CW Operators Club, CWT Contest, 43 QSO's in 18 minutes 

Glad to hear your story. I also went to your QRZ bio page. Great story there also. Hope to meet you on the air some day. 73.

I usually don't respond to whiney carping but I decided to make a rare exception in your case. Well, thanks a lot for your insight into what a waste of time my operating is. For a guy that likes to tout the importance of knowing something about his fellow ham operators, your sure gave yourself away that you don't know Jack about me! You can go blow your carping BS crap elsewhere my friend. Click READ MORE and don't stop reading until you reach the end: Guess what? I use FT-8, just like I use and have used all of the following: AM/SSB/FM phone; RTTY with mechanical teleprinters mode 14 and ASR28 as well as PC with soundcard modem; Satellite operation using CW/SSB/FM/Packet; Digital contact with astronaut Michael Foal on Russian MIR Space Station; Satellite Worked All States; 9 Band DXCC in 3 modes; Handled Viet Nam refugee traffic from refugee camp on Guam in 1975 on Western Pacific CW Traffic Net, as well as civilian and service member traffic from Gaum from 1972 to 1976; I also use orthogonal multiplexing to contact other hams and spend lots of time talking about lots of things our names, age, line of work etc. In fact I've been doing that in many modes for over 50 years. I am also a CW Academy advisor and guide new CW ops in learning and using the code in twice a week Zoom meetings. I'm also a VE through two different VEC's. In addition to the above I also enjoy contesting on Phone CW and RTTY. I have three Division plaques for November Sweepstakes Phone and CW contest, 3 top score Michigan QSO party dual mode phone and CW, and top score Indiana QSO party out of state QRP (5 watt, CW only) plaque. I have file folders full of first first place in Michigan certificates in various contests. Click this link and enter my call (K8BZ) in the search window for a small sample. contests.arrl.org/certificates.php KEEP READING ARRL DXCC Honor Roll, 9 Band DXCC, 6 Band WAS, 3 mode WAS, DXCC Challenge at 2000. I better not overlook the other important things you mentioned. I'll be 70 years old in September; I am a retired police lieutenant and was 911 dispatch center director in two Michigan counties; other hobbies are hunting, fishing and sailing; latest electronics experiments building a square wave generator using a 555 timer in astable mode and feeding the output to a 74HCT393N dual 4 bit binary counter that displays 8 LEDs that count in binary from zero to 255 (0000 to 1111 binary) and then using two 74SL04 hex inverters to display the inverse of the above counter which simultaneously counts down from 255 to zero in binary. Then I work on duplicating that result using an Arduino Max programmed with Arduino IDE software. There, now you know a little bit about me, seeing as how you place such high value on such knowledge. 73, K8BZ

Well, now you have been categorized with the "whiney carpers". Welcome to the club. Just remember, you've been put in your place by one of the fastest computer typists in ham radio.

Your reply is a great. What a great Elmer you are, so patient, kind, knowledgeable, willing to share, and respond with such good will. You represent HAM radio very well. You are an amazing Elmer for sure. I have already learned so much from you. Keep up the FB work OM. A pleasure to have gotten to really know you. 73

Sorry I don't have a video of the set up. We sold this house in Sept 2021 and all the gear is in storage until the new house is finished. It was supposed to be done by now, but all the material availability and worker slowdowns have delayed completion. No way to tell how long. I plan to make such a video after I'm back on the air. Thanks for the view, 73, K8BZ

@@stevewuelfing6326 Well with any luck once you're all set up I'll have a call sign to drop on the video!

Thanks for your remarks. Keep at it. Your speed will increase with practice.

Automatically sending CQ's, contest exchange etc. is all done with the logging program working with the CW electronic keyer called Winkey USB. Setting all this up in the logging program (N1MM+) requires using macro files with the correct info, together with setting a feature in the CONFIG menu called ENTER SENDS MESSAGES (ESM). There are helpful instructions and videos on the N1MM+ web site. N1MM+ will seem like a very complecated set of programs at first. But use the videos that you will find here: n1mmwp.hamdocs.com/mmfiles/categories/howtovideos/ Don't try to learn it all at once. Get started with the basics and keep adding to your knowledge of how to use the advanced features of the program. I also highly recommend using Winkey USB keyer with N1MM+ to take advantage of the features you asked about. Good luck and 73, Steve

You can use a paddle, hand key, electronic keyer on just about any contest. There may be exception though. It's best to read the contest rules to see if their are restrictions. I'm not familiar with every contest so I couldn't give you a definitive answer. But in general, you can use any type of keying device.

Thanks, 73 K8BZ

Thanks for your nice remarks. Usually when I'm using the paddle I'm asking the other station to repeat something I missed. Or if more than one station is call me and I couldn't get an entire callsign I will repeat the part of a call that I heard and the station that has those letters in their call will repeat their call for me. When I am using the keyboard I'm not typing the characters that are sent in Morse code. Usually I'm just entering their call in the log when they call me and then when I press ENTER it sends my exchange for the contest. Thanks again and hope to see you on CW some day.; 73, k8bz

I am not using a decoder. It's call a History File. It doesn't decode what is sent. What it does is searches the history file for the callsign you entered and if it is in the file, it pre-fills the exchange info that the user of that callsign used in a previous contest. You still need to verify the info and correct any changes from what they used in a previous contest, and there are lots of changes. It can never pre-fill a serial number because it's never the same from contest to contest. And lots of the more casual contesters are not in the history file at all and you must copy and fill those files yourself. But the direct answer to your question is 'yes'. It is not against contest rules to use a CW decoded. But it wouldn't work very well. CW decoders are very prone to errors, and it would never work if you were running; maybe search and pounce.

@@k8bz983 Thanks 73

He's not using a decoder, but many have become CWops members with a keyboard and decoder in a CWT. No CW skills requured will get you sponsored, nominated, and confirmed. Just pay your membership dues and you too can become a proud CWops member. Then ask where all that money goes? Ha

I was on 40 meters, probably about 7.030 Mhz.

Not for a "rag chew" but for competitive contesting, yes. Just the same as it would be for an SSB contest.

@@k8bz983 you could have got your secretary to do that

@@g7pxk885 You got me there. I mean, it isn't like PSK where there is the skill level is way beyond me. This morning in the CWT I did 127 QSO's in 60 minutes. You could probably easily double that.

@@k8bz983 watched a ZL2 on utube last night operating CW on three bands at the same time, thats not contesting thats cheating, zero skill level in pressing buttons, i was brought up told that contesting allowed you to show your skill in operating in awkward conditions,crowded bands and perfecting your tx/rx skills, RIP amateur radio.

@G7PKX you were a malingerer who couldnt be bothered to learn Morse Code and get you Class A licence in the UK before the three tiered licensing system was introduced. I will bet you even declared you had no interest in HF......but once you hot free access I bet you suddenly became an avid HF operator. This is the way top class CW contesters operate.....hats off to them. You more than likely stick to SSB contests!!

IC-7600

It's all a matter of personal of what the individual enjoys. Some like it and some don't. The CQ WW CW contest is in progress right now. It will give your 7300 water fall some color in the CW portion of the band. It's basically full. By Monday at this time you will see over 90% of the band space is unused, with the exception of the FT-8 frequency. As for me, I can't get excited about meeting at a designated time and frequency each day or week to take my turn with the same dozen or so hams how all say pretty much the same thing from week to week. But if that's their thing, that's great. At least they're getting on the air.

Thanks for the view and for your comments. I really enjoy hearing how others are finding contests enjoyable. Especially CW contests. We all need each other if we want to be able to continue enjoying this aspect of the hobby.

Not for the nearly 3000 CW Ops club members and many more. Feel free to continue to enjoy ham radio your way, without computers.

I can head copy plain language at up to 30 or so wpm, copy on a keyboard at up to 35 wpm, send with Iambic in true iambic mode, or non-iambic and with single lever key with either hand. I'm sorry you only have one tool in your box. It must be tedious.

Nothing wrong with using a computer for sending cw! I have tried using a few programs for decoding but tbh, my ears are far better. I can send and receive cw with a pair of ears and a key, but computers are very handy for keying eg contesting or dxpedition pile up working. Contesting is more or less impossible these days without a computer for logging and keying but you still need a good station and a good pair of ears.

I'm sorry. I must have missed the link to your video where you demonstrate how to do it right. But I'm always willing to learn something new. Show me your stuff!

It's not a QSO, its a contact