A friend (now deceased) from church was a former railroad telegrapher and he once told me that he could often identify a sender based upon his fist. To me that seems amazing, akin to identifying someone based upon their handwriting.
Pipes and Ham radio
- Thread starter Roach1
- Start date
SmokingPipes.com Updates
Watch for Updates Twice a Week
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
A friend (now deceased) from church was a former railroad telegrapher and he once told me that he could often identify a sender based upon his fist. To me that seems amazing, akin to identifying someone based upon their handwriting.
i think I read that in "The Victorian Internet" (pretty good book, if I remember correctly). I guess if you spent that much time sending and receiving, you'd learn to identify that. Similarly, at the place where I worked a dozen years ago, I learned to identify who had written program code by the style.
That’s true of non-modern keys and internal keyers, which today automatically provide perfectly even spacing. With modern equipment, aside from speed selection, (Words Per Minute) everyone sounds exactly alike.
Many will still operate what’s called a straight key or bug or cootie in which the duration of each dit or dah can be left to the style of the individual sender -Your friend is 100 percent correct.
I was an Army radioman. The skill later became a hobby. There is a benefit to sending Morse in the antiquated way, and that is that you can tap out messages by feel.
With the deafening noise of battlefields, abandon all hope if you must rely on hearing your side tone.
The military has discontinued the use of Morse. However, commercial pilots still know Morse because beacons continually broadcast in Morse to identify their location.
Last edited:
I'm not a Ham, but I build antenna farms for them. Here is a recent tower
This is the current iteration of my indoor station sitting on the corner of the table. It changes from time to time, and the little FT-818 isn't always there. I may keep the 818 there for a dedicated WSPR/Digital setup, if I ever get around to trying digital modes. For now though, you'll probably find me on phone modes. I've been into radio of some sort for about 30 years starting with shortwave listening, and licensed for 10 years. For the last 4 years I've been on the air almost daily until this past busy summer, but I'm getting a bit more active again. I enjoy chasing portable operators in parks, on peaks (POTA & SOTA), as well as DX and special event stations. I also enjoy an occasional rag chew. Hope to catch you all on the air sometime.
73, de K1CWB
73, de K1CWB
ARMY AN-GRC 103 - Where it all began….
My station today…
I’m fascinated with small Magnetic Loop Antennas. I have a pair of FT-891’s that I feel are phenomenal CW rigs; whomever designed this radio did so with Morse Operation in mind.
I program the rigs identically. One is my Field Rig. The other stays at home. -73 de W2JJF
My station today…
I’m fascinated with small Magnetic Loop Antennas. I have a pair of FT-891’s that I feel are phenomenal CW rigs; whomever designed this radio did so with Morse Operation in mind.
I program the rigs identically. One is my Field Rig. The other stays at home. -73 de W2JJF
Got a QTY KT-980Plus, i think i have it programmed right and have dumped alot of hours into youtube and reading an old 80s manual on basic radio course. But still no license, just gotta find time and testing location that isnt an hour away from home.
There has to be a Radio Club nearby to get you up and running on repeaters. The Technician Class license isn’t difficult. A week of study to prepare and you’ll be on your way. Good luck
Yes, I got the form from the local county fair just need to stop procrastinating and get to it.
A couple links for what's nearby for testing as well as searching for remote testing that was made available a few years ago. You might not have to leave the house to take the test.
Find an Amateur Radio License Exam in Your Area - http://www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-radio-license-exam-session
HamStudy.org: Find an Exam Session - https://hamstudy.org/sessions
A great place to study and take practice exams below. There are others if you do a quick search but HamStudy seems to be popular.
HamStudy.org: Cutting edge amateur radio study tools - https://hamstudy.org/
Good luck and hope to hear you on the air someday!
Much appreciated! I hope so as well, may we cross waves one day.
@dunnyboy
The tests change content every few years. Please make sure you obtain the correct pool of questions and study only those.
For example: You may be required to study a pool of say 400 questions. On test day, you will be given say 50 randomly selected multiple choice questions from that pool of 400
Pro Tip
Only read the question and it’s correct answer.
Do not allow yourself to see the incorrect choices.
By following this advice, passing the exam will be cake because upon reading that question, your brain will instantly recognize the correct answer from among the other choices that you had never seen.
Your Welcome.
And Good Luck!
The tests change content every few years. Please make sure you obtain the correct pool of questions and study only those.
For example: You may be required to study a pool of say 400 questions. On test day, you will be given say 50 randomly selected multiple choice questions from that pool of 400
Pro Tip
Only read the question and it’s correct answer.
Do not allow yourself to see the incorrect choices.
By following this advice, passing the exam will be cake because upon reading that question, your brain will instantly recognize the correct answer from among the other choices that you had never seen.
Your Welcome.
And Good Luck!
I’m licensed, but I just have a hand-held. I haven’t been very active with it lately.
HAM was always something I found intriguing but being born into the technology age where computer and web programming were the 'smart' hobby I never picked it up
Then I got into photography
The whole licensing and 'big brother' knocking on your door and getting into your business thing scares me
Then I got into photography
The whole licensing and 'big brother' knocking on your door and getting into your business thing scares me
I wouldn't think of it as "just" a handheld, it's a complete radio system in the palm of you hand. I had a lot of fun early on building and experimenting with outdoor antennas using my handheld. Just getting a j-pole antenna outside and up in a tree can extend your range quite a bit. Hill topping can be fun too. What is the make/model of your HT?
Amateur Radio is barely even on the FCC's radar. For the most part it's self policing, and it takes someone causing a major problem before "big brother" even thinks about getting involved. Even the testing is given by volunteer examiners that are licensed amateurs like myself, not by the FCC. It might be different in other countries but my only interaction with them is when I need to pay a licensing related fee. It is a great pastime and would recommend it to anyone interested in radio or even electronics, but I also get it's not everyone's thing. I spent many years as a shortwave/scanner listener.
Just wanted to say I used to have a good shortwave receiver, and would listen to ham operators, utilities, shortwave broadcasters, etc. Occasionally I’ll still dabble with a portable shortwave radio.
So I’m another piper/casual radio enthusiast. I enjoy old-time radio shows too!
Oh yeah, I do some scanner listening too, although online these days.
So I’m another piper/casual radio enthusiast. I enjoy old-time radio shows too!
Oh yeah, I do some scanner listening too, although online these days.
When I was in summer camp we had a ham shack and a counselor with a license, so we got to chat with ham operators and learn a little Morse code. That exposure is probably harder to find today. Haven’t seen anything like at my kids’ camps over the years…
Yaesu FT-70D, I had a Kenwood TM V71A for a while, but I sold it and it’s just the HT now. Eventually I will probably get another unit, but the Yaesu satisfies me right now.