Joe

Saint Francisville, LA

United States

Profile Information:

Your Call Sign
W3GW
How many years have you been performing QRQ CW
I got interested in QRQ in 2008 after running across this website.
What speed do you like to run QRQ CW
Over the past few years I have been able to get up to 50 to 60 wpm.
Your favorite key, paddle or bug
My Bencher, old Vibroplex bug, and my J-38 from my Novice days in 1957, sit alongside my keyboard. .
Your favorite cw keyboard
I am using a Microsoft ComfortCurve and just got a Rosewill RK-9000 mechanical keyboard.
Your favorite cw sending software
I use Fldigi for iCW and both a K1EL K40 and Winkeyer with C-Typer for on the air QRQ. Recently, I set up Fldigi to key the rig directly using my Acer laptop soundcard audio output. Details are on the website.
Your Rig, Antenna and RF Power
I still use my Ten Tec Omni and Corsair along with an Ameritron AL-811H amplifier used when conditions warrant. I built a homebrew antenna tuner to feed my 80 meter dipole fed with tuned feeders.
Your QSK preferences
QSK is the way to go, especially after using the old Ten Tec gear which does QSK so well. Getting the Omni and Corsair to work with the AL-811H amplifier in QSK mode has been a challenge.
Your favorite headphones or speakers for listening to cw
I have a bunch of headphones around. Most have an audio response that is too wide. A SCAF filter is on my project list.
What has been your most effective way of training practice, to copy and send qrq cw
I use Fabian's program 'QRQ' and the common word files. Another approach I use is to make Mp3 files out of text files ,using Fldigi, to put on my portable Mp3 player. I carry the player around on walks and take QRQ with me while travelling. Recently, Chuck AA0HW, turned me on to 'Mixxx', a great program for working with Mp3 files. I also enjoy iCW nets and one on one chats. Getting set up for iCW is not as hard as it looks.

Comment Wall:

  • Chuck aa0hw

    Hi Joe
    Thanks for joining the site and hope we can have some lively discussions here concerning QRQcw etc...

    Mar 21, 2008

  • Jim Johns

    Joe
    Thanks for the suggestion about using Fldigi. I wasn't aware that this package was compiled to run under non-LINUX OS but see from the video demo on this site that it will run under windows. I've been using ebook2cw with the -q 1 option and it sounds OK but your suggestion will give me another reference point for cw quality. 73 and have a very Happy New Year.

    Jim KA0IQT

    Dec 30, 2009

  • Ron Peterson

    Hi Joe - thanks for your comments - and my pleasure to meet you. Yep - 40 meter band condx were wicked on Saturday - I was happy to hear Chuck at all. I too am using a loop (full wave cut for 40 meters). Thus, it is heavily dependent on having the support of the F2 layer. Being your basic "cloud warmer" I don't hear too many stations "well" outside of 300 miles; so am always surprised when that happens.

    Thom (K8IF) and I had a nice QSO earlier in the week with very good signals. Thom being in Northern Michigan, and close to the 300 mile ring of my loop, a good signal level is what would be expected. But, on Saturday Thom's signal was at the cusp of the noise floor.

    I'm getting the software installed and look forward to joining the group on iCW.

    73 es take care,

    Ron / WB2JKL

    Jan 20, 2010

  • Atsu

    Hi Joe tnx fr your welcome words in Japanese. Simple sentense is OK for machine translation but sometimes becomes much harder to understand hi
    73！ Atsu

    Apr 5, 2010

  • Brett Miller

    Thanks a lot Joe!!  Thanks to daily practice skeds with my friend Ralph in Chattanooga, TN my receiving seems to be coming along decently and my paddle sending is getting more accurate as well.  Most importantly, I've really been enjoying it.

     

    I heard about you from W5UX and am really happy that QRQ seems to have finally garnered a thriving community and base for communications.  Congrats to Chuck and everyone involved for making this place happen.  It looks like a lot of sharing of good technical ideas goes on here too, which is one of the things that drew me into ham radio in the first place.  73's!

     

    -Brett

    KI4DBK

    Mar 6, 2011

  • Jan Hattingh

    Thank you, Joe! Also looking forward to having good DX conditions again. I have read your excellent guide a number of times before deciding to apply for membership of QRQcw. Not nearly ready for QRQ cw, but with the aid of Fldigi I have also prepared a number of training exercises to help me get there. Once my ability to copy QRQ cw is getting less erratic, the iCW option would be the next step to take :-)

    73, Jan ZS6BMN near Pretoria

    Apr 5, 2011

  • Brett Miller

    Joe,

     

    In the other discussion you mentioned a 15m sked with Ben.  I've been having a pretty regular qso with Ben an hour prior to the CFO net, and it's really worked well to get my receiving brain warmed up for the net.

     

    I  wouldn't mind getting in on that 15m sked whenever the MUF is up there and solar activity is right.  I know ten was really open a lot about a month or two ago, but I have been so busy with 40 meters that I really haven't bothered to tune up on other bands a lot lately.  Still, I would love to try and make that sked a 3-way every now and then if you and N6SL are up for it.  It would be a unique experience to have such a long distance QRQ contact, at least for me.  I think Ben told me his Kenwood will be out of the shop in early July, so maybe we can do it sometime after that.

     

    A while ago Andrew told me that you were on the mainland, but I didn't know you were going back to Hawaii so soon.  I guess I missed you when you were here.  73

     

    -Brett

    Jun 21, 2011

  • Joe

    Great idea, Brett. Both of Ben's rigs are down with his little Ten Tec Scout only putting out about 5 watts. I am going to send him some MRF 454s so he can get the final up and running. We can all meet on 15 or 10 after he gets the rigs going again. In the meantime, I usually monitor 21055 one half hour before the CFO net get together. I will give you a call at 6:30 PM central daylight savings time on 21055 on tuesdays, starting today. Fifteen meters is usually the best band for us. Anyone else interested is welcome to join us.For the CFO net itself, the FOG nets, and the Saturday nets, I use Icw directly or use it to key Chucks Icom.

     

    Joe KH6/W3GW

    Jun 21, 2011

  • Brett Miller

    Joe,

    Well, at 6:00 PM Central, I've had a pre-CFO sked with Andrew, which lately he hasn't been able to make very often so Ben has been joining me at that time.  However, Ben will probably have a very weak signal until he gets your FETs, so I will email Andrew and ask him if he can make our sked tonight.  If not, I will QSY to 21055 at 6:30 Central and start throwing your call out there.  Even if Andrew meets me on time at 6, we might be able to both QSY to meet you, but I am not sure if he can change bands on Chuck's server.

     

    -Brett

    Jun 21, 2011

  • Brett Miller

    Ok, I just heard from Andrew...FB, I'll QSY to 21055 at 6:30 Central and start listening and calling for you.

    -Brett

    Jun 21, 2011

  • Маrk Kelley

    Hi Joe and thanks for the welcome wishes. Do you know of any sites or software which would be good for practicing around 50? I'm assuming that being able to adjust the weighting would be a good thing. Is that correct? Is there a good rule of thumb when it comes to weighting? Also, I get the feeling that once you're above 50 your really copying words. With that in mind, it would be cool if there were a practice program where you could build a "vocabulary list," become proficient at the words on your list and continue to grow and expand, much as you would when you learn a language. What do you think. I'm sure you'll probably overcomplicating things, but I'm a linguist and work well in the environment of dictionaries and vocabularly lists. With languages I learn the words and read everyday, starting with elementary readers and slowly work my way up. Any thoughts? 73/Mark

    Feb 11, 2012

  • Маrk Kelley

    Hi Joe,

    Thanks for the wonderful info on QRQ. I can sure understand the value of being able to comprehend words by their individual sounds using some type of vocabulary building tool. Thanks very much for the info. It's with you guys that I'm beginning to understand how it's possible to copy CW at 100 wpm. There's no way I think you could recognize individual letters in an eight letter cluster making up a fiven word. I'm assuming that the same op that can copy words at 100wpm couldn't copy randon text at that speed. Is that fair to assume?

    Feb 13, 2012

  • Ed Kotz - AD7GR

    Thanks Joe,   I have the sideswiper net page in my favorites... spent hours looking through the keys there.   I haven't yet tried the net but that day will come.   For the most part I am a lurker on these groups, clubs, and such... trying to learn as able.

    -Ed - AD7GR

    Jul 23, 2012

  • John Tull

    Thanks Joe for your welcome message. Hope you are enjoying your return home. I just moved from NY to NC about 3 years ago. The weather here in the south is a lot hotter than NY. I guess I just have to get used to it.

    John KA2GEL

    Aug 10, 2012

  • Tony Vieira

    Ok thanks for the welcome Joe. I hope to make good friends here. . Glad to find a veteran like you. I'm a little inactive in radio but we'll see in 20 or 40 meters anytime with the QRM of our bugs ... dádábrrrrrr brrrrrdádá ... (73)! Tony

    Aug 23, 2012

  • David Runk

    Try Wed eves for CFO net at 7:00pm EST local time on QRG of 7.033

    73's Dave, AA3EJ CFO# 1014

    Dec 1, 2012

  • David Runk

    Due to band conditions, the  CFO QRQ group has moved to 3.533 ,Wednesday eves at 7pm est local time. 73,Dave,aa3ej CFO#1014

    Feb 17, 2013