01/06/2007 | WD6DBM Wow, I had a blast on SKN! I haven't worked SKN much in the past few years, but the activity level this year was amazing.

I used a Heathkit HW-16 (modified by W5NYT with a second IF, 80-10M coverage, and amplifier relay among others) and a Speed-X straight key bought in 1967 at the age of 12. The old girl had some help from a dual-processor DSP audio filter previously used for CW moonbounce. Antenna was an HF-2V vertical on 40, and a Force 5 3CS 2-element beam on 20m. I ran barefoot the whole time, 45 watts out on 40, 40 watts out on 20.

Some of the hams I worked had fists so good it was hard to tell they were using a straight key! Amazing. A few others were pretty rusty at CW, but that just means that SKN served its purpose to get people on the air on CW. Best DX was a KH6 in Honolulu, and it occured to me that had I worked that fellow as a Novice way back when dirt was new (and so was my HW-16) I would have fallen off my chair! Working locals was also fun, and the best ragchews were with hams close by.

Even though I enjoy using the new digital modes, there is nothing quite like the thrill of digging a faint CW signal out of the noise knowing this art has been practiced for more than 100 years and hopefully will continue forever. Long live CW, and long live SKN! -- WD6DBM