The July-August 2024 SARC Communicator

Hello summer...

With another big Summer issue. The July-August 2024 Communicator, digital periodical of Surrey Amateur Radio Communications is now available for viewing or download.

Read in over 150 countries, we bring you 120+ pages of Amateur Radio content from the Southwest corner of Canada and elsewhere. With less fluff and ads than other Amateur Radio publications, you will find Amateur Radio related articles, projects, profiles, news, tips and how-to's for all levels of the hobby.

You can view or download it as a .PDF file:  

Download the July-August 2024 Communicator 

or read it on-line like a magazine

Previous Communicator issues:

Search for past Communicator issues

and a full index is HERE.  

As always, thank you to our contributors, and your feedback is always welcome. 

The deadline for the next edition is August 15th.

If you have news or events from your club or photos, stories, projects or other items of interest from BC or elsewhere, please contact us at communicator@ve7sar.net

73,

John VE7TI
'The Communicator' Editor

The March - April 2024 SARC Communicator is now available

Another big issue

The March - April 2024 Communicator, digital periodical of Surrey Amateur Radio Communications is now available for viewing or download.

Read in over 150 countries, we bring you 120 pages of Amateur Radio content from the Southwest corner of Canada and elsewhere. With less fluff and ads than other Amateur Radio publications, you will find Amateur Radio related articles, projects, profiles, news, tips and how-to's for all levels of the hobby.

You can view or download it as a .PDF file:  

Download the Communicator March - April 2024

or read it on-line

Previous Communicator issues are at:

https://ve7sar.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Communicator

and a full index is HERE.  

As always, thank you to our contributors, and your feedback is always welcome. 

The deadline for the next edition is April 15th.

If you have news or events from your club or photos, stories, projects or other items of interest from BC or elsewhere, please contact us at communicator@ve7sar.net

73,

John VE7TI
'The Communicator' Editor

World Amateur Radio Day - April 18

The IARU

April 18 has been declared World Amateur Radio Day. It was on that day in 1925 that the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) was founded, during the International Radiotelegraph Conference in Paris. That is why radio radio amateurs worldwide celebrate this day with special activities every year.

The advocates of an International Amateur Radio Union were of the opinion that the shortwave spectrum that radio amateurs use to  transmit and to receive, could unite people all over the world, something that was assumed impossible. Therefore, this unifying action was undertaken.  In addition to protecting  and preserving frequency spectrum for the radio amateur, the IARU also strives to protect the  frequency spectrum of importance to other services. For radio amateurs, protection of our bands is of utmost importance, as shown through amateur response in countless emergencies and disasters worldwide.

Interest in  amateur radio has  only grown since those early days, with more than 3 million radio amateurs worldwide. Through this medium people from different countries and cultures could interact  with each other and  exchange ideas, long before there were facilities such as (mobile) phones, e-mail or social media.

And  amateur radio is still popular because you don't need a mobile network or internet  to  communicate. This is especially important to those in remote areas, those with outdoor interests such as hikers, off-roaders and hunters, emergency preparedness, as a hobby, or as an entry to a new career path such as electronics and communications. The service is, and always has been completely infrastructure independent. Radio amateurs are especially important  to maintain connections during disasters, in the event that regular communication channels  are no longer available. For example, the Amateur Radio Service kept agencies in New York City in contact with each other after their command center was destroyed during the tragedy of 9/11.

Radio amateurs were the first to discover that the HF spectrum  was not the wasteland that experts from those days branded it, but a tool that could support global communication. When the industry discovered that amateurs could successfully communicate worldwide on these shorter wavelengths, amateur radio was again in great danger of  being pushed aside. This led to the creation of the IARU. At the International Radio Telegraph Convention of 1927, amateur radio assignments were made that are  still  recognized today: 160, 80, 40, 20 and 10 meters. In the course of the years,  the IARU  has also worked to give radio amateurs new bands at 136 kHz, 472 kHz, 5 MHz, 10 MHz, 18 MHz, 24 MHz and 50 MHz, and a regional European allocation at 70 MHz.

The 25  countries that formed the IARU in 1925 have now grown to more than 160 affiliated associations in three regions. IARU Region 1 includes Europe, Africa, the Middle East and North Asia. Region 2 includes North and South   America and Region 3 includes Australia, New Zealand, the  Pacific Islands and most of Asia. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has recognized the IARU as the representative of the interests of radio amateurs.

IARU has member societies in countries shown in yellow

All radio amateurs are invited to go on the air on World Amateur Radio Day to explore our hobby, to promote it to family and friends, and within their interests.

Do you want to get involved? 

We offer our on-line courses about every 12-weeks. Further information is available at: https://bit.ly/SARCcourses

RAC “Get on the Air on World Amateur Radio Day” Special Event

On Monday, April 18, 2022, Radio Amateurs of Canada is once again organizing a special on-air event to celebrate World Amateur Radio Day.

Every year on April 18, Radio Amateurs worldwide take to the airwaves in celebration of Amateur Radio and to commemorate the formation of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) on April 18, 1925. Radio Amateurs of Canada is once again holding a “Get on the Air on World Amateur Radio Day” special event in which we encourage as many Amateurs as possible to get on the air and contact as many RAC stations as possible.

• RAC official stations will operate across Canada from 0000Z to 2359Z on April 18. The RAC official station call signs are VA2RAC, VA3RAC, VE1RAC, VE4RAC, VE5RAC, VE6RAC, VE7RAC, VE8RAC, VE9RAC, VO1RAC, VO2RAC, VY0RAC, VY1RAC and VY2RAC. 
• Those contacting one or more of these stations will be eligible for a special commemorative certificate noting their participation in RAC’s Get on the Air on World Amateur Radio Day Event.
• Participants simply need to complete one or more contacts, on any band and mode, with RAC official stations to earn their certificates.
• No logs need to be submitted; simply check back on the RAC website when instructed and enter your call sign to download your certificate.

Sources: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/international-amateur-radio-day-april-18/,   https://1drv.ms/b/s!ApeN-l7qi2UFk3OAFuk8KTSq4Rti?e=LOohoE, and RAC “Get on the Air on World Amateur Radio Day” Special Event

~

Canadian Basic Amateur Radio Course

 

We are about to start our September course

On-line, learn from your armchair at home

More information needed? Click: https://bit.ly/SARCcourses
or use the QR code above

 

A Look At Modulation

A Back to Basics Column from November 2018

From the Canadian Basic Amateur Radio Question Bank

Back To Basics is a regular column in the SARC Communicator Newsletter, available at:  The Communicator Digital Edition: Amateur Radio Newsletter (ve7sar.blogspot.com)

It is a subject that is important because of the interference overmodulation can cause...

This month we’ll look at percentage of modulation and overmodulation. In all the exams I have administered, this topic is always covered. It’s important because it has the ability to cause significant issues on the air. The impact of this is highlighted by the fact that it is repeated a half-dozen times in the Canadian Basic Question Bank with slightly different wording, for example:.

B-001-019-004

The maximum percentage of modulation permitted in the use of radiotelephony by an amateur station is:

A. 100 percent

B. 50 percent

C. 75 percent

D. 90 percent

When you transmit a signal, you do so over what’s called a carrier frequency. This is a relatively constant oscillation, usually in the radio frequency band, that gets modulated (altered) by the signal. In terms of radio use, the modulation is generally (but not always) a waveform produced by the human voice, music or other audible means.

For example, either the amplitude or the frequency of the carrier gets modified (or “modulated”) by the signal, hence “AM” – (Amplitude Modulation) and “FM” – (Frequency Modulation).

When this modulation is so large that the carrier signal clips (distorts, in the case of AM) or the frequency changes to such a degree that it goes beyond the range that the receiver can pick it up or overlaps other carrier frequencies (in the case of FM), the signal is said to be overmodulated.

Likewise, if the signal is of such small amplitude or frequency variation that it cannot be picked up or adequately amplified by the receiver (because of background noise and/or the strength of the carrier frequency), it is said to be undermodulated.

Overmodulation is the condition that prevails in telecommunication when the instantaneous level of the modulating signal exceeds the value necessary to produce 100% modulation of the carrier. In the sense of this definition, it is almost always considered a fault condition. In layman's terms, the signal is going "off the scale". Overmodulation results in spurious emissions by the modulated carrier, and distortion of the recovered modulating signal. This means that the envelope of the output waveform is distorted.

In the image, an amplitude modulated sine wave:

• At 0% unmodulated [top left], the sine envelope is not visible at all;
• Less than 100% modulation [top right] depth is normal AM use;
• At 100% modulation depth [bottom left], the sine envelope touch at y=0. Maximum modulation that can be retrieved with an envelope detector without distortion;
• At greater than 100% modulation depth [bottom right], "overmodulation" occurs and  the original sine wave can no longer be detected with an envelope detector.

Therefore, the answer to our sample question at the top of this article is A. 100 percent.

~ John VE7TI

18/11

Surrey Celebrates Amateur Radio Week

Surrey City Council Recognizes
The Contribution Of Amateur Radio

Again this year Surrey City Council has proclaimed June 21 to 28th, the week leading up to Field Day, as 'Amateur Radio Week".

The Mayor and council have historically been strong supporters of our role in the emergency program and several VIPs from all levels of government and our served agencies  have visited our Field Day site in past years. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, this year will be an exception but several members of Surrey Amateur Radio Communications (SARC) and the Surrey Emergency Program Amateur Radio (SEPAR) will be participating from individual home or field stations.

Since 1933, ham radio operators throughout North America and beyond have established temporary ham radio stations in public locations during an annual exercise called Field Day to showcase the science and skill of amateur radio. 

For more than 100 years, amateur radio — also called ham radio — has allowed people from all walks to experiment with electronics and communications techniques and provide a free public service to their communities during a disaster or emergency, all without needing a cellphone or the internet. Field Day demonstrates ham radio’s ability to work reliably under any conditions from almost any location and create an independent communications network. More than 35,000 people from thousands of locations participated last year in Field Day 2019 activities.

It’s easy for anyone to pick up a computer or smartphone, connect to the internet and communicate, with no knowledge of how the devices function or connect to each other, but if there’s an interruption of service or you’re out of range of a cell tower, you have no way to communicate. Ham radio functions completely independent of the internet or cellphone infrastructure, can send messages by voice, Morse code or digital mode, even email via radio. It can interface with tablets or smartphones, and can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. That’s the beauty of amateur radio during a communications outage.

The Surrey team placed first in their Canadian category for Field Day 2019 and have consistently placed in the top three stations in Canada, even achieving an all-time high score for using low power (less power than it takes to light a Christmas tree bulb) to contact other stations. In 2014 we even spoke to an astronaut aboard the International Space Station!

Field Day

In today’s electronic do-it-yourself environment, ham radio remains one of the best ways for people to learn about electronics, physics, meteorology and numerous other scientific disciplines. In addition, amateur radio is a huge asset to any community during disasters or emergencies if the standard communication infrastructure goes down. They also provide communications for relief agencies that do not have radio communications systems of their own and offer free communications services for non-profit events to practice these skills.

Surrey Fire Service Deputy Fire Chief Mark Griffioen, who coordinates emergency response for the City of Surrey adds: “Surrey Emergency Program Amateur Radio plays a supporting role in emergency communications during any major event for the city.  They train extensively and operate a communications room out of Fire Hall 1. During a major event, they provide enhanced life safety for the citizens of Surrey by providing a communication link with the Emergency Operations Centre.”

Stan Williams, President of Surrey Amateur Radio Communications, highlighted the value of Amateur Radio in its flexibility. “Amateur Radio is not centralized. There is no single point of failure; it does not rely on the Internet, a power utility or a communications company, cell towers or other infrastructure to provide service. It works when nothing else is available. We need nothing between us but air.” 

Anyone may become a licensed amateur radio operator. Worldwide there are more than 3 million licensed amateur radio licensees, as young as 9 and as old as 100. And with groups such as SEPAR and SARC, it’s easy for anybody to get involved right here in Surrey.  We offer regular amateur radio courses, classroom or on-line, see https://ve7sar.blogspot.com/2020/03/our-basic-amateur-radio-course.html 

To learn more about Amateur Radio in the Surrey Emergency program, watch the video at http://tinyurl.com/SeparsInfo.

For a look at our previous Field Day efforts visit our YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/SARC-Video

When All Else Fails, Ham Radio Works

Our Basic Amateur Radio Course... Interrupted!

Looking for 'novel' new ways to present our material

At the beginning of March, due to the Novel Corona Virus, we suddenly found ourselves without our Surrey Fire Services Training Centre classroom. We were in week 3 of our 9 week Basic course and just finishing up a CW course.

Our usual classroom

For several years we successfully used Microsoft OneDrive as a means to distribute pre-reading and other course content to our students but continuing on-line instruction needed a more complete solution.

I started to investigate popular multimedia conferencing solutions to try to find a way to continue instruction. My criteria were:

• Free or inexpensive
• Accessible by computer on multiple operating systems (preferably web browser based so there is no software download or installation required)
• Allow up to 30 (perhaps more) subscribers
• Have a master ‘host’ control to talk, show PowerPoint slides and video
• Allow participant questions
• Allow at least 2-3 hours per session

There were 50 or so options, but many only had a short, free trial period that limited time, resources or users.  Then I found the open source BigBlueButton and it's associated conference site Canvas. These two resources are used extensively by universities and other remote teaching institutions. It proved to meet my criteria and much more.

I have spent the last two weeks entering material, including PowerPoint slides, video links and questions from the Canadian Basic Amateur Radio Question Bank. The latter is accessible by our students to complete quizzes after the lesson has been presented. It scores and offers a review of wrong answers to questions. There are built-in assignment, announcement and file server features. 

This past Tuesday evening we had our first conference and presented our week 4 program. Students accessed securely on a number of different devices. As long as you have browser access on a reasonably good Internet connection it works flawlessly. All went smoothly and our PowerPoint material, including animations and video came through without a hitch. Students were able to comment by audio or the included scratchpad feature, and questions were answerable while the presentation was running. Student feedback was universally positive: "Much better than travelling to a classroom." You can also record the session so students can review it within 14 days, before it is erased.

Our BigBlueButton/Canvas Classroom

I can't say how pleased I am with this package. Now that the material is entered we can conceivably offer our highly rated course throughout the country by remote access, a boon to those not normally near a training location.

The course goes on!

~ John VE7TI

Update May 2020:

The course was completed without further interruption with glowing feedback at the conclusion. One student wrote: "Great course, this turned out better than expected. I could stay home during the presentations, in my easy chair, in my PJs with my iPad and a cup of tea."

At the conclusion of the course, students successfully wrote the exam in small groups at covered picnic tables in a local park, maintaining appropriate physical distancing.

We plan to offer another course in mid to late September 2020. It will be in the classroom unless the COVID situation requires us to present it on-line again. Either way, we're confident we have the capability.

~

Our Antenna Workshop

An opportunity to practice what we preach

We’re now between Basic courses and we constantly tune-up our methods, learning from feedback. Like other licensing courses, we cover the Introduction to Amateur Radio, Ohms Law, basic components, propagation, transmission lines, antennas and block diagrams of receivers and transmitters. The big section toward the end is Rules and regulations. It’s big because it typically counts for 25 to 30% of the exam questions and we leave it so students have enough material to relate those rules to the technical part of the course. 

On a Saturday after the transmission lines and antennas have been covered, around Week 4, we host the class at an antenna building workshop. It is one of those sessions that is hands-on and sets aside our course from the many others that are offered. In this session the students build a dual band roll-up J-pole antenna that they cut, solder and tune, then take home as their first antenna. It is a fun session and brings home many of the points that are discussed in the classroom sessions and offers many their first exposure to solder smoke.

All course attendees receive a complimentary membership to SARC for the current year, and hopefully we will end up with some new permanent members and hams who will embrace our hobby.

Re-instated in the course is an extra week. We have been teaching for 7 weeks with the exam on the 8th. We will now add a week after the formal teaching but before the exam. That will give the students an extra week to study and allow us to add a week to include the 'how to get started' session that we trialed at our January 2020 general meeting. It was a success, see https://ve7sar.blogspot.com/2020/01/get-on-air.html

New Year's Resolutions: 2020 Edition

Happy New Year!

The New Year has arrived and Hams, like so many others, may have a few resolutions to consider. I think we all recognize that the hobby is going through change. While the number of licensed Amateurs in North America continues to increase, likely due in large part to the ease with which a license exam can be passed, the number of ‘active’ hams seems to be diminishing. One only has to monitor a repeater or tune in to a weekly net to realize that participation has dwindled. With this in mind, I offer a list of amateur radio new year’s resolutions and encourage you to try to adopt some or all with your own goals for 2020.

On the west coast we hear about the impending ‘300-year’ earthquake frequently and have regular drills to prepare, including checking into an emergency net. That earthquake could happen tomorrow or at some point past our lifetime—despite some believable scientific data, no one knows for sure. But there are more common calamities that could happen sooner, and have over the past few years. A major snow or wind storm… an extended power outage.

"Five minutes before the party is not the time to learn to dance"

It is a good idea to make preparations now without the stress of a fast approaching deadline. If you are thinking of replacing or building an  antenna for use in an emergency, now is the time to build it and test it out at a leisurely pace. We have in the past, and will continue to present, home built antenna projects in SARC publications. If you’re not that handy, ask about the antenna workshop we offer to all our Basic course students. We also have a cadre of willing ‘Elmers’ who will help you with advice and assistance to set up that antenna.

Another aspect of Amateur Radio that comes into focus now is contest season. There is a contest every weekend in January, just check the calendar on: https://www.contestcalendar.com/. 

SARC has a contest group with tutors, and we invite your participation. Even if you only have a passing interest in contesting, come and try it at least once. Emergency focused radio operators will find contesting has many of the same challenges, and you will improve your skills, thereby becoming a better communicator.

Have a go at operating away from your usual location. It has been dubbed “Ham Radio Alfresco." There are so many hills, parks and beaches in our area that if you can’t find a place to throw a little wire in a tree and operate with low power off a battery, you aren’t looking hard enough. Your “portable” station can be anything from a  handheld or QRP single band rig to one of the big three’s latest 100 watt wonder radios that do everything from DC to Daylight. Just turn the power down so the battery lasts more than 10 minutes and you too can add another few ‘Qs’ to your logbook.

If you are thinking about trying to upgrade your license, now is the time to start studying. If your storage shed has a ton of old radio stuff in it, get busy and drag it all out into the sunlight and sort it out or throw it out. If you find you have a working radio or accessory that you do not need any more, consider donating it to your local Amateur Radio group. 
Come to a monthly meeting. You will find interesting presentations, lots of information and friendly fellow SARC members.

And lastly, please make an effort to use our repeaters once in a while. It would be very encouraging to hear some conversation outside of net night but, speaking of our net, please check in there too, we meet every Tuesday at 8pm 147.360 MHz (+600 KHz) Tone=110.9, or via Echolink.

73, and Happy New Year!

~ John VE7TI, Editor

The SARC CW Course

Morse Code Is Not Dead!

CW – the Original (and arguably, the best) Digital Mode

Invented in 1837, CW which is more commonly known as “Morse Code”, was the very first mode of communication sent over a wire or airwaves.  It is called CW or “continuous wave” because it is an unmodulated radio wave of constant amplitude, though it might more accurately be called “discontinuous wave” since the wave is broken into short and long segments separated by spaces, to represent letters of the alphabet, numbers and punctuation marks.  It is legitimately a digital mode because it exists in only 2 states  –“on” or “off”.

The length of the dot (or “dit” as we prefer to say) and dash (or dah)  and the spacing between them is not arbitrary but has a fixed relationship.  If the relationship is not accurate, the quality of the CW will be recognized as “poor” and in extreme cases may be virtually unreadable.  While most CW heard nowadays is created by software and is therefore perfect, we occasionally hear on the radio less-than-perfect Morse Code, sent by operators still using a mechanical device such as hand key or bug.

Since CW has largely been abandoned by the commercial, military and transportation world, it is now virtually within the sole domain of amateur radio operators, whose passionate adherents will likely stand by it to the bitter end.  So, if you think CW is dying out, then listen on the 20 m band during one of the many CW contests throughout the year.  You will be amazed at the number of CW operators sending Morse Code at rates between a lazy 15 wpm and the a breakneck 50 wpm or more, from every corner of the world.  

If you wish to use radio to communicate by the most reliable and sensitive means, you will not use CW at all, but instead one of the modern “weak signal” digital modes such as FT8, JT65 and a whole slew of others,  which have transformed our ability to accurately copy signals which may be so weak that you cannot actually hear them.  This is a boon to communication as it allows information to be exchanged even when using low power transmitters and poor antennas – unavoidable for condo dwellers.  So these forms of digital certainly have their benefits.  

However, if you wish to enjoy amateur radio in the most traditional, challenging and enjoyable way, you will find CW is the method of choice.   Yes, you can deploy digital decoders to help you read CW on a computer monitor, and many do.  However, even the best digital decoders are inferior to your ears and brain working together.  So if you are serious about using CW, you really must learn to copy it by ear.  

As a beginner, you will likely start with a hand key to send the characters which require a separate wrist movement for each dit and each dah.   In the past, CW operators would typically graduate to a semi-automatic key called a “bug” which sends a series of dits when the paddle is pushed one way, but single dahs when pushed the other way.  That certainly takes some of the work out of sending.  Actually very few CW operators now use a bug although the holdouts can still be heard on the airwaves.  

CW sent by a hand key or bug is usually distinctive of the operator and can often be recognized in the same way that a person’s individual handwriting differs from that of others.   During WW 2 the identity of German and British radio operators could often be recognized by their “fist” i.e. individual way of sending code characters.   

Hand key

  

Semi-mechanical Vibroplex “bug”

Nowadays, 95% of CW operators use a paddle and electronic keyer to send CW.  This combination is a big step up from the hand key and bug because it allows sending virtually perfect CW, which means the dits and dahs are of the correct length and spacing.  The keyer can be a separate unit into which you plug your paddle or, more commonly, it is built into the transceiver.  You push the paddle one way and it makes a string of dits; push it the opposite way and it makes a string of dahs.   It is not difficult to master and the result is uniform and perfectly formed CW.

Kent paddle

Bencher paddle

Electronic keyer with built-in paddle

External Electronic keyer which requires a separate paddle

You may occasionally hear about “iambic keying” which allows the keyer to minimize the keystrokes or hand movements even further.  To visualize how it works, consider the letter “C” which can be sent iambically by merely squeezing the two paddles together. With a single-paddle or non-iambic keyer, the hand motion would require alternating four times for C (dah-dit-dah-dit).  Most CW operators have not mastered this technique and it is not recommended for beginners.

If you’re stuck in a rut and looking for a new and challenging experience, consider learning CW.  Persistence and practice will get you through in the end and you will be ready to join the select group of hams known as “CWers”.  I heartily recommend it.

~John VA7XB

Back To Basics: Voltage Measurement

How is a voltmeter usually connected to a circuit under test?

Question B-005-013-001 - From The Canadian Basic Question Bank

A handy thing to know, particularly as basic digital multimeters (DMMs) are now very inexpensive, usually less than $10., and can be useful for many things around the home like checking the condition of batteries.

The two types of voltmeter you may encounter are digital and analog.  Analog meters are recognizable by their printed scale and a moving needle. 

Voltage is always measured in parallel with a device, current in series. If you recall Ohm’s Law in your (Canadian) Basic Qualification, you will remember series, parallel and series-parallel circuits. If not, check this link:  http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/circuits/Lesson-4/Two-Types-of-Connections

On the meter, first set the knob to a voltage range greater than the expected voltage. If you don’t know what to expect, set it to the highest range.  DC Voltage range has a V- with a straight line next to it, AC generally a V~ with a wavy line. For example, 2V measures voltages up to 2 volts, and 20V measures voltages up to 20 volts. In our circuit the meter is hooked up in parallel to measure the voltage of the component under test.

The correct answer therefore: In parallel with the circuit.

~ John VE7TI

A SARC Basic Course Retrospective

A Message From A Successful Teen Ham

Hello, readers. I’m Samantha, I’m sixteen years old, and this May I got my amateur radio basic license - with honours, too. Finally entering the world of amateur radio came with a lot of passion, learning, and a bit of studying, and having a gate wide open to another enormous world of learning is perhaps one of the things about having a license I’m most excited about. Though I’m proud about my achievement, I have to thank Surrey Amateur Radio Communications Basic radio course for my success.

Sammi and Member of Parliament Sukh Dhaliwal
at Field Day 2016

SARC sets up a course so amateurs-to-be can prepare for their license test. It went through all the topics we needed, through on-air etiquette and the long list of laws, among more interesting things like electric theory and propagation (man, those are fascinating topics). However, what I appreciated most in the course was the caring environment, where asking questions, talking with others, and even joking around a little is perfectly normal. 

I felt very welcome in the class – though being the only girl in the class was a little disappointing – and I especially want to thank John VE7TI, Stan VA7NF, and John VA7XB for all being incredibly knowledgeable, kind, and personable. It helps when a learning environment is friendly; I don’t think I could learn if it isn’t. In fact, it’s wonderful that amateur radio in general is so friendly to everyone.

Noah, age 13, a graduate of our Fall 2019 course,
at 27 students, our largest class ever.
His dad [right] who also graduated from this class,
and one of the instructors John VE7TI

See, the thing about the world of amateur radio is that it’s just so big. If you don’t like one aspect of it, there’s going to be another that piques your interest. Plus, it’s not just a hobby for one type of person or one type of community. Anyone, and yes, I mean anyone, can get a license. Doesn’t matter if you’re old or young, male, female, neither, or both; what matters is that amateur radio is interesting to you, even if it’s just digital radio or only using a phone mode. My hope is that other teens like me discover this community and, like me, fall in love with it and all it has to offer, because this world isn’t dying. As long as we’re around, we’ll make sure to let it thrive.

~ Samantha VA7HBE

Our next course starts February 25, 2020 at 6:30pm

For more information email: course@ve7sar.net

Morse (CW) Teaching Software

A Variety Of Apps To Help You Learn Morse Code

We are offering a Morse Code class starting January 20, 2020

In the meantime, there are now a wide variety of apps and programs to assist you in learning CW.

Morse Toad  is an app that teaches Morse code through a series of simple lessons and exercises. Based on the proven Koch method, letters are learned one at a time, at full speed, and when the player demonstrates their mastery of the new letter, another is added until the full alphabet is learned. The Apple iOS version is shown but Android is also available. This is the one I’ve had the most success with refreshing my rusty CW, though the interface looks a bit old school.

WinMorse My choice for Windows computers. Convert text into Morse code. It does this by reading text from one of three sources: the Windows clipboard, a file, or you may directly type the text. WinMorse outputs the Morse code as a standard windows wav file.

MorseCat A freeware windows Morse code trainer for beginners and experts by DK5CI.

Code Quick Master Code In 30 Days it says... Maybe.

Super Morse Super Morse is the original comprehensive Morse Code training program for the PC. Super Morse permits the user to learn the Morse characters in a very orderly way using several different methods, including one unique to Super Morse; build speed with special exercises.

CWT a Morse code learning program for MSDOS by DK5LI.

CW Player Simple freeware program generates Morse characters and Q codes. It needs a sound card and Win95.

Morse99 the industry standard Morse code tutorial for pilots in the UK. Fully windows compatible with sound card support.

Ham University Ham University includes Morse Code lessons, graded exercises, and a game.

Morse Code Morse Code Training, Practice and Exam Program by Stormy Weather SoftWare Ltd.

RufzXP RufzXP is a free training software for improving code speed and CW practice, particularly (ultra) high speed memory copying of true amateur radio calls.

Morse Academy Online documentation and overview about Morse Academy, shareware CW learning software.

Codemaster V Reputation as the Morse code training package for either the newcomer to Morse code, or the experienced user who wants to improve his or her receiving skills.

Morse Pilot Morse Pilot is a popular and very comprehensive freeware Morse code tutor, trainer with decoder and encoder functions. Morse Pilot is intended for personal training, for example for radio ham or aviation examinations.

MorseRunner (Contest simulation with N1MM logger) Teaches and simulates CW contacts in a contest environment including noise, band conditions and various operating speeds.

Koch Method CW Trainer Based on the Koch Method as described by David G. Finley, N1IRZ, this software allows you to start out at the full speed you want to achieve by learning two letters and adding an additional letter once you reach 90% proficiency.

You may also want to checkout this blog post by Wayne K5UNX about learning CW https://www.amateurradio.com/cw-part-3/ 

You can get free online lessons and exercises at https://lcwo.net/ 

And, here from Norway, good reasons to learn CW

Morse code is no longer a requirement to acquire an amateur license here in Norway. The same is true for many (or most?) other countries. Still Morse code, or CW – continuous wave as it is often referred to as, has great value. Here are my top five reasons why I am learning Morse code.

1 – Excellent propagation
Voices are long gone and all you hear is static. Tune down to the lower end of the band and you will probably still hear dah-di-dah-dit dah-dah-di-dah. When “the bands are dead” as they say, the one thing you can still hear is CW. The propagation abilities are extreme.

2 – Power efficiency
Since all the radiated energy is concentrated in one single tone, morse code is an efficient form of communication with regards to power. This means that morse code is good for QRP use, or even QRPP. Also you do not need equipment that can handle large amounts of power. Thin wires and small components are enough to be heard around the globe.

3 – Easy to build kits
Small currents and simple signals do not need as advanced circuits as single sideband or FM do. There are several circuit diagrams and kits available to build, and many choose to design their own transceivers.

4 – Ultra portable transceivers
Morse code is great for SOTA and outdoor use. Small form factor kit transceivers kan fit in a small tin or plastic box, and other commercial lightweight CW only transceivers are available. When you need to bring other equipment like your tent, sleeping bag, clothing and food it is nice to bring a transceiver that does not add significant bulk and weight to the backpack.

5 – Easy way to get on the air for non-talkers
Many of us are the non-talking kind of person. I do enjoy an occasional rag-chew now and then, especially on the local 80 m net, but for now I prefer the “exchange vital information and move on” kind of style. It seems there are more of this kind of QSOs with CW.

6 – Awesome-factor

Bonus reason: Morse code has this nerdy awesome-factor to it. Morse code is something everyone recognize, but not many understand it. It truly is impressive to watch someone perform high speed CW.

~ John VE7TI