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How many years have you been performing QRQ CW: Since I first realized I didn't need to put everything down on paper. Probably sometime in 1959. But in those days the fastest things we had were keyers.

What speed do you like to run QRQ CW: I'm not sure any more. I used to like to run around 80 WPM in the 80s. I've slowed down quite a bit since those days.

Your favorite key, paddle or bug: The paddle I use (when I use one) is a Bencher. Favorite bug is a Blue Racer.

Your favorite cw keyboard: Right now I have an MFJ keyer with a clunky AT board.

Your Rig, Antenna and RF Power: The rig is all Collins S-Line. 32S-3 TX, 75S-3C RX. The antenna is a horizontal square loop one wavelength on 80m fed with twin lead and tuned with a balanced tuner with ganged rotary inductors. It works all bands 80 thru 10 1:1 SWR. I haven't powered up the shack yet with 240VAC, so I generally run around 100W. Eventually I'll hook up the 30L-1 and probably run around 600W if necessary.

Your QSK preferences: I designed my own QSK to operate with the Collins. It consists of all the timing and an all diode T/R switch. I can copy a SSB QSO through a stream of dots running 99 WPM.

Your favorite headphones or speakers for listening to cw: The speaker I use is in the Collins 312B-4 but I wouldn't call it a favorite. The phones are HD 280 pro, but they're just what I happen to have.

What has been your most effective way of training practice, to copy and send qrq cw: LOTS of air time with QRQ ops.

At 6:23pm on May 6, 2012, Chuck aa0hw said…: Hi Jerry, Thanks for joining the group...

Wonder if you were a part of the "5 star" qrq group back then ?

80 wpm ! Fantastic ! Maybe we can start the 80wpm + net up again on

Saturdays ?

Your description of your QSK circuit sounds great. Maybe you can add some info on that design to our ongoing qsk post on the forums here elsewhere...

Thanks again Jerry

Regrads

chuck

At 2:40pm on May 10, 2012, Brett Miller said…: Jerry sounds good and so does Bill - N7YT. Even when they were 529 or so into my QTH their 55/60 cw sounded FB. And I even copied a sentence or two from Jerry when I briefly broke in the other day.

Jerry, your shack sounds incredible...truly exciting stuff, especially the Collins S-line, and your own QSK system. I wouldn't mind seeing that schematic sometime! About the 80m loop...how high up do you have it, and also, which balanced tuner do you use? MFJ or other brand, or homebrew?

I agree 100% about the best way to practice QRQ is to actually make QSOs, but for several years it was rare for my to find people to practice with outside of roundtables, who were able to send fast with a keyboard. Now that situation actually seems to be improving.

Chuck, I'm gradually making it up to 55 wpm proficiency, though I am only just dipping my toes into the water. I don't see a plateau there or anywhere, because I generally follow the context of conversation and read whole word envelopes starting way down at 40 wpm and sometimes even at 35. In a couple years or perhaps much sooner I could be doing 80 wpm, and I actually feel quite confident about that, as long as there are people around to talk to at least a few times a week. I'm not ashamed when I miss stuff or fail to answer questions...I just keep on truckin'!

73 guys.

KI4DBK - CFO#1017