Subscribe Past Issues Translate View this email CQ QRS What happened e Reminder for 240ct23 and CQ QRS a Postie Bike His Feet Wet More Wheelie e Was RagChew last Tuesday, and a reminder for the next net. A Brewery Phillip Gets in your browser Bin Antenna it something Work | said? Boy was the band quiet on last Tuesday’s CQ QRS Slow CW Practice QSO net; members there’s always a first time | guess! Perhaps our team didn’t like the new RagChew format, and were voicing their displeasure with their feet? As it turns out we still had at least 11 stations on or listening-in - which, in the scheme of things, ain’t too bad. | sometimes wonder whether other regular Australian nets get so many people on; and this is on 80m (hard) using CW (really hard). Still, compared to the previous couple of weeks where we had 19 known stations, the net was a bit quiet... judging by the number of long plaintive CQ calls. And also from the self-disappointment department... what the hell happened to my grand plan of issuing each week’s RagChew night? on Thursday Here | am set up in our slightly ageing (like the best of us) Bermagui NSW, a few hundred metres from Horseshoe AVan at Beach, madly typing away on a computer on a 24-degree sunny wall-to-wall blue sky Sunday afternoon! In reality, | had a fair chunk of the newsletter done by Thursday, thanks mainly to the team of contributors who sent through their reports nice and early.... but the last few days before we go away are always a nightmare of last-minute flurries... and the RagChew just had to wait. Here’s this week’s list of stations heard: v RSS eos | | | | | ee VRGRIK VEBAAY VEGBEK | VE2KI Reports And From Phillip VK6DEV/p & Comments here’s this week’s reports. near Dalyellup: Aiming for lower noise, | decided to try operating beach. | VEGAAY | /KGDEY, portable at the Dalyellup | had some technical issues before | got going.... apparently, you need a connector on each end of the coax for it to work - so | had to take down the antenna and race home for the other one. Was | called by VK2KI first cab off the rank... or was | dreaming? when Mark came up on the Remote in WA as VK6QI, Then he confirmed that he’d heard me in VK2, probably strong enough to have a contact. to work Stuart VK6MK just across the water at Australind. | then went on | was using my IC-705 with 10 watts out to a 5m whip with a wolf river coil, 3 x 5m radials and some pegs to hold the tripod to the ground. Sf MN Oe ot d re | SP Sass a i So, only two and a half contacts tonight - but | had fun and the band was really quiet without the hash that | get at home. Will go portable again and be more organised. From Max VK6EFN at Manjimup: Hi Mark. What a terrible night | had last Tuesday. Firstly, my main comms computer chucked a wobbly. Took me nearly one hour to restore. Then | could hardly hear anyone. and the Kenwood Extremely low levels on the SDR receiver 990. Speaking to Richard VK6HRC the next day on AllStar, he mentioned that the band condition was the problem. So as a result, no contacts for the night.. not a sausage. And, some very tough news about our mate Trevor VK6ATB. When | rang him to remind him of the Morse session, he told me that he was not travelling well. Trevor is only 68 years old but is in the late stages of Cancer. He worked for me as a Tech and also a qualified Electrician. A very tough time for Trevor and his loving family. [Thanks for the update Max; very very sad news about Trevor; our thoughts are with him, his family and his friends. ] From John VK5ET at Home Valley: G'day Mark, due to unforeseen circumstances | have had to postpone my trip away & will not be on air tonight ... Bugger. 73's John VK5ET. [Looking forward to another of your escapades when you can John.] From lan VK1HF at Denman Prospect: Hey Mark, | am trying to get 80/40 going - have two antennas up. 80mtrs us just junk... like just noise, zero signal - wondering something if you are aware of going on - solar flare or the like.? | was thinking it was the first antenna same... So just wondering | put up... but the second yields the if it is something else like QRN etc. 73, lan - VKLHF [Hilan. 80m, Yes, that’s normal for switch mode power supply interference on it’s S9+10 to +15dB here; | use a noise canceller as an interim solution pending fixing the problem at the source - usually switch mode power supplies like phone plug-packs, conditioner etc. the internet router, TV sets, the air- Noise cancellers aren't ideal, but for less than $100 one could get you out of trouble. Despite the noise, | suggest you have a listen anyway and see what you can hear. For example, nighttime? can you hear the 3699kHz Morse beacon at Try turning on the front-end attenuator, and/or switching off your front-end pre-amp (or reducing your RF gain) if that control is available on your receiver. With that, you'll probably be able to hear the stations on the net from VK3, VK5 and VK7 - they should be around $S-9 after dark - and later in the evening you may even hear the VK6s (there’s usually lots of them on from 8pm until midnight, but you won’t hear them until the D-layer dissipates over there - 10 or 11 pm here in Summer with Daylight Saving). You may or may not hear me - if Near Vertical Incidence Skywave is working, you may be in luck; Claude but I’ve also had times when VKITE has tried to contact me from his mobile during the net, and we’ve struggled. Don’t give up - 80m Is a great band that has very interesting propagation phenomena From - the noise Is just one of the challenges. Richard VK6PZT, also at Dalyellup: My apologies for this evenings QRS session; presentation 8pm night - it overran Richard. | got held up a School STEM by a whole hour, so we didn’t get home till and we then had a late family dinner. week though. See how you go /an.] I’m looking forward to next [Thanks for the update Richard; the new RagChew From format then?] Richard VKG6HRC Hi Mark. I'll take that as not a vote that you disliked at Padbury: Six stations in the log last night : e VKOBEK 559 e VKOIS 549 e VK6QI 579 e VKOAAV 559 e VK2KI 449 e VK6DEV/p 599 Conditions were terrible to start with but picked up later with QSB taking signals down to zero for the duration of the net. | tuned around for about half an hour from the start and nothing heard, so took your advice listened in on the Brookton SDR where | heard you working someone from VK2. When conditions improved enough for me to listen-in from home | stopped monitoring the SDR, so it wasn't your newsletter that caused the poor attendance - you will have to try harder | caught up with young Max on RLM this morning and he told me that he thought his antenna was faulty on Tuesday night and packed know that it was probably not his antenna it in. but band conditions; | let him hope things are better next week. Cheers have a great day Richard VK6HRC [Thanks for your report Richard; yes it was pretty quiet - | assumed that they didn’t like the new newsletter format - HI, But good that you caught six stations - including my signal from NSW. The QSB Is my excuse of missing questions etc (when in fact my brain had probably either gone into daydream mode or was in overload trying to decode and log multiple QSOs, send WhatsApp messages, etc - HI). See more from Richard below. ] From Shaun VK6BEK Hi Mark, | only managed antenna last night. at Quinns Rocks: to work you and Peter VK6IS using the end-fed Even though noise was much lower this week and both contacts were really clear, | heard no one else. | worked a ZL on 20m earlier. | had to take the end fed down last night as we have an early start this morning and it’s best not to run over the poles with the car. you used last week with the green bin was of the end fed. Here’s the 49:1 transformer and choke. The picture 2 Ea Frets =) Peas i= 5 —%Pe ee = — > a) sae eee =] The transformer and choke are going to be rebuilt real soon now with PL259 connectors. | made the mistake of using BNCs. | would appreciate some advice on good quality coax cable connectors which can handle the corrosion up here. | am constantly replacing them. even corrode in the cupboard. work sometimes The outer shield joins | have tried rubber splicing tapes which but need to be cut off to reconnect. Regards Shaun - VK6BEK [Thanks Shaun. Interesting challenge to find corrosion-proof connectors that don’t reguire self-amalgamating tape or coax-seal for your maritime environment (Shaun lives right on the ocean). | imagine N-connectors with the correct back-shell seal to match the exact diameter of your coax might be a solution. Perhaps have a chat to Mark VK6MOA at TET-Emtron in Dongara - he had built some antennas for the maritime environment - and he’s very happy to share his knowledge with fellow amateurs and helo solve technical problems like this. Any other team member experience with corrosion-proof connectors?] From Peter VKG6IS at Wundowie: Hi Mark, The band was particularly noisy on Tuesday. and VK6DEV, | did work VK6AAV, VK6BEK but couldn't hear you, VK2KI at all. didn't manage to work them. | did hear a few others but As mentioned last week, | tried splitting the session in two. early session 16:30 -18:00 So | did the with better success than with the later session of 19:00 - 20:30. 73 Peter. [Thanks for the report Peter. ] From Claude VKI1TE at Pearce: Hi Mark, | will Keep an SDR RX log book for the next times if it can be of any use. | am trying to imagine how you multitask your radio activities. You seem to be able to send CW while checking who is listening to what on 2 SDRS, switching back and forth between everything down 2 callsigns and radio stations, writing etc... Doing all that and still have the patience to religiously keep a steady and very QRS pace. You must be exhausted at the end of the evening! On Tuesday evening, | am now on the VK6QS, Tecsun and VKICM and randomly connect to some proper antenna more in VIC and SA. SDRs, Still in the waiting for a installation to eventually get on air from a fixed station. Quite often | have to wait for an available soot on SDRs and sometimes can't get one soon enough. Also, the SDR usage time limit can be in the way. | am nevertheless happy that some make an effort to share such a nice service for free. Last week | was able to copy you just above the noise for a few minutes in my driveway, in the ute, assuming that without the noise you would have been abt 589. This week the noise around my place was nearly 9; starting to wonder what the neighbours are using to generate that much QRN. Could it come from their solar power systems? The noise is still there 24/7 when everything off, so, | am not responsible for it! ;-) | turn But as soon as |am about 50 meters away from my place the noise goes down to 4-5 and some rare areas are virtually noise free within Canberra; the proximity of shopping centres and traffic lights are usually also very noisy. After googling my roofs in Canberra installation of an 80m | realised there is the potential for the irregular quadrilateral antenna. | would have to put 3 big trees down first, which have to go regardless. That way | would stay within the limits of my property instead of relying on high trees behind it on the nature strip. Not being familiar with antenna software, | am having a look at the Xnec2c app trying to figure out what the results of such an antenna could be. | guess there is some serious learning needed to become good at it. Keep the good work and thank you for it. Cheers. k [Absolutely Claude - please send me your list of stations heard and if possible, who they were working, whether they were calling CQ etc - thank you. / agree - aren't the web based SDRs just the duck’s guts? And of course as you said, with more people using them from around the world and only five channels available, more and more | also have to either join the queue waiting for someone to log off, or piggy-back one someone else’s listening. As discussed above, the switch mode power supply hash Is a significant problem these days on 80m, but if it’s worse near your home, be something else afoot. somewhere there might | guess a faulty solar power installation might be to look, or perhaps if you have overhead power lines, a faulty insulator, pole fuse, etc might be the offender. The Peel Amateur Radio Group had a tech talk hosted by an American amateur about tracking down power line noise - but | just can’t get to the old Google Sites website where the recorded Zoom presentation Is located. When! get home in three weeks, | might be able to find the recording. The horizontal loop antenna Is an interesting option; members use them with success. software, a couple of PARG For the nec-type antenna modelling there was a really good series of four or five articles in Amateur Radio Magazine in the last two years where the authors had taken a huge amount of trouble to describe step-by-step the details of how to program the software. It’s certainly not easy to use (it’s based on the old Hollerith punch-card style coding), but like you, I'd like to learn to use it - the capabilities of the modelling itself is amazing, From Stuart VK6MK even if it isn’t easy to use.] at Australind: Only Phil VK6DEV/p - he was 559 portable from the beach near his home - plus yourself from NSW. local time due to Didn't get on until after 8:00pm work. Pleasantly surprised | got a couple of contacts in so late. [Nice signal into NSW Stuart - thank you.] From Mike VK6AAV at Forrestfield: G'Day Mark. Thanks for QSO on Tuesday evening. NSW at 90W It started off reasonably well from and at 469, but it gradually tapered-off into the noise at about 359. It is a bit late in the year for 80M DX. | had the DNR engaged, hindsight had | switched the antenna to my 40M have reduced the noise by a My TX antenna for 80M but in loop for RX | think | could fair margin. is an old 11M modified Stationmaster that | picked up at the Belmont swap meet years ago with a loading coil and also fed through a tuner. local coms. wound It works OK for longer distances but it is a bit marginal for | dispensed with the 11m coil and replaced it with a hand one. From memory the original and wound it’s on a 50 mm. plastic tube, the same with 60 turns of 2 mm about halfway up the coil. bare copper wire; height as it’s tapped | set the mast in a 2 x 2.5 meter paved area that was once a fishpond. As it requires a ground counterpoise, the radials would have been far too short in the paved area. So what to do? | decided to run 2 wires of several meters from the bottom of the mast in a snail shell or clock spring (if you remember what clock springs used to look like) fashion in opposite directions and hope for the best. As | said before it seems to work OK but not great in the metro area. | originally got the idea from an article in YouTube. Next week, when I’ll send you a photo of my humble and messy radio station, | sort out my internet problems. Will listen for you again on Tuesday and maybe we can repeat the DX QSO and best wishes. Regards Mike Molnar VK6AAV... [Thank you Mike. Great re-use of that 11m antenna, | look forward to your photos of the antenna and your loading coil, as well as your station. It’s interesting that by using CW and not hearing peoples’ voices, having photos of their set-up makes such a difference to our net. | don’t know anything about how dynamic noise reduction works in modern transceivers my Kenwood TS-50 HF transceiver is about 30 years old - and has only a pulse-type noise blanker that doesn’t work with modern noise! However, the VK6SR Southern Electronics Group Remote at Bedfordale that | use Is a Yaesu FT-991a and has a DNR function - it just doesn't like CW at all! Then again, for most of my 50 years as an amateur, | didn’t e/ther! The hair-spring counterpoise Is interesting - seems to work - no mean feat to work across Australia on 80m. There was an article in Amateur Radio Magazine a few years back where someone reported success using corflute sheets with similar wire windings for portable use. Interesting that it works so well on WA’s beach-like dry soil.... or perhaps it’s the fishpond - HI?] From me VK6QI at Bedfordale via the and the VK6QS SDR VK6CRO at Brookton, Remote the VK6SR Remote at Carnarvon: Peter VK6IS was on the net calling CQ well before0900z; | was having a QSO over East, but | saw him calling, calling, calling until finally hooking up with Mike VK6AAV at Forrestfield after about half an hour. | then saw Peter working Shaun VK6BEK at Quinns Rocks and noticed that Claude VK1TE was listening in as well. I'd tried to work Shaun from NSW without success, so instead we had a chat using the Remote. Shaun’s 24m end-fed loaded long-wire up 7m was RST 599 into Bedfordale and had the advantage of the yellow-lidded wheelie bin support - such a popular addition to antenna farms in Quinns Rocks. | went on to work Mike VK6AAV before we swapped to my NSW station. After that, after trying to work Phillip VK6DEV/p from VK2, | hooked the Remote; up with him from Phillip’s 10 Watts to his 5m vertical near the Dalyellup Beach was a solid RST 589 into Bedfordale. | didn’t get to try the Southern Electronics Group’s VK6CRO Carnarvon Remote this time; now that 6m is coming alive as we head into Summer, it was in use during the net for 6mFT-8. Also from me, VK2KI Extended Zepp at Araluen NSW: at Bowning antenna from using home my TS-50 and Double- and also using the Tecsun Over this side of Australia, my CQs were answered by Peter VK2NV; SDR Peter was transmitting from home at Beverley Hills and receiving on a friend’s SDR up at Foster. | then went on to work Keiran VK3BTV at North Ringwood. Keiran was using the same long-wire as last week but had managed convince it to now resonate on 3.6MHz. During our QSO, MaxVK6FN to at Manjimup came up calling CQ - Max wasn’t hearing our conversation, but he was readable over this side. 20 minutes later, | tried to work Shaun VK6BEK at Quinns Rocks who was RST 369; however, Shaun wasn’t hearing enough of my signal, and | called him using the Remote in WA. At 1100z | did a one-way propagation test using the Bedfordale Remote and my home station; the Remote was RST 469 into NSW, and my VK2 signal was 579 into WA. Not a significant difference. Soon after, | worked VK6AAV from NSW; Mike was RST 379 and | was 359. | then answered the CQs from Phillip VK6DEV/p 10Watts to his 5m Mike at Dalyellup Beach; base-loaded vertical was coming through his RST 259 - but sigs dropped - pity - would have been good to complete the QSO. Next, | worked and | Peter VK6IS at Wundowie - Peter was RST 479 into NSW, copied a 559 the other way. After that, | heard Phillip and Stuart VK6MK at Australind chatting across the water, before | worked Stuart - | sent him RST 589, but | was 559 with him. To round out the night, | did another test transmission from the Remote and home stations at 1230z; West-to-East the signal was RST 569 and Eastto-West 579 - again no significant difference this week. Other Other things Missing News I’ve received from our 100-odd readers. RagChews At least one of our readers didn’t get the last RagChew October 13th. newsletter - sent on Our reader had received the test email sent to the subscribers on October 9th, but didn’t get the pukka one; whimpering eventually found in a dark corner, but had | not sent out the follow-up aid you get it email, all those words would have been lost forever. Not in this case, but some of you may find that the RagChew is being chewed-up and spat out into your Junk email box - please check. If that’s the case, please try adding the following two email addresses to your Contacts list: e mark.bosma.icloud.com@send.mailchimpapp.com e mark.bosma@icloud.com Fingers crossed that that will avoid anti-soam troubles. Hoy if you still have troubles. And, I'll take my key out on a limb here.... | aim to get the newsletter out by around Thursday (Elizabeth would give a wry smile and think quietly to herself that I’m writing too many words); but if you find that CQ QRS Day Tuesday dawns and you rush excitedly to your email to see if the weekly RagChew has arrived... but the cupboard is bare - please let me know (email to mark.bosma@icloud.com). You shouyld have received it by then, and I'll see if | can help locate said missing tomb. From Garry VK2GAZ [Unfortunately, at Hobartville: this week’s RagChew was sent out after the Saunter; however, you can pick up the date of the next event from the website. ] Greetings all, The SKCC Oceania QRS Saunter will take place this Saturday, 21st October, 2023 from 00:00 UTC until 23:59 UTC. All are welcome to join in!! If you are looking to make a few slow speed CW contacts this might just be the event for you. All the details for the Oceania QRS SKCC Saunter website (OQS) at: can be viewed on the httos://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/oqs/ Please make use of the SKCC Sked Page and the CW Club RBN Spotter. https://sked.skccgroup.com/ httos://ron.telegraphy.de/ | look forward to contacting you during the event. Best regards, Garry VK2GAZ/VK2ZP #5460C. SKCC SK % CC Straight Key Century Club Straight oas Key Century Oceania QRS Saturday 21st October, From Garry VK2YBX TecSun at Tecsun Club Saunter 2023 00:00 UTC Radios: Radios provides free use of the KiwiSDR receiver at Araluen that | use for the CQ QRS nets; NSW this week, Tecsun’s newsletter included an article about our Net, as well as a BLOG about Morse code. text of that part of the newsletter below; I’ve pasted the if you would like to see the newsletter, send me an email for access to our Google Drive then click on the link. From: Tecsun Radios Australia hello@tecsunradios.com.au Subject: One of Our Community Members Shares Info About His Slow Morse Code Net! Date: 20 October 2023 at 10:20 am To: mark.bosma@icloud.com Greetings from The Team We at Tecsun Radios Australia. hope this newsletter finds you in good spirits and high frequencies! We've got some exciting news to share with you, and it involves one of our very own community dedicated shortwave members, Mark, also Known as VK6QI, who is a radio enthusiast who runs a fantastic weekly event - a Slow Morse Code Net. This net has become good reason! incredibly popular over the last two years, and for Every Tuesday, radio for the 80m net. Mark utilises our Tecsun Radios Australia SDR Using this SDR, he enjoys the whole band segment on the waterfall display, making the most of his radio experience. Here's what Mark had to say about his CQ QRS - Tuesday Slow CW QSO Practice Net: If you happen to listen to the right part of the 80m amateur band ona Tuesday evening, you may hear people calling CQ QRS - or stations working each other at a comfortably slow pace. The CQ QRS net has been running every single Tuesday for the last two years and has been unbelievably popular - there’s usually half a dozen, a dozen, and a couple of times, up to 18 stations popping in and out when they can over the four or five hours. The aim is to encourage new CW operators to have a go at slow CW ina safe and really friendly environment where slow speed and lots of mistakes are par for the course... it’s all about having a go, starting with a basic callsign and RST exchange, then over time, getting better and better. The net also attracts its fair share of old-timers who enjoy helping others to have a go or just enjoy the banter. So, this might be just the opportunity you've been waiting for to have a go at transmitting on CW, or perhaps just to stop the contacts from rusting up on your key. Doesn’t matter whether you’re brand new to the Code or if you're an old-timer who would like to have a bit of fun and help encourage new operators by having simple, safe QSOs at their speed - we’d love to have you join in. The net starts at 0900z every Tuesday on 80m between 3540 and 3570kHz, and there are stations in the West, East, and in-between listening out for your CQ QRS call. For more information and to receive our weekly CQ QRS RagChew newsletter, get in touch via the QRZ.com page. Too much switch mode power supply hash on 80m? This might be the incentive to do something about it - with a cheap noise canceller costing less than $100, 80m could be easier than you think! Or even easier, use one of the KiwiSDR receivers around Australia, such as the Tecsun the very quiet location at Araluen, radio at NSW http://www.tecsunradios.com.au/store/tecsun-sw-radio-online/ Once again, join us on Tuesdays from 0900z until late between 3540kHz and 3570kHz Cheers from Mark VK2KI and VK6QI. So, if you're up for some exciting Morse code action, be sure to tune in and participate in the CQ QRS Net. It's a wonderful opportunity to hone your CW skills, make new friends, and enjoy the camaraderie of the shortwave radio community. [Thanks Garry.] This Week’s or... there’s more Topic of Interest to life than CW (muffled snort!) Focus on Richard VK6HRC So to add a bit of variety to our newsletter, here’s a burst from our listening member Richard VK6HRC from Padbury, in response to a request for team members to send through a bit of information about themselves. Retired Brewery worker, started in the brewhouse at the Swan '96 and retired when they closed the place down. workstations from intake of raw materials to freezing down doing the Homer Simpson Brewery in Rotated around all the in the cellars or in the control room! | have been interested in radio for a long time, short wave listening to start with and eventually getting licensed in “99. | have a modest set up at home Trapped 80/40 dipole for HF and dual band colinear for VHF/UHF. Used to get out the high ground for VHF/UHF fun on Reabold hill not far from home or Mount Dale further away but have not done that for a while. Set up at Reabold And at Mount Hill: Dale: | also enjoy getting out into the country to set up camp, get on air in the mornings and evenings and spend the rest of the day exploring the trails on the trusty Postie. | have an assortment of wire antennas plus a KX3 and an FT817 to get on air and annoy people! Have recently joined the Long Island CW club and receive lessons via Zoom, the instructors are great. They emphasise getting on air as soon as possible, and | hope to do so soon. | always monitor the Tuesday QRS net to see what | can decode when Out and conditions allow. about with the Postie Bike: The Postie bike was acquired in a rough state and stripped down with my pre-Brewery life as a Fitter Machinist helping! fuel-carrying capacity and a decent tool kit. When mode of transport after camp is set up; and rebuilt | have added extra | go bush, it is my main I’ve spent many happy hours exploring the back-blocks. Any hoo, enough waffle. 73 Richard VK6HRC Thanks Richard - very much appreciated. Would others like to put a few words and photos together about themselves too? | feel that the personal friendships that we’re developing through our common interest are as important as the other benefits that our events provide. What do you think? Click on the Send Comments about the RagChew Newsletter box at the end of the Newsletter to send me your information or to let me know your thoughts on the net or the newsletter. Tuesday’s CQ QRS Net Reminder. So back to the Slow CW QSO practice net. always on Tuesday from around 0900z; Our CQ QRS Net will be on as see below for details. Fingers crossed that we’ll keep attracting more Easterners and that they'll stay up late to catch the fun as the band opens from the East to the West once again. So thank you so much to our outstanding team of 13 contributors this week: Phillip VEK6DEV, Max VK6FN, John VK5ET, lan VK1HF, Stuart VK6MK, Richard VK6PZT, Shaun VK6BEK, Peter VK6IS, Claude VK1TE, Garry VK2GAZ, Garry VK2YBX and of course our spotlight, Richard VK6HRC. Mike VK6AAV, Thank you team - once again, a superb effort - it’s the thoughts of the team plus the photos that makes (perhaps 100-plus would me know by email to RagChew so interesting to the 100-odd be safer) subscribers; mark.bosma@icloud.com coming week on Tuesday’s net. so for everyone, please let who you work or hear this As always, | can only attempt poorly to listen-in and log QSOs while having QSOs myself - so | really want your comments each week to make our RagChew newsletter interesting. And again for those who | work on Tuesday night, please accept my apologies in advance for the pauses, repeated dah-di-di-di-dahs etc while | attempt to pick up and log callsigns that | hear in parallel, send WhatsApp notes, do one-way propagation tests, etc. And don’t forget our CQ QRS group on WhatsApp - a terrific way to exchange alerts and comments during the net and also to spot QRS stations at other times. The feed from last week is below; I'd like you to join in on the WhatsApp group if possible. Please let Stuart VK6MK (stujen55@gmail.com) add you to the group. or me know your mobile phone number, and we'll Keep an eye on your inbox next Friday when we'll all discover whether or not | can get the next RagChew out in time - HI. Cheers, mb Mark Bosma VK2KI / VK6QI Beautiful South Bowning NSW mark.bosma@icloud.com non impediti ratione cogitationis “Without antennas, amateur radio just wouldn't be the same” - author: About the CQ Here’s the QRS dah-dah dit! Net details. The team will be on again for our usual Tuesday arvo / evening Practice QSO This Net. CQ QRS will start at 0900z until about 1100-1400z+. translates to 1700 - 2000-2230+ and 2000 - 2400+ Eastern WA time, 1930 - 2330+ Summer time. SA Summer time (I think!). So tune around and call anyone you hear, or find yourself a quiet spot in the 3540kHz to 3570kHz segment and start calling CQ QRS at about 75% of the speed you're comfortable receiving at; hopefully responders will match (or send slower to their comfort level). When you hear someone slower. new, please match their sending speed - or The person you're replying to may not be as deft on the decoding as you - it may be their first ever CW QSO - remember your first? Lather of sweat, key that refuses to send that you tell it, brain that refuses to decode those complex someone “AGN? letters that were right there half an hour ago, etc! And if is sending too fast to comfortably copy - “PSE RPT PSE QRS” or PSE QRS” will make life easier for everyone.... and might just encourage other listeners to have a go themselves. The other thing to remember - most operators are writing down what they hear... so when you put it back to them, expect a delay while they read your words of wisdom, before replying. The aim is to give everyone a go at contacting others - no-one owns their calling frequency on this net... even Monsieur trois cing cing cing :) So unlike working DX, if you hear someone signing of - jump in and call - doesn’t matter who was first on the frequency - we’re all good mates on this net.... and besides, at the speed we’re sending, after a QSO will have forgotten who was first! most of us If you really want to move off frequency (eg because of a spurious switch mode power supply signal that’s just drifted into the conversation), you could try sending an abridged callsign of the person you’ re after, followed by “UP 5” or “DN 5” then K; then call that person on the designated frequency and keep your fingers crossed, they may have understood you and followed... or not. As always, for newbies, operating suggestions are available from the operating hints link here: httos://sites.google.com/a/parg.org.au/www-parag- org-au/training-and-practice-sessions/cg-qrs---slow-cw-qso-practice-net. There's usually people around until after 1330z - so keep calling until you catch someone. | should be on as usual from home in NSW and via the Remote at Bedfordale WA, and I'll also be watching the proceedings using the VK6QS and Tecsun SDRs in WA and NSW CQ QRS respectively. WhatsApp Traffic from the CQ QRS Feed WhatsApp Here’s what went on on the CQ QRS WhatsApp Group. message group this week: [17/10/2023 08:56]: VKGIS calling CQ on 3560. [17/10/2023 09:00] Max [17/10/2023 09:02]: Faulkner: Bit warm Heya Max - nice! over here Mark..28deg... VK2KI calling CQ on 3555. [17/10/2023 09:12]: VK2NV and VK2KI chatting on 3555. [17/10/2023 09:22]: VK6IS and VK6GAAV chatting on 3560. [17/10/2023 09:30]: VK6BEK calling CQ on 3564. [17/10/2023 09:36]: VK6IS and VK6BEK chatting on 3564. [17/10/2023 09:37] Phillip Jubb: Heading out portable this evening so will be in later [17/10/2023 09:57]: VK3BTV and VK2KI chatting on 3555. VKGIS calling CQ on 3560. [17/10/2023 10:08] : VKG6EN calling CQ on 3555. [17/10/2023 10:22]: VK6BEK calling CQ on 3564 and VKGIS calling CQ on 3560. VK2KI calling CQ on 3555. [17/10/2023 10:44]: VK6BEK and VK6QI chatting on 3564. [17/10/2023 11:27]: VK6AAV and VK2KI chatting on 3560. [17/10/2023 11:33]: VK6DEV calling CQ on 3545, [17/10/2023 11:51]: VK6DEV operating portable at the beach working VK6QI on 3545. [17/10/2023 11:56] Phillip Jubb: Thanks mark. Longest qso ever @ and | copied a lot of what you sent [17/10/2023 12:05]: Thanks Phillip. Excellent - you were coming into NSW RST 259 but dropped out. VK6IS and VK2KI now chatting on 3555. [17/10/2023 12:09] : VK6MK and VK6DEV/p chtting on 3551kHz. [17/10/2023 12:10]: VKGIS calling CQ on 3555. [17/10/2023 12:15]: VK6MK and VK2KI chatting on 3551kHz. [17/10/2023 12:26]: VK2KI calling CQ on 3555. Send comments about the RagChew Newsletter. Copyright (C) 2023 CQ QRS. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences ZF INTUIT mailchimp or unsubscribe