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K5TO - Wally Maxwell - Licensed since 1959

Profile Information

Your Call Sign: K5TO

How many years have you been performing QRQ CW: Since 1975

What speed do you like to run QRQ CW: Typically 60-WPM

Your favorite key, paddle or bug: Huh?!? Hate to admit I'd be lost without my keyboard. Threw away my straight key after upgrading from Novice 48-years ago. Got rid of the bug shortly after. Still have a homebrew keyer (somewhere) in absentia since 1975.

Your favorite cw keyboard: My 1975 kybd design (no longer functions). Haven't repaired it because today's software approaches the accuracy of high-end hardware designs. I lost the schematics and documentation in two separate floods. It'd take forever to document and troubleshoot--not worth the effort now.

Your favorite cw sending software: Tony Field's Logging program call YPLOG which has an excellent CW generator.

Your Rig, Antenna and RF Power: Corsair and Centaur amp, 2nd rig a Jupiter. Antenna is stealth 40-M inverted vee mandated by Home Owners Association which allows zero antennas. It's suprisingly difficult to see #12 Belden Antenna wire in a tree. Max RF power output 450-Watts. Station location is court-yard home environment--so not wise to run 1500-Watts.

Your QSK preferences: Prefer full-QSK when possible. Typical turn around time for transceiver rigs ~20-milliseconds which is greater than the period of a dot at 60-WPM. Breaking a station with a single dot's not possible typically unless specialized hardware enables rx 100% of the time. With todays keyboards "breaking-in" also means dumping the buffer to hear another's comments. I ask how important is that? A station using QSK can typically hear what's going on in the background unless prevented by skip condx.

Your favorite headphones or speakers for listening to cw: Due to hearing impairment I don't typically use a headset. I use an MFJ mobile speaker (Model #MFJ280) which I hang around my neck or place directly in front of me which avoids room reflections nicely. Room reflections at QRQ speeds kills copy ability--so beware.

Wally Maxwell's Blog

K5TO - Wally - QRQ Appliance Operator?

Ah yes...modern telegraphy with modern radios. On Thursday morning May 21st 2009 I fired up the Jupiter to meet with Ted K5LGJ on 3.530 MHz at 7AM. Ted's got a few years on me at age 89 soon to be 90 (I'll be 72 6/1/09). But at exactly 7AM (yes by WWV stds of course) Ted calls me, but "old" Wally's fumbling around trying to get PC booted to use software CW generator program 'YPLog'. I put out a carrier a couple of times to let Ted know I was there (naturally I don't have a mechanical key as how… Continue

Posted on May 21, 2009 at 4:13pm — 1 Comment

Comment Wall (2 comments)

At 12:49pm on September 23, 2009, Thom Davis said…: I remember you on there as well Wally, but without my log, I can't remember who else
was on there. My call at the time was WB2TEN, before I moved to Michigan and changed
it to K8IF. Most of the 100wpm stuff was the two Gene's that I remember, but I recall
hearing some west coast ops trying it as well, but no names/calls come to mind.
Too weak to copy anyway!

At 10:02am on June 15, 2013, Joe said…: Wally...Nice to hear from you again. Let me know when you get that vertical up and running. My 80 meter dipole works on all bands. We still have the iCW net on Saturdays and the FOG net on Mondays and Thursdays on iCW. Join us!

Joe, W3GW