W6KAY CW Schedule
2018-02-18 23:48
I recently setup my transceiver to connect to my straight key. I also downloaded the CW keyer "Dahdidah" to use for producing the key tone. Now I am trying to work stations at the lower end of each band. This is a chore because there are not many stations with CW setup, or they are not online at times I am on. In order to remedy this and help other stations working CW to locate my signal I have decided to post my schedule and frequencies. If any of you have the hamsphere keyer or a manual key setup to work with hamsphere, you can usually find me at the following times and frequencies (exception is family events):

10.120
14.220 +/- 5khz Weekends 14:00 - 16:00, 22:00 - 23:59
18.150

7.020
10.120 +/- 5khz Monday - Friday 03:00 - 04:30

These times are variable and subject to change but I will try to let everyone know. Please follow this topic if you are interested in CW contact. Perhaps sometime a CW net can be formed because there is not enough CW in the ham world today and would like to keep it alive! Thanks for reading!

CW Always!

Mike - W6KAY

CW Always!

73,
W6KAY - Mike
Re: W6KAY CW Schedule
2018-02-19 22:20
I have straight key connected to my pc, then use Morse keyer v4 to make sidetone. Then just routing the sound to hamsphere. I'd like to try cw here. Will try to look for you at your scheduled times.
Re: W6KAY CW Schedule
2018-02-23 01:33
Dear Mike,
You have to tell me in detail, as o how I can set up, in HS4 for cw. I am 79 and good at cw. I have been on cw only most of my time,
I give last priority for ssb.

best 73
de arasu vu2ur
Re: W6KAY CW Schedule
2018-02-24 05:30
Hello Arasu,

There are a few ways you can set up for cw operation on Hamsphere. The easiest way is to use a code oscillator to make the tones when you key. Set you transceiver mode to either LSB or USB depending on the band. Place a microphone next to the code oscillator and set your hamsphere transceiver's VOX control button to on and the VOX GAIN control to the second notch on the left (9 o'clock position as we say here in the states). when you press down on your key, the oscillator will provide the tone to the microphone and the VOX will activate the transceiver's PTT circuit and your cw will be transmitted (as well as any other noise in the room). The only problem with this method is that the oscillator tone noise may disturb the family.

The second way to get cw going is to purchase the cw keyer from the Hamsphere store (I would check the second hand shop in the store as someone may be selling their keyer for a cheaper price than the 30 Euros Hamsphere charges. Once you install the purchased keyer, set you transceiver's mode to cw. You can chose to use either the keyboard or a mouse to be the key. If you select the keyboard as the key, use the left or right arrow keys on you keyboard to key the transceiver. if you can chose the mouse setting, you must place your mouse cursor over the keyer while pressing the left mouse button which produces the keyer sidetone. I find this method to be difficult so I have opted for the third alternative, plug a straight key into the computer.

If you have a straight key or paddle, you will need to purchase a USB-to-serial Db9 converter cable (Amazon.com sells these). You will then need to fabricate a two wire connection to a female-to-female Db9 connector (using pins 4 and 6 for a manual key or pins 4, 6, and 8 for a paddle). The wires connect to either the straight key or paddle's terminal lugs from there you plug them into pins 4 and 6 for a manual straight key (and pin 8 for the paddle) of the Db9 female-to-female connector. The female-to-female Db9 connector then connects to the male serial connector side of the USB to serial converter cable. This is a lot of work to plug the straight key or paddle into the computer but it is the only way I know of (there may be other operators who know of better ways).

As I said above, If you can set a code oscillator next to your microphone, that would be the quickest way. You will need to adjust the MIC settings to keep the needle within the ALC green bar area on the signal meter. Try this out Arasu, and I will point my log periodic antenna towards you at the times I am sending cw. Hopefully the band conditions will make a cw qso possible. Let me know if what I wrote above was not clear or you have a question.

73,

CW Always!

Mike - W6KAY
Re: W6KAY CW Schedule
2018-03-20 16:16
I am going to modify my time over the weekend to send CW. As discussed in the first message the times were as follows:

10.120
14.220 +/- 5kHz Weekends 14:00 - 16:00, 22:00 - 23:59
18.150

After the Pacific QSO Contest (Weekend of 24-25 March), I'll be adding 0200 - 0400 UTC to my CW schedule as this may help more stations locate my signal. I will also be using 7.020 and 5.320. I'll always be starting out on the highest frequency available at this time in North America (10.120MHz) and move lower until I can get a station to call back. If you don't do CW, a voice call with a signal report will be helpful. I will QSL either way. If you are able to send CW but perhaps are rusty at it, please know that I am in the same "boat" and I can send at 7 or 10wpm if that will get a QSO started. I am testing different wire antennas to see which work with the propagation conditions at QRP power. So in summary, here is my updated weekend CW schedule,

10.120
14.220 +/- 5kHz Weekends 14:00 - 16:00, 22:00 - 23:59
18.150

AND

10.120
7.020 +/- 5KHz Weekends 02:00 - 04:00
5.320

Thank you for reading!

CW Always!

73,

W6KAY - Mike
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