Past

Issues

Translate

View this email

CQ QRS
What happened
e

Key to Boxing

e Another Three
e

Other QRS

in your browser

RagChew

last Tuesday, and a reminder for the next net.
Day

Happiness

New Team

Members

Practice Opportunities

e Articles, articles, articles - thank you all!
e

Noise Cancellers - Part 3

Post

Morsum

Dodo

Birds

e ARRL

Straight

SKCC

Straight Key Month

Reminder

For some

Key Night - New Year’s

for 2Jan24

- January

Day

2024

CQ QRS

it was a quiet night... for some

it was a noisy night - but hey, once

again we all had a great time on last Tuesday’s Boxing Day CQ QRS Slow
CW

Practice net.

| counted a record-equalling 20 stations on, and no-doubt

there were more listening.

And what’s more, we had one new team

member come up on the night, and two more join the list of RagChew
subscribers, with both of them submitting articles for the newsletter.
you all - what a great team!
Here’s this week’s

list of stations

heard:

Thank

RSS

26Dec23 CQ ORS Net
Total active stations this week:

Total

505

[rote that this figure aoert be ooerect - G505 may be counted taice or more]

Instructions:

Existing Users:
Go dawn

te the line with your callsign on the left [Oobunin A), Use the slider on the right hand edge of!

Ifyou can't see the lines, expand the spreadsheet downwards
Move across ta O201

by clicking on the bottom of the window

(Column C), click on the cell and select the callsign of the first G30 you had or he

Wack text - OSLed,

Green

Repeat the O30 entry aeainet the other

text - heard

but not worked,

Bue

Moving to the next cell te the right in your

row for the second O50 ete

If you hear

someone just calling 00, find them on the list in Calumn «and

Iva

of work Soca

hea

text - incomplete G50 [nat

station's row.

net if Whe lett hand

column of drap-dawn

We'll then update the spreadsheet (the spreadsheet had hidden
Stuart:

stujenss @emaileom

Mark:

mark. bosma@icloud.cam

then enter

OQ in Column B.

let, contact Stuart or Mark ane

forrulas that need

to be copy pad!

Curl-S to save the soreadsheet when done.
If the spreadsheet i boo confusing,
New

send the

fist of your contacts and heard

stations to Stuart or Mark

Users:
Contact Stuart or Mark {click on email address above] and ask for your calkign (or name
Inchude @ fist of callsigna heard

My CALL
*
VE1HF/'p
VEITE/m

Calling CO.
| O50 1
bert COhor Listening if no O50)

O50 2

O50 3

o¢ worked, and we'll

if unlicensed)

add the O50.

O50 4

Os05

O50 6

VK3ACU | VKE7KPC | VK2DLF |

VWKSPH |

VK3SKO | VESDBD |

VE2KI

VEK3KO | VEVKPC |

VEKSPH

VEQKI

VK3SKO | VKBJIDM |

VK6FN

oso7

O508

WKASIS

VK6P2ZT

VE2A0E
VE2BHO
VE2BHO
VEK2DLF

VK2KI

VE2GAZ
VEQIK
VE2KI
VE2NV
VE2WEO
VE3ACU
VEK3ADX
VE3BTV
VEK3BU
VK3CLD/p
VK3DBD
VK3KO
VE5CZ

co
VE2KI | VE3ACU
VEBFN

VESET
VES5FD
VESIP
VESKFG
VESPH
VEKG6ATB

VE2KI

| VESACU

VKBAAV
VEKGBEK

VEBIS

VEGFN

VK6CK
VEK6DEV/p
VE6DV

VEKBQI

VEK6IS

VEK6FN
VEB6GAL
VE6HRC

VK6IS

VKBMEK | VKEIDM |

VKSCZ

VK6FN

VK6IS

VKE6MEK |

VK6eDV

VEKGIR
VK6IS
VK6IDM

VEBKHZ | VKBBEK | VEK6FN |
VKBFN

VKBDV

VEK6KD
VEKBKHZ

VEBIS

VEK6KO
VK6LD
VEBMEK

VKBFN

VE6ML
VEK6NC
VEGNT
VEKENW
VEK6PZT
VE6QI

VE2KI

Listening
VE2KI
VEBEHZ |

WK6IS

VESFM | VWKEDY | VKGP2T

VK6TY
VEK6XU
VEBWE
VEK6YV
VETWIW
VEFKPC

VELHF | VK3SACU |

VK2KI | VK2DLF | VKSDBD

VETZA

And to the team that are on the air week after week, and also those who
contribute to the net by contributing to the RagChew with reports or
articles (Il received items from 19 people again this week!) - thank you - it’s
been an outstanding year.

So over the 52 editions this year (eeek!), we’ve moved from the challenges
of using Google Groups to assemble the weekly emails to the much
to use MailChimp (spam) mail campaign

generator - mostly much

easier
less

frustrating than Google Groups - but of course, | know it’s quite
unsustainable - it still takes me way too long every week.

But... I’ve really

enjoyed the success we’ve had with the net every week for the past two
and a half years... and | really enjoy getting the contributions and writing
the newsletter - even though

| know | should really be finishing the huge

pile of projects | have waiting... including the big one out in the hangar!
We'll see what 2024 brings.
So, very best wishes for 2024 from Elizabeth and me to you and your our
very patient families who lose you every Tuesday night.
2023

We hope that

has been everything you could have hoped for.

Cheers,
Mark Bosma
VK2KI / VK6QI
Beautiful South Bowning

NSW

mark.bosma@icloud.com
0418161773
non impediti ratione cogitationis

bac

ARE YOU MAKING me
RESOLUTIONS POR, THE

)

Coed

YEAH, ITM RESOLVING TO
JUST WING IT AND SEE

WHAT HAPPENS.

Reports

& Comments

So here’s this week’s
From

Donald VK6JDM

reports.

at Dalyup:

Dear

Mark,

At 10.30 UTC on about 3.588MHz
(my dial is an Eddystone slide-rule
job - not an accurate digital one) |
had a QSO with VK6FN
Manjimup

(about 700km

- Max of
away). |

was using 5 Watts.
At 10.50 to 11.05
3550

| called CQ

LKHz but heard nothing. | had fairly quiet conditions despite a storm having
passed 3 hours before. | suspect we were not open to the East.

As | am recovering from recent surgery followed by the flu | then decided to
give it away for the night.
73,
Donald

Howarth

[Thanks for the report Donald;

good job.

Good luck with your recovery mate; some rural medicine,
to go to Perth? Flu as well - bugger!

or did you have

Cheers and happy New Year when you recover.]
From

Nick VK6DV

at St James:

Many

thanks for the QSO

Mark.

| am just starting to try live CW - my CW
some

is pretty ugly :) but hope that

practice on the net should help. | will try to get on when

gets in the way as | sometimes

| can - work

have late meetings with Italy.

Unfortunately my local noise level is 4 without the preamp and 6 with it!
Lucky enough to have an Elecraft KX2 but a compromised

random wire (for

80m).
Do you know of other such local CW
beginners like myself? | would

nets around which are tolerant of

like to try the international/US SST

(htto://www.klusn.com/sst.html)

but the times are not good and | am

probably not yet ready ©.
Thanks again and hope to see you next time.
73
Nick
VK6DV
P.S. sorry - | hope | did not stomp on your other QSO

... | need a better

antenna and for Christmas to pass so all the Christmas lights disappear QRM

is terrible!

Cheers
Nick
[Hi Nick.
I’m really glad that we hooked up last night, and that | could get to
welcome you - terrific to hear you on.
And no - you weren't stomping on my transmission at all! | often
experience one-way propagation from here in NSW to WA (apparently in
Winter mostly) - and 1 couldn’t hear you here - but could hear both you and
my VK2 signal on the VK6QS SDR at Brookton.

I’ve discussed the one-way

propagation in previous RagChews - and I’m doing on-going
experimentation on Tuesday nights using transmitters and receivers in WA
and NSW.

And besides - the net is all about practice, learning and

sharing... so interference between stations that can’t hear each-other in the
noise is ops normal - so all good.
Wow if you have only S4 / S6 of noise, consider yourself very lucky mate!
Most of us have S-9+ (S94+10 to 20d0B here for instance) - hence the
articles on switch mode power supply noise in the last two RagChews.

Boy your CW didn’t sound ugly one bit to me - excellent fist! And for
receiving, that’s exactly why we have the net... no-one worries if the other
station does or does not receive perfectly, or even slightly!

It’s all about

practice and no-one’s going to judge you or hold up score cards :)

You'll

hear various quality sending on the net... which sometimes makes
decoding difficult - but most of us are still learning... and you'll often hear
guite poor rhythm from the old hands as well... many of whom become
rusty on a Straight key, or are so used to fast CW that they struggle to hear
their own errors when sending slow - a number of long-time CW operators
have told me that they actually find QRS quite difficult... one of my longtime CW expert mates in QLD flatly refuses to do QRS - he says it’s too
hard!
! actually don’t know of other QRS nets would you believe?
e

However:

There’s a CQ academy in VIC/TAS, but to our benefit, on-air QSOs
happen on our net - works for me!

The Straight Key Century Club runs an Oceania slow CW QSO party for
24 hours every few months - and I'll advertise them in the RagChew if
! get enough notice.

/n the Eastern States, most days there’s SOTA and VKFF Parks
activators on CW who are very happy to slow down, repeat info etc.
That’s how 1 came back to CW a couple of years ago after vowing to
not ever use it, after passing my AOCP in the early 70s.
The parksnpeaks.org website can send an SMS alert whenever
someone posts a CW Spot.... lve received several dozen SMS
notifications today already from VKs and ZL activators on CW!

Some

will be able to be copied in WA on 40, 20, 30, 17, 15, 12 and 10m at
this time of the sunspot cycle - great practice.

Not many SOTA

operators using CW in WA unfortunately... but some of our team
members get out from time to time.
e

We have a WhatsApp CQ QRS group - phone (and computer if desired)
SMS-type notifications - which we use for back-channel liaison (and
amusement)

during the net.

The Group is also used to notify of team

members looking for QRS (or fast) CW QSOs,
e

or for calling CQ outside

of the net. I’d be very pleased to add you to the group if you like.
The VK2W/ beacon runs on 3699kHz with five minute plain text
segments of various speeds;

you'll often hear it in WA after dark.

There’s another CW beacon operated by the Duncan
Hills Amateur Radio Group on 3658kHz;

VK6GHZ of the

| don’t think it’s on all the

time - possibly just nights?
e

/try to run several Slow CW contests each year - very simple
exchanges to encourage people to have a go on air.

Even if they’re

not confident to have normal QSOs yet, using cue cards learners can
still get on air and exchange callsigns and numbers.
e

There are other suitable contests run from time to time by various CW
groups around Australia;

| try to get on the VKQRP Club’s QRP Hours

event each year (one hour CW and one hour SSB);

I'll advertise it the

RagChew when it’s coming up next.
Do any of our team members know of other QRS practice opportunities?
Cheers and welcome again Nick..]
Thanks Mark.
| share a small property around Arthur River just south of Williams on
Albany Highway WA. It is off grid but we have a little solar power and | have
a few mbps

permanent

mobile internet... so was hoping to set up a remote

receiver.

When

| get time, | am

relatively

handy with Raspberry Pi’s etc so will
look for an image to allow me to
connect an RSP2 sdr. Not yet sure

eee

what antenna would suitthe
=
that
on
available
range
frequency
device. | also have a kiwi sdr but its
not set up any

« “wtC«+#k
Uh

a.
Re

ys
VolentF(

yy,

more.

| have had maybe one or max two CW QSOs

before but hope to change this

now that | have the Elecraft KX2 - having an ATU
Very happy to join the WhatsApp

group;

although

Is so good.
| don’t always get the

time, | have been into radio since | was in primary school. | am

now 63 and

had my license for only a few short years. | used to listen to aircraft HF
traffic as a kid - also vhf - and still do sometimes.
Enough from me. Travelling south for a few days break from family
commitments

so hope to catch you on the net next week or the following.

Thanks for your organising this net etc. If there is anything | can do to help,
let me know. Not always available as work, elderly parents and 7
grandchildren do consume some time ©

but happy to be involved and help

if | can.
Cheers,

73s

Nick
VK6DV

[Hi Nick.
You should now be in the CQ QRS Group on WhatsApp.
Best thing you can do to help is to be there - then send me a report for the
RagChew - both people contacted and people you hear.

That’s what makes

it a good read - people get to know the others and are interested to know
who they contacted or heard each week.

Similarly, having SWL reports

helps identify who was there each week - having QSOs and listening around
becomes a Challenge for most of us, so all reports (even to say you were
there, but didn’t hear anyone) are much appreciated.
Sometimes like last Tuesday, you'll call and call - and no-one will come up;
other weeks you ‘ll be amazed at how many people you hear or contact...
Just depends on dinner timings, propagation, noise etc.

It’s a terrific net -

particularly with the number on in WA compared to other States;

at the

moment I’m concentrating on the Eastern States because | want to build up
the numbers to be self-sustaining like it is in WA... so if someone comes up
from this side of the country and isn’t answered, I'll catch them if / can.
Unfortunately that means | can’t be working stations in WA most of the
time.

You were the exception this time - | wanted to catch you when |

heard you on;

I’d worked you in August last year (| should have

remembered - your callsign is familiar because | remember a previous
holder of the call when | lived in WA in the 70s) - but | wanted to let you
know about the net... now that your email address Is in grz.com.
I’d be interested in what you find about using a Raspberry Pi with an SDR.

have an RPI here as my AllStar node and 70cm hotspot (permanently
connected to the WA South

West AllStar net), but | have a second one

which would be good to convert into an SDR for my back paddock.
/ use the VK6QS KiwiSDR at Brookton to monitor the net in WA on
Tuesdays; Matthew has a huge horizontal loop on it - and it works very well;
similar signals to the 12m high x 60m

wide Marconi-Tee at the Southern

Electronics Group Remote at Bedfordale that | use when transmitting as
VK6QI.
If you decide that you don’t want your KiwiSDR any more, please let me
know,

Rob from the Southern Electronics Group want’s to buy and install

one for the Group;

and if not, then I'd be interested too... quicker than

building an RPi one.... but not as much fun - HI!
Cheers...

off to do some

mowing

between

Thanks Mark. Much appreciated.

the storms over here. ]

I’ve joined the WhatsApp

group.

Nick
VK6DV

From

Richard VKG6HRC

at Padbury:
Hello Mark,
Managed

to get into the shack for a

while last night.

Stations heard

Put out a call / CQ before | had to be elsewhere but nothing was heard.

seca

Be.

©o2®

on.

VK6FN

—_

VK6IS

VK6MK
VK6DV

”

per usual signals marginal to start with but improving as the night went on.
Post Morsum

report.

Great to catch up with you on the VK6RLM
others

checked

in this week,

which

AllStar link this morning.

is understandable

at this time of the

year.

Thank you for your hard work.

All the very best to you and yours for the

New Year and of course to the QRS crew as well.
Richard

VK6HRC

[Thanks Richard - nice report and photo.
net on Wednesday morning...

| nearly missed the Post Morseum

out doing chores, and completely forgot!

heard your dulcet tones chatting to Bob when | came back inside and
realised the error of my ways].
From

Keiran

VK3BTV/DU3:

I've been a bit busy lately and at the moment we're in a little village abt
130km

NE of Manila at my mother-in-law's house, sans HF. I've got Allstar

access to VHF/UHF
for now.

back home,

using DvSwitch on my phone,

but that's it

lf the net is on Tue 9 Jan, I'll aim for that one.
Sorry | missed ur AllStar Post Morseum

net this morning.

We did an

overnighter at a resort at Cuenca, south of Manila - about 5hrs drive from
here. Left 0230 Xmas

morning to go there, so by the time we got home at

2300 last night we were completely buggered.
Next Wed

I'll be flying out from MNL so | don't like my chances for that

one. However,

| might put out a few calls on AllStar 42482 from here and

see who pops up :)
Maligayang

Pasko at Manigong

Keiran VK3BTV

Bagong Taon

portable DU3

[Hey mate.
Heh heh - well 1 nearly missed it as well...and | didn’t have anywhere near
the same excuse as you.... Nasa labas ako nagpapakain ng mga manok!

it turned out, there was just Richard VK6HRC and me this morning.
My AllStar node has become a bit flakey in the last week or so... the Simple
USB interface just stops working and | need to un-plug and re-insert it
occasionally.... but I'll listen out when | can.
Take care mate and:

at manigong bagong taon sa iyo at sa lyong pamilya

aking Kaibigan].
And

as it turned

net, and
From

| had

Shaun

out,

Keiran

was

able to connect

a nice chat first-time voice chat with
VK6BEK

at Quinns

Rocks:

Hi Mark,

| was on briefly and had a nice QSO
with Peter VK6IS.
VK6FN

| also heard Max

at one point.

It was pretty

noisy here with sudden QSB
dropouts.
Hope you and your family had a
pleasant Christmas.
A happy new year to all the CW
crew.
Regards
Shaun - VK6BEK
[Thanks for your report Shaun - and |
trust that 2023 has been kind to you
and your family... if not your trees]!
From Jordan VK3ACU
Hi Mark,

to the South

at Meredith:

West AllStar

Keiran this week.

Here are my contacts for last night.
VK2KlI
VK3KO
VK7KPC
VK5PH
A few a bit quick and a few down

in the noise but thanks again for running

the net.
| don’t know how you manage to log the stations ©
Cheers

Jordan
[Cheers Jordan.

Mainly through the patience of the people I’m working -

lots of dah-di-di-di-dahs while | listen for callsigns on the SDRs - HI/!]
From

Craig VK3CLD/p

Listened

- somewhere

in VK3

we think:

to:

3545Mhz

VK2KI

in QSO

with VK3KOE

3555Mhz

VK6JDM

in QSO

with VK6FN

(??)

Callsigns may be incorrect due to very heavy QRM,

static crashes and

generally poor condition of the band.
VK3CLD/p...
[Hi Craig.

Thanks for your report - much appreciated.

Max and Donald through all the static crashes;

You did well to copy

where were you -

somewhere quiet I'm guessing?].
From

Max VKGFN

at Manjimup:

Hello all.

Mr. Super Reliable 61S was the first
cab of the rank. A nice sig into Manji.
RST 599. We had a nice chat.
Thanks Peter.
Stewart

6MK was the 2nd

contact for

the

night - sigs were RST 579 both ways.

See you next week Stuart.

Lastly was lan 5cz. His sig was RST 579 copied both ways. Thanks fer the
contact lan.
And that’s my lot for this week.
De fn
[Hey Max!

You're back on the internet - terrific! Catch you next Tuesday on

CW or Wednesday for the Post Morseum
mate].
From

Peter VK6IS

at Wundowie:

on AllStar.

Thanks for the report

Hi Mark,

This week was with vk6bek,, vk6fn,, vk6cv,, vk6khz.

It would seem that this

is silly season, there was an dearth of CW operators :(
The FT8 crew was still there, so the bands are open, but no-one is using
them.
Peter.

[Hi Peter.

Thanks for your report - a nice bundle in your net for the night.

beg to differ about “no-one using them”, certainly for our net anyway...

actually had a world record equalling 20 stations on, and of course very
likely that we had many more listening!

| was flat-out here - HI!

Take care

and best wishes of the season mate].
From

Peter VK7KPC

at Evandale:

Hi Mark... Tassie report:
VK1HF

heard

QSO with Jordan VK3ACU

rxd 339 sent 439 3550 kHz conditions bad My pwr

15W
Heard VK2DLF and VK2KI QSO 3542

kHz - think | heard 479 report from one

of the stations
Short QSO with Mark VK2KI 459 report
Heard VK3DBD

calling.
UHHMy QvUUL eu WY WHEE aval inny Hit yanu UIpUIS, Hau a WOU Wil vRERUA
and gave him 599 with 359 received with QRN on 3555; QTH was Ballarat or very

eers

similar name.

Peter VK7KPC

This was followed by contact with lan
VKS5CZ and received 529 from him. Tried
to reply with RST by my fingers seemed
to go off the rails and | gave up after

aoe

Called it quits after that.

Train still a bit rickety but stayed on
rails hi hi
[Good stuff - well done mate. ]
From

Richard VK6PZT

at Dalyellup:

Just the one contact for me last Tuesday night mark
VK2KI - Better signals than last week...

but still hard work to copy.

Unfortunately | lost the paper log | made so i cannot remember the RST
report
Kind regards,
Richard

[Heh heh, I'll try to not get too down
in the mouth that you /ost the record
of our QSO!

Back in the days of old,

log books were a requirement of
amateur stations, as was a record of
all transmissions (including CQs and
tests); | guess they’re now with the
dodo birds.

| still use one (the log

book, not the bird), albeit that | now
stuff it with prints from my Excel
soreadsheet log... when | know an RI
(Radio Inspector - see dodo bird
above!) is coming to visit - HI].

Thanks Mark and Happy New Year
2023 has been an unusual one and I’m keen to leave the it behind and get
on with 2024.

Hopefully 2024 will see way less visits to hospital, and more

time mucking

around outside with antennas!

| love the Tuesday night QRS, so just keep doing what you’re doing.
hoping to start a new job tn Feb soi might get home a

I’m

bit earlier ina

Tuesday night with any luck!!
Cheers

and

cu on air soon

Richard
VK6PZT

[Thanks Richard - catch you next year].
From

VK6QI

at Bedfordale

via the VK6QS

and

| didn’t get much

SDR

the VK6CRO

at Brookton,

Remote

was Calling CQ with his nicely paced
responded

Morse from Yangebup.

| managed

Max VK6FN

Peter VK6IS at

after a number of calls from Ron, while | busied

was listening on the VK6QS
When

at Carnarvon:

But right on 0900z Ron VK6KHZ

myself with operations from here in NSW.
Lin.

Remote

opportunity to attend to what was goin gon in WA on

Tuesday - flat out over East - see below.
Wundowie

the VK6SR

A while later | noticed Lin VK6ONT

KiwiSDR at Brookton - good to see you on again

to come

back to what was going on in VK6, | heard

at Manjimup chatting to Peter, then heard Nick VK6DV at St

James calling CQ;

when

member,

up the Southern

| cranked

Station at Bedfordale.

no-one answered the call from our new team
Electronics Group VK6SR

Remote

Fortunately, by the time I’d got it connected, tuned-

up and responding to my key (all while attempting a QSO with Peter from
home

in VK2 on the same frequency as it turned out), Nick was still there

and we managed

to have a nice QSO.

Peter then came

up on frequency

and also had a chat with Nick.
| noticed that as the evening progressed, the various thunder storms
around Australia started coming through

into WA - just to add to the

challenges there.
Also From

me, VK2KI

Extended

Zepp

at Araluen

NSW:

at Bowning

antenna

from

using

home

Over this side of the country, there

my TS-50 and

Double-

and also using the Tecsun

SDR

were storms throughout SE NSW and

Eastern Victoria, as well as SE
Queensland;

ila

yw ooo a

Delay:

for the third or forth

4.2 s

week in a row, the band was alive
with static crashes over this side of
the country.
First up just after 0900z, | listened-in
to Jordan VK3ACU
working

at Meredith

Peter VK7KPC

at Evandale.

| then caught Georg VK2DLF from St
Marys who had a solid RST 599
Signal to me via F-layer skywave
propagation.

l’ve been surprised at

how weak some

Sydney-based

stations have been, considering the
reliable strength of the 30 Watt
VK2WI
kHz;

slow CW beacon on 3699
Georg’s

signals was

ide, real-time, community collaborative ligt

what I’d expect after the D-layer
fades after dark.
| was then called by Paul VK5PH

at Glen Osmond,

nice RST 499 despite the static crashes.
VK3KO

A while later | chatted to lan

who was RST 589 from Mornington followed by Jordan VK3ACU

Meredith who was RST 489 with the QRN
came

who was rolling in with a

and some QSB.

Peter VK7KPC

up but | really struggled, reporting RST 249 with all the commotion.

While attending to WA stations, also | noticed David VK3DBD
Yakandandah

calling CQ and coming

KiwiSDR at Araluen.

from

in with a big signal on the Tecsun

A while later | had another exchange with Paul before

attempting to work Peter VK6IS at Wundowie;

Peter was very weak - | was

just getting the occasional characters and needed to use the VK6QS
KiwiSDR at Brookton to determine who was calling me.
About 3/4 hour later Richard VK6PZT at Dalyellup and | managed

to scrape

a QSO - $249/R529 - Richard must have a pretty good receiving set-up and
got his noise down to a decent level because by that time | could see the
WA SDR was full of static crashes.
We tried again 20 minutes later;

signal had jumped to RST 559 and
Richard’s was marginally better, but
still RST 349.
So for me, another interesting and
busy night - thanks all.

Other
Other things
From

Georg VK2DLF

News

I’ve received from

our 100-odd

readers.

at St Marys:
If we have no storm, I'll try to be on

Telegraphy

tonight. Last week | had the cables

Station

out, cos of the storm.

[Hi Georg.

Well I’m glad that you

decided to have a ‘cables in’ night great to chat to you again on the
net.

Nice big signal from your

FTdx10 - single-hop F-layer
skywave - just a fraction too far for NVIS to Sydney from here - so signals
are often variable... although the 30 Watt 3699 beacon Is just about always
thundering in at night here from Dural].
From

lan VK1HF

portable at Green

Cape

Lighthouse

NSW:

We're going back down to Green
Cape to see if we can see the yachts
going by..so | may be on..let's see
how 80 MTRS

is down there!

73,
lan - VKLHF.
[Nothing heard from you among the
TS on Tuesday

lan.

Bit early to see

any Sydney-Hobart yachts, but nodoubt a bracing experience with the
wind at that lighthouse! ]

Welcome

Herman

and

Kees.

You may recall that | referred to many articles about keys and restoration
from Herman VK2IXV that had been published in the fantastic OTN
magazine from the Radio Amateurs’ Old Timers’ Club.

| sent Herman a

copy of our newsletter - and quick as a flash, Herman

and his friend Kees

VK1KVS joined our team.

Welcome

guys.

run up some articles for the RagChew!

And what’s more, they have both

Fantastic!

And of course for all readers, please forward the RagChew to anyone you
think may be interested in CW;

hopefully there’s something of interest to

most people in the newsletter;

over 110 subscribers can’t all be wrong!

From

Herman

VK2IXV
My

at Kiama:
BK-100

- The

1960s

Coffin

Bug

| bought my first Japanese BK-100 bug in 1963 in Singapore when working
as a R/O on Dutch ships sailing in the Far East. Bug keys are fine to use in
the tropics, with mainly smooth seas. However,
when

a bug does not perform well

a ship is pitching and rolling in rough seas.

My BK-100

is an early version with slot-headed screws as later models have

Philips head screws. Adjustments are fitted with locknuts and face inwards,
so that the complete mechanism
plastic dust cover. However,

can be protected by a clear transparent

it is very hard to find a BK-100 with a

dustcover that fits properly is not cracked or broken.

|
Tr

|i:

ne |

|
S
aaa
a2a fein

Mine is in good nick and besides the lid is enhanced
and

the name

of its maker,

Dentsu-Seiki,

and

eel

with a pattern of 5 ribs

their brand

name

Swallow.

A single finger-piece extends from the dust cover's far end, and a small
hole in the key cabinet's side permits routing an output cable to a
transmitter.
In 1968 the Dentsu-Seiki
company changed

its name to Hi-Mound.

The BK-100 coffin bugs were always marketed

as a cheap alternative to the

American Vibroplex bugs, but | think that they perform at least as well, if
not better. They really have a nice feel. Noisy? No, not really.
The BK-100 bug is reasonably cheap to obtain on eBay.

But, as you know,

they are mainly sold by USA owners, and postal charges USA-AUS are the
killers these days.
73, Herman

VK2IXV

[Thank you Herman - a fabulous article from our new team member.

| often

get questions from operators about suggestions for keys, paddles and bugs
to keep an eye out for - this is a perfect guide - thank you. ]
From

Kees

VK1KVS

at Wanniassa:

Hello

Mark.

My friend Herman

Willemsen

forwarded

me your below email,

Suggesting

| might be interested. |

am a former Dutch Army Conscript
Signal Corps CW OP (1974/75) living
in Canberra, and am interested in
‘getting my ear’ in once again.
| watched the video at

httos://www.vyoutube.com/watch?v=cKUpTPViK94

briefly. | clicked the subscribe bell, but would

be pleased if you can register

me for your emails. | am about to set up an EFHW,

my only antenna at this

Stage, so not sure what reception or coverage that will give me, but I'll see.

| look forward to hearing from you.
73 Kees van der Spek VK1KVS
[Hi Kees and Herman.

Terrific, and thank you for your interest in the CQ QRS team.

I'll register

you tomorrow and you'll then receive the weekly RagChew newsletter.
There are several VK1s who get the newsletter, but Claude
on the net most weeks.

VKITE comes

Like you, Claude is an experienced CW operator,

but enjoys helping others come up to speed, as well as the challenge of
QRS for those who are used to faster operations.
So welcome Kees.

Your end fed half wave should work just fine... but like

most people, you will be faced with the problem of switch mode power
supply hash on 80m;

you may have noticed the item in the RagChew

Herman sent - Part 2 of a series of articles about noise, intended to give our
team things to think about and perhaps chat about on air.

Happy to send

you Part 1
! look forward to hearing you on air, or on the mean

time, hearing reports of

what you hear on the net - there are a number of KiwiSDR receivers around
Australia that you can connect to to hear the net.

Claude (Cced) and/ can

help with that if needed.
Thank you for the referral Herman - keep it up!
Cheers].
Hello Mark,
Many thanks for your prompt response.
ago as an OP only, much

Having

been trained all those years

of the technical stuff is there still to be mastered.

But happy for you to send me your part 1 of the noise article so as to at
least get up to speed with that one.
Much appreciated!
73

Kees

VK1KVS...

[Hi Kees,
Here’s the previous week’s RagChew for your amusement.
Thanks for joining the team mate - please listen-in (eg on one of the
KiwiSDRs) even if you can’t transmit yet, and send me a report for the
newsletter of who you hear.

Hoy or chat with Claude

VKITE if you want a

hand finding the VKICM KiwiSDR in Canberra or the Tecsun SDR at Araluen
(which | use - in conjunction

with a second one in WA)

to watch

the band

during the net).

Cheers].
Hello

Mark,

Many thanks!

Much to read up on... Trust I’ll grow into it. Yes, unfamiliar

with KiwiSDR/ TexcsunSDR

so happy for any pointers.

Best wishes,
73

Kees

VK1KVS

[Hi Kees.

We’re going to do a little article about the KiwiSDRs in a future

edition of RagChew.

In the mean

time, either Claude VK1ITE or | will send

you some pointers; but perhaps have a look at YouTube and search for
KiwiSDR - there’s be a number of options such as this one:
https://youtu.be/rmmKWYg18YU?si=RLuaQw2GPpAyXxla7
Cheers, mb]
From

Owen

VK2OMD

at Bowral:

Frequency

histogram

You might find this article of
interest:
Does

200

RBN

comparing

give a reliable metric for
antennas?

®
a
2SG

[Thanks Owen.
WA

&
YF

FF
FAR
eee
SN
Ho
B&BKH
BDGS
Ah
me RH SFF
6s 8A Bw
FAR
SB
o#
a FH SF
SF go
Sg
¢
wo
FF
ho

“

”

¥
KD

T
wT

=
w

A&
HH ASE
F
SNA B&B
F
HR
GB
FF
A
So
we
GBF
FF
RF

HR
FF

There’s an interesting discussion going on in WA about the

VHF Group abandoning the VHF beacon network - because it’s just too

hard and costly to maintain over the vast distances involved.

With a

beacon, potentially antennas could be switched instantly and repeatedly for
comparison of signal strength with slow QSB.
/ use a Remote HF station to transmit in WA during the CQ QRS net;

the

sampling rate of the digital strength numbers (in S-points) is very very slow
- making S-meter readings during QRS quite a challenge (and like the RBN,
pretty much useless!).
Interesting that the histogram of the VK2WI 3699kHz CW practice beacon
has a near-normal-ish distribution - | guess if the signal strength varied
rhythmically and the peaks and troughs were about the same, it’d be more
normal.
Cheers and thank for the interesting article you’ve written].
From

Ron VK6KHZ

This is well worth

at Yangebup:

a look:

httos://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylLuObHx83Vw
WLW_500

kw AM

Broadcast

Station

Operating

Procedures

A good overall description about the Crosley WLW
operating

procedures.

[Thanks Ron.
ARRL

Nicely made].

Straight Key Night

500 kw transmitter

ARRL Straight Key Night 2024
The moment VOTA: Badges on the Air ends, another popular event gets
started:
ARRL Straight Key Night (SKN) is held on January 1, 2024, from 0000
UTC through 2359 UTC.
Many hams look forward to SKN as one of the highlights of their operating
year.
Operators participate using Morse
code (CV). All you need is your
favorite straight key or bug. Many
participants dust off vintage radios
and keys and put them back into
service each year just for this
event.
SKN is not a contest, so there's no
need for quick exchanges.
However, all hand keys, regardless

of age,

are

welcome.

The

number

.
ARRL Straight Key Night (SKN) is January 1,
2024, from 0000 UTC through 2359 UTC.

of contacts you make is not
important. The reward is meeting new friends as you get together on the
air.
Send a list of stations contacted, SKN

stories and photos, and your votes

for Best Fist and Most Interesting OSO to straightkey@arrl.org by January
31, 2024.

More information is available at www.arrl.org/straight-key-night.
And what’s more... it starts at such a decent time on New Year’s Day.
http://www.arrl.org/straight-key-night
Straight

Key Century

Club - Straight

Welcome to Straight Key Month 2024!
SPG

Area

a a
Bb
oo
Bae

«OC =
rae

ee... \

soi

Good
Bee

Se eae
|
°
FF
me

tgs

ef ge

| 4
Keyboard

shortcuts.

Map data

$2023

1000

on ae

2nd SKCC

around the world will be operating Soe

morni nga

\| ,

Registrations for the 2024 SKCC K3Y
event are now open.

The SKCC K3Y event is a once a year
occasion, details can be found at:

httpos://www.skccgroup.com/k3y/k3y.

asos: @ ne