment-110905 longfellow_ca Sun, 23 May 2010 14:11:26 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1385#comment-110905 Glad to learn I have company in this new opportunity! I'm hoping my 75 year old brain can meet the challenge! Glad to learn I have company in this new opportunity!

I’m hoping my 75 year old brain can meet the challenge!

]]> By: ethana2 http://pthree.org/2010/05/22/my-new-hobby-cw/#comment-110902 ethana2 Sun, 23 May 2010 05:00:10 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1385#comment-110902 My comments 4, 5, 6, and 7 can be deleted. New hypothesis: http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2010/5/22/129190627850293860.png My comments 4, 5, 6, and 7 can be deleted. New hypothesis:
http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2010/5/22/129190627850293860.png

]]> By: ethana2 http://pthree.org/2010/05/22/my-new-hobby-cw/#comment-110899 ethana2 Sat, 22 May 2010 22:05:08 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1385#comment-110899 Midori on Ubuntu, test. Midori on Ubuntu, test.

]]> By: ethana2 http://pthree.org/2010/05/22/my-new-hobby-cw/#comment-110898 ethana2 Sat, 22 May 2010 21:57:07 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1385#comment-110898 NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

]]> By: ethana2 http://pthree.org/2010/05/22/my-new-hobby-cw/#comment-110897 ethana2 Sat, 22 May 2010 21:56:35 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1385#comment-110897 Okay ...so as long as I don't use Gmail, iGoogle, Facebook, Google Calendar, BlackBoard, Digg, my banking site, or any other web app where JavaScript performance actually matters, I should be fine for now.. Okay …so as long as I don’t use Gmail, iGoogle, Facebook, Google Calendar, BlackBoard, Digg, my banking site, or any other web app where JavaScript performance actually matters, I should be fine for now..

]]> By: ethana2 http://pthree.org/2010/05/22/my-new-hobby-cw/#comment-110896 ethana2 Sat, 22 May 2010 21:54:04 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1385#comment-110896 Ok, it says I'm using "linux", not "Ubuntu". That's not acceptable, I'm using Chromium from Ubuntu repos, I don't want my browsing giving stats collectors the idea that the linux desktop is still fragmented. I thought they fixed that. Guhh. Ok, it says I’m using “linux”, not “Ubuntu”. That’s not acceptable, I’m using Chromium from Ubuntu repos, I don’t want my browsing giving stats collectors the idea that the linux desktop is still fragmented. I thought they fixed that. Guhh.

]]> By: ethana2 http://pthree.org/2010/05/22/my-new-hobby-cw/#comment-110895 ethana2 Sat, 22 May 2010 21:52:08 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1385#comment-110895 I learned morse so I could hear my text and Google chat messages beeped out in 17.4 KHz during boring classes from my Droid. I learned morse so I could hear my text and Google chat messages beeped out in 17.4 KHz during boring classes from my Droid.

]]> By: Joseph http://pthree.org/2010/05/22/my-new-hobby-cw/#comment-110894 Joseph Sat, 22 May 2010 19:58:18 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1385#comment-110894 Greetings! Good to see another linux/gnome/ubuntu hacker getting into ham radio. :) Definitely go to extra if you can; you get full privileges that way and really that's where the stuff starts getting *really* interesting. If you have questions or just wanna chat, there are a bunch of linux and non-linux hams in #hamradio on freenode. Come on by sometime; we'd love to have you! 73, Joseph/nx0q/solarion Greetings! Good to see another linux/gnome/ubuntu hacker getting into ham radio. :)
Definitely go to extra if you can; you get full privileges that way and really that’s where the stuff starts getting *really* interesting.

If you have questions or just wanna chat, there are a bunch of linux and non-linux hams in #hamradio on freenode. Come on by sometime; we’d love to have you!

73,
Joseph/nx0q/solarion

]]> By: Stan Kain http://pthree.org/2010/05/22/my-new-hobby-cw/#comment-110892 Stan Kain Sat, 22 May 2010 15:36:41 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1385#comment-110892 Best of luck with the CW. I've been a ham radio operator since 1967, so CW was one of the basic requirements for licensing. In those days, before computers, radio opened the world to me. While my speed is quite rusty today, I've never forgotten the Morse Code. As antiquated as it may sound to those who have grown up with high speed electronic communications, it's still one of the most reliable means of communication we have today. Under most any circumstances, it's possible to communicate with Morse, when all other methods fail. Simple as being able to make sounds, flash lights or most any other means of "making and breaking" a signal from any source. Just a tip from an old guy and I'm sure you're already aware, but if you want to acquire speed and comfort with CW, learn not to count dots and dashes, but as with music, learn to hear a single sound created by the combination of dots and dashes. Once you have that secret, you will pick up speed in no time! Best of luck with the CW. I’ve been a ham radio operator since 1967, so CW was one of the basic requirements for licensing. In those days, before computers, radio opened the world to me. While my speed is quite rusty today, I’ve never forgotten the Morse Code. As antiquated as it may sound to those who have grown up with high speed electronic communications, it’s still one of the most reliable means of communication we have today. Under most any circumstances, it’s possible to communicate with Morse, when all other methods fail. Simple as being able to make sounds, flash lights or most any other means of “making and breaking” a signal from any source.

Just a tip from an old guy and I’m sure you’re already aware, but if you want to acquire speed and comfort with CW, learn not to count dots and dashes, but as with music, learn to hear a single sound created by the combination of dots and dashes. Once you have that secret, you will pick up speed in no time!

]]> By: Trey http://pthree.org/2010/05/22/my-new-hobby-cw/#comment-110891 Trey Sat, 22 May 2010 15:12:09 +0000 http://pthree.org/?p=1385#comment-110891 A good site that a ham built is http://lcwo.net/ it's great for learning CW. Also, CW stands for continuous wave. Good luck and 73! n5thx A good site that a ham built is http://lcwo.net/ it’s great for learning CW.

Also, CW stands for continuous wave.

Good luck and 73!

n5thx

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