Good advise. Once you get on the air (at 5 wpm or even less :-), don't worry about code speed. Fill up several pages in your log book. Then maybe you can check your speed. Getting faster takes time. CW itself is a hobby and for many of us, CW is as much fun as the rest of ham radio.
When I was a novice I didn't like CW. I finally upgraded to General (13 wpm) and went immediately for SSB. At the time I was using a Heath HW-101 with an indoor dipole. I made a few contacts but found I could not routinely work stations. I went back to CW because it was easier to work stations with the weak signal if I was on CW. About the time I hit 15 wpm, I suddenly discovered CW was fun. QRP is a tough way to start a ham hobby. I'd say you're better off buying a no-hassles rig that puts out 50 or more watts. Don't handicap yourself. You need to have QSOs, not spend your time trying to call stations that can't hear you. 40 meters is a great band, probably the best overall. 15 is another fabulous band for limited space usage. You can do a lot with just those two bands. At this time the sunspot cycle doesn't provide much communications on 10 meters. - Keith - -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Stephen W. Kercel Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2005 7:27 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] I am planning Gerald: With Tech Plus privileges you can work 15 meters as well as 10. Admittedly, you could work SSB on 10, but are limited to CW on 15. However, if you're planning for QRP and simple antennas, you'll probably have more success on CW than SSB. Anyway, you might consider trying to operate on 15 meters instead of (or as well as) 10 meters. A half-wave dipole is only about 8 feet longer, and during this period of low sunspot activity, 10 meter openings are much less common than 15 meter openings. You will meet with far more success, and enjoy the experience more on 15, at least for now. Since you're planning to use QRP, you will probably be a lot more satisfied with your results if you use a full size antenna such as a half-wave dipole. Full size stealth antennas are easily feasible on both 10 and 15 m. At what speed are you hitting the code wall? If your proficiency is already good enough to pass the 5 WPM exam, you need not worry about it. Once you get licensed and on the air, your speed will increase spontaneously in the normal course of operating. For heaven's sake, don't be embarrassed about being slow on the air. QRS is a legitimate procedural signal, and it exists for a reason.Nobody will think any less of you if operate slowly; we were all beginners once. It is the responsibility of the faster operator to go at the speed of the slower operator. With the exception of a few lids (who you don't want to talk to anyway) everyone will slow down to your speed, and nobody will tease you about it. Don't worry about contests (except maybe "Get Your Feet Wet") right away. You need to gain some experience making ordinary QSOs. When you're ready to start contesting, you'll know it. As Elecraft points out, building a K2 is not a timed event. Although you'll no doubt enjoy building it, do not expect to get on the air any time soon if you go that route. One suggestion is not to skimp on the antenna. Use good feedline, and weather proofing, and make it of quality materials. Stealthy does not mean shoddy. For a beginning operator using QRP, you cannot afford to give anything away in antenna losses. One tip I'd pass on is one that was passed on to me when I started out. You'd be better off not getting mixed up with 2 meters right away. You'll enjoy greater success if you get some HF CW experience under your belt first. One final tip, if there is any way for you to get on 40 meters, you should probably start there first. As a very wise old salt told me about 40 years ago, the fewest things seem to go wrong on 40 m. That is what I did personally, and several novices have thanked me for passing that advice on to them. Good luck and 73, Steve AA4AK _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [email protected] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
