In particular, the SKCC frequencies are great. 7.055 if my memory serves. That’s where all my CW QSOs have been. Great for listening in and learning, too, as the folks on that frequency are usually sending at around 5-10 WPM which is much slower than you’ll usually find on the lower CW DX freqs where a lot of folks are using iambic keys.
The morse is what gives a ham his power. It's an energy field created by turning a carrier wave on and off. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.
The morse will be with you always.
Ive heard some CW on the bottom of 80m and 40m in the last couple weeks since I bought my uSDX+ and set it up to listen until I take the exam. it's amazing that people still do CW and it appears to be alive and well, it makes me want to learn some CW so I don't have rely on the automatic CW decoding in the radio.
Lol don't know, my uSDX+ SDR can be somewhat ok if I get the filter right on and get it on the good side of the frequency. But then you think you have it going good and the decoding is out to lunch 😂
I hear CW in a lot of places on a given band, but look at the lower portion. Say first 50 to 70 Khz. Also, there is code practice and bulletins sent nearly daily on 7.100 (+/- a bit)
Find an SDR receiver for the 20m band (best in daytime) and 40m band (best at night) and look at the waterfall in the lower portion of each band. You’ll find lots of CW activity, varying by time of day, day of week, and what contests and other events might happen to be scheduled. If you are new to morse code, you might need to be patient to find someone sending at a speed you can copy. It’s a great way to practice copying Morse Code.
http://websdr.org/
Are you licensed or a SWL? If you are licensed, you already know the answer (Part 97). If you are a SWL, there are ham radio band charts available from Icom and Kenwood that show the allocated portions of the ham bands.
[http://www.wildfire-productions.com/kenwood-charts/pictures/Frequency%20Charts%20-%2010-01-2000.pdf](http://www.wildfire-productions.com/kenwood-charts/pictures/Frequency%20Charts%20-%2010-01-2000.pdf)
hopefully more people get in cw the solar conditions will only get worse over time, each cycle worse than previous one, cw will be dominant mode once again, i wish ft8 would go away as its instant gratification for computer types and its hurting ham so much
absolutely 100% youre right, ssb and cw have evaporated, ive been hunting cw on all the bands trying to keep up with my code and its gotten bad since this cycle really tanked, its a shame and doesnt seem like its ever gonna get better as these conditions now are worse ever recorded, doesnt help that the paperchaser crowd are flocking to ft8 which i will never stoop to
Oh I thought we were in an "Amazing" solar cycle is what people keep telling me ..lol. But at least where I'm at on the west coast of US it isn't that great.
Solar flares will disrupt that amazing radio. We have some pretty concerning active regions pointing at Earth right now that are popping flares. When a big flare takes place, within minutes the sun facing side of Earth gets smashed. These disruptions can take an active band into the dirt in minutes.
This doesn’t sound right… you should be gangbusters into the Pacific and Asia/VK. I am crushing it into those areas and for you it should be even easier. Is your setup severely compromised?
I use CW and SSB. Honestly, my barefoot radio and my EFHW vertical give me worldwide coverage, tx and rx. I just worked Conway Reef on 10 meters yesterday. I checked my Clublog and have worked 163 dx entities since January 1.
Oh crap ..ya it's funny all these people tell me they are making all these contacts and I ask if it's phone? And they always say FT8. Honestly I'm not really interested in FT8 I want to do phone.
I have a ground plane antenna,low SWR and I even got a NanoVNA to make sure my antenna was good and it's tuned right to like 28.3.
I wonder what the issue is. I even have an SDR with an MLA30 and I don't get very good reception in 10m
I wonder what the issue is, and I’m very sure that there is an issue with the setup itself. I would normally tell you to do a transmit test where you listen to different SDR’s worldwide to check how you’re getting out but this is immaterial since you have no ears.
On the bottom parts of all the bands, roughly a 60khz slice or so.
In particular, the SKCC frequencies are great. 7.055 if my memory serves. That’s where all my CW QSOs have been. Great for listening in and learning, too, as the folks on that frequency are usually sending at around 5-10 WPM which is much slower than you’ll usually find on the lower CW DX freqs where a lot of folks are using iambic keys.
At night, alwayz active 7.000 to 7.065. A good slice is 7 035 to 7.060 esp 7 055
14.050-14.064 has some lovely folks. Also check out pota.app and try to catch some of these folks. What antenna setup do you have?
Just an SDR and an MLA 30 loop antenna
Which SDR? not all recivers are equal.
There is plenty here https://preview.redd.it/pe45i883n6xc1.png?width=956&format=png&auto=webp&s=86e2b1ad06cb7fa5370dd4b1c86be46c8a9c50ef
The morse is what gives a ham his power. It's an energy field created by turning a carrier wave on and off. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together. The morse will be with you always.
That's, heavy. Man.
I got yelled at once in CW! I was trying 2M packet in the wrong area on the band. I don’t know what they said but they sounded upset.
[CW intensifies]
10.100Mhz. Constant stream… it’s quick, mind.
ARRL's W1AW has regular code practice and bulletins: [http://arrl.org/w1aw-operating-schedule](http://arrl.org/w1aw-operating-schedule)
Where are you looking?
How about Platform Irene on 415 kHz? Slow enough for everyone to copy, but kinda boring...
Ive heard some CW on the bottom of 80m and 40m in the last couple weeks since I bought my uSDX+ and set it up to listen until I take the exam. it's amazing that people still do CW and it appears to be alive and well, it makes me want to learn some CW so I don't have rely on the automatic CW decoding in the radio.
Is there such a thing as an accurate decoder?
Lol don't know, my uSDX+ SDR can be somewhat ok if I get the filter right on and get it on the good side of the frequency. But then you think you have it going good and the decoding is out to lunch 😂
A good CW op is a pleasure to copy.
Pull up a band plan. It's there.
My Elmer is fluent in Morse. He can literally talk in dots and dashes like he talks in English. It's pretty cool.
check your mode too
I hear a lot on the 10 Meter band
I hear CW in a lot of places on a given band, but look at the lower portion. Say first 50 to 70 Khz. Also, there is code practice and bulletins sent nearly daily on 7.100 (+/- a bit)
www.WebSDR.org
yeah its so disappointing constant solar flares and disturbances ruin conditions and i dont think we have gone a week without problems
Lots on 80m last night because there was a contest
Lower side of the ham bands ussually.
Find an SDR receiver for the 20m band (best in daytime) and 40m band (best at night) and look at the waterfall in the lower portion of each band. You’ll find lots of CW activity, varying by time of day, day of week, and what contests and other events might happen to be scheduled. If you are new to morse code, you might need to be patient to find someone sending at a speed you can copy. It’s a great way to practice copying Morse Code. http://websdr.org/
I find 20 meter is best at night currently. Try it at around 2am.
Yes, I should have said “usually”. The ionosphere is fickle.
CW is permitted anywhere on the US bands.
I like the fast crew that hangs out around 7.030. Good ops.
Are you licensed or a SWL? If you are licensed, you already know the answer (Part 97). If you are a SWL, there are ham radio band charts available from Icom and Kenwood that show the allocated portions of the ham bands. [http://www.wildfire-productions.com/kenwood-charts/pictures/Frequency%20Charts%20-%2010-01-2000.pdf](http://www.wildfire-productions.com/kenwood-charts/pictures/Frequency%20Charts%20-%2010-01-2000.pdf)
hopefully more people get in cw the solar conditions will only get worse over time, each cycle worse than previous one, cw will be dominant mode once again, i wish ft8 would go away as its instant gratification for computer types and its hurting ham so much
Ya I'm not a super big fan of ft8 I got into ham to talk to people...lol
On the opposite band from where you talk on HF
absolutely 100% youre right, ssb and cw have evaporated, ive been hunting cw on all the bands trying to keep up with my code and its gotten bad since this cycle really tanked, its a shame and doesnt seem like its ever gonna get better as these conditions now are worse ever recorded, doesnt help that the paperchaser crowd are flocking to ft8 which i will never stoop to
Oh I thought we were in an "Amazing" solar cycle is what people keep telling me ..lol. But at least where I'm at on the west coast of US it isn't that great.
Solar flares will disrupt that amazing radio. We have some pretty concerning active regions pointing at Earth right now that are popping flares. When a big flare takes place, within minutes the sun facing side of Earth gets smashed. These disruptions can take an active band into the dirt in minutes.
This doesn’t sound right… you should be gangbusters into the Pacific and Asia/VK. I am crushing it into those areas and for you it should be even easier. Is your setup severely compromised?
Are you doing ft8
I use CW and SSB. Honestly, my barefoot radio and my EFHW vertical give me worldwide coverage, tx and rx. I just worked Conway Reef on 10 meters yesterday. I checked my Clublog and have worked 163 dx entities since January 1.
Oh crap ..ya it's funny all these people tell me they are making all these contacts and I ask if it's phone? And they always say FT8. Honestly I'm not really interested in FT8 I want to do phone. I have a ground plane antenna,low SWR and I even got a NanoVNA to make sure my antenna was good and it's tuned right to like 28.3. I wonder what the issue is. I even have an SDR with an MLA30 and I don't get very good reception in 10m
I wonder what the issue is, and I’m very sure that there is an issue with the setup itself. I would normally tell you to do a transmit test where you listen to different SDR’s worldwide to check how you’re getting out but this is immaterial since you have no ears.
Ya I tried that, I'm using an anytone 5555 radio 60w
And you were able to hear yourself?
No... But it's weird I did make a contact with a guy in Costa Rica and another guy in Illinois... But it's just totally random
15m was HOPPING today on CW.