Radio Is Fascinating

My first QSO was with a local friend.

2nd was with LA1CI near Oslo, Norway on 80 meters, happy days !

bassy

Deleted User wrote: »

Thank you very much !

your welcome aboard

Malmsteen

Great stuff Mad_Lad delighted for ya will be watching my emails today then with hope :-/

micko45

Deleted User wrote: »

I got my EI already ! happy days !

Well done, welcome to the EI club.

Malmsteen

Malmsteen wrote: »

Great stuff Mad_Lad delighted for ya will be watching my emails today then with hope :-/

Thanks a lot, yep fingers crossed. I’m sure they won’t update everyone the same day. Best of luck !

micko45

micko45 wrote: »

Well done, welcome to the EI club.

Cheers , it’s a great feeling I have to say, I was happy the old FT-77 and antenna got to Norway on 80 Meters ! not a bad 2nd qso.

Actually the North or Norway. Better again !

65535

Deleted User wrote: »

Thanks a lot, yep fingers crossed. I’m sure they won’t update everyone the same day. Best of luck !

Well done on your achievement.
Are you doing the CW as well ?

65535

65535 wrote: »

Well done on your achievement.
Are you doing the CW as well ?

I plan to eventually as this would interest me a lot.

Any good ideas on studying CW ?

What's involved in applying for CW exam ?

Smiler_Joe

Deleted User wrote: »

I plan to eventually as this would interest me a lot.

Any good ideas on studying CW ?

What's involved in applying for CW exam ?

Plenty of morse-teaching apps are available, e.g. Morse Trainer on Android

See IRTS web site, under Licensing / Morse Test for information about applying for the CW exam

Thanks, One complaint I hear a lot is experienced Hams not slowing down for less experienced hams and ignoring those who can't do CW at their desired speed.

Buy yeah, something I hope to learn next.

micko45

CW exam is done a few times a year, at the ham sales thing thats on near blancherdstown every February or in Athlone around summer time at the irts convention. I think its only 5wpm so easy enough. IRTS facebook group is your friend for the dates, or you can sign up for the weekly news bulletin via email which has lots of stuff of interest https://www.irts.ie/cgi/thisweek.cgi , If you pay 30 euro a year you get 4 really good magazines posted to you.

For training
Morse Toad is great to get the letters number down and then something more advanced like https://lcwo.net (learn cw online)
Fists group (http://fists.co.uk) is another one thats good. You have to join the club but they are on the air regularly. As for slowing down cw for the newbies there is parts of the bands allocated for that.

Or if you do what I did an take apart a pc mouse and hook it up to a morse key (or make one) and practise on http://www.morsecode.me/?room=1

DaveColt

have to get myself an SDR setup!

DaveColt

DaveColt wrote: »

have to get myself an SDR setup!

Yep , all very interesting but if you haven't already get your self an actual radio, something like a Tecsun PL-660 or PL-880 , nothing like having a radio or better again get yourself a ham radio transceiver that receives AM radio broadcast, the receivers in those are usually excellent.

And of course any radio is only as good as the antenna which will usually need to be mounted outside.

Eliminating computer interference can be a challenge when it comes to SDR.

Here are links to mine with external antennas and powered by linear power supplies.

http://emeraldsdr1.ddns.net:8073/

http://emeraldsdr.ddns.net:8074/

A+-Guru

FYI you do not need to pass the CW test if you want operate CW, the HAREC cert allows CW, if you want a CW extension to your call sign you need to pass exam.