2005 ARRL Straight Key Night
01/14/2005 |
K3PX
This was a fantastic way to spend the 2005 New Year, participating in our past Ham Radio CW traditions. There is something for everyone during this event, the only common denominator being a "hand straight key" of your choice and "your" fist. You may use QRP or QRO, old, ancient, boat anchor or modern equipment. Commercial, military surplus or homebrew rigs. Whatever....it's up to you, it's your call. Every operator has a past of experiences and stories to share and has a "shot" at a few moments of fame.
I made 31 QSO's on 40 and 80 meters. I have many keys in my collection but this year chose a surplus Chinese D117/K4 "Chinese Army Key" made for the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). It weighs about 2.25 pounds, is heavy duty, a bit stiff and well made with a chrome base. The rig was a Kenwood TS-570SG at 100 watts to a 40 meter center fed double extended Zepp, 178 feet long at 40 feet at an elevation of 1,600 feet. It was fed with 450 ohm ladder line via an MFJ-962D antenna tuner.
My most memorable and interesting QSO was with W1DV/2, K4YKI, K4KSR, WA3NZR and W1ZR. Also W1AA was using a QRP, 2 watt, one tube transmitter built from the April 1956 CQ magazine. The sigs were very strong (SKN 599 C) and had a very distinctive but pleasant "chirp" to the note. A "chirp" may not be "technically correct" by todays standards, but it added great character and color to the signal and made it a pleasure to copy. Signals from the days past had a distinctive "signiture" generated from the circuitry and fist of the operator. Also N4QA using an "olde" Meissner Signal Shifter at 4 watts QRP. Another memorable QSO was with K2UY, Ken, in Oceanside, Long Island. I was excited by the fact that his QTH was near where I was born in 1944 (during WW2). Here I am over 60 years later using CW to communicate with Ken on SKN-2005. WOW!
I was amazed that there were no bad fists or QLF's. The most memorable fists were W1DV/2 and W2IQX (whom also complimented my fist).
The types of keys used was interesting. K8DO was using a key from the 1900's era, probably used on undersea cable communications and W1OG was using a home made version of Samuel F. B. Morse's key used during his first message. It was copied from photo's from the Smithsonian. Otherwise, of the keys used and mentioned during the QSO's, I counted: J37(1), J38(7), Speed-X(3), Brown Bros.(2), J45 leg mount (1), and WW2 flameproof type (1).
A fantastic event and a trip to the past, a time warp. I am looking forward to SKN next year.
Bob, K3PX, Equinunk, PA
-- K3PX
I made 31 QSO's on 40 and 80 meters. I have many keys in my collection but this year chose a surplus Chinese D117/K4 "Chinese Army Key" made for the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). It weighs about 2.25 pounds, is heavy duty, a bit stiff and well made with a chrome base. The rig was a Kenwood TS-570SG at 100 watts to a 40 meter center fed double extended Zepp, 178 feet long at 40 feet at an elevation of 1,600 feet. It was fed with 450 ohm ladder line via an MFJ-962D antenna tuner.
My most memorable and interesting QSO was with W1DV/2, K4YKI, K4KSR, WA3NZR and W1ZR. Also W1AA was using a QRP, 2 watt, one tube transmitter built from the April 1956 CQ magazine. The sigs were very strong (SKN 599 C) and had a very distinctive but pleasant "chirp" to the note. A "chirp" may not be "technically correct" by todays standards, but it added great character and color to the signal and made it a pleasure to copy. Signals from the days past had a distinctive "signiture" generated from the circuitry and fist of the operator. Also N4QA using an "olde" Meissner Signal Shifter at 4 watts QRP. Another memorable QSO was with K2UY, Ken, in Oceanside, Long Island. I was excited by the fact that his QTH was near where I was born in 1944 (during WW2). Here I am over 60 years later using CW to communicate with Ken on SKN-2005. WOW!
I was amazed that there were no bad fists or QLF's. The most memorable fists were W1DV/2 and W2IQX (whom also complimented my fist).
The types of keys used was interesting. K8DO was using a key from the 1900's era, probably used on undersea cable communications and W1OG was using a home made version of Samuel F. B. Morse's key used during his first message. It was copied from photo's from the Smithsonian. Otherwise, of the keys used and mentioned during the QSO's, I counted: J37(1), J38(7), Speed-X(3), Brown Bros.(2), J45 leg mount (1), and WW2 flameproof type (1).
A fantastic event and a trip to the past, a time warp. I am looking forward to SKN next year.
Bob, K3PX, Equinunk, PA
-- K3PX
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