Ham Radio

[Mike Watterson]

So start at 12 to 15, not 5?

[Sparks]

Yes, unless you can't receive much at 5! As long as it is a bit too fast for you, you have room to improve, and can then go up a stage.
Bob

[Sparks]

Here is a U Tube recording on the calling and distress frequency of 500 kHz in 1974.  https://youtu.be/RRak_yBhrwA   We made initial calls on this frequeny and then transferred to working frequencies to exchange traffic.    If distress working were in progress, normal calling moved on to the supplementary calling frequeny of 512kHz.     Round the coasts, 500 was usually chaos, but there were 3 minute silence periods at H+ 15 minutes and H+45 minutes to give faint distress signals a better chance of getting through.    These silence periods were strictly observed and the genberal clamour stopped abruptly as soon as they began, but a second after they finished, it was "dog eat dog" and "everyman for himself" as everyone battled to drown each other out and get the coast station first.       Really daunting for a first tripper like myself on sailing from London in May 1961 aboard the old SS Rhodesa Star (built in 1943).
Bob

[pwdrive]

When I was at the Manchester Radio College (Alf's Academy) I'm sure we started at the equivelant of 5 wpm in blocks of 5 letters/numbers.

Lawrence.

[Sparks]

5wpm is certainly OK to start with, but it doesn't take very long to read at that speed.      They had rather harsh teaching methods at Wray Castle.     One the very first morse lecture, the code was put on the blackboard and we were told that we would be kept there until we knew it!   I had learned it at the scout, so they let me out immediately!     For theory, we had a weekly test, and anyone getting less than 60% in it was shut in a lecture room between 1900 and 2100 each night for compulsory study.    That was a great incentive!       I doubt if I would have qualified at all in any other radio college!    I am third from the right on the front row.
Bob

[reset]

I had a licence in the 60's early 70's but lost interest for one reason & another (G3TGJ)

You are telling my story. My license expired in 1970. I was in the military and didn't have a station to log air time so I let it expire.
I found this program helpful in relearning code.

http://www.g4fon.net/CW%20Trainer.htm

You can play the letter groups or words and set the speed you want.

[Nowhere-Man]

The interesting bit is building the set and there are a fair few interesting American designs. The first time I looked at one I was a bit puzzled by the BFO circuit till I found out more.

[spot-wobble]

I too lost interest - got into motorcycles!

A few years ago I got my licence back - but now a full one, as I was restricted to 2m and above because I didn't do morse (didn't like it and still don't)

I am now in France and would need to get a French licenec now.
I do have a rig, but it needs major work in the crystal department and replacement of Hunts caps.

Andy G8MNM

[Nowhere-Man]

The use of 1700 Khz crystals in IF transformer circuits got me curious. Indeed, I soon noticed some hobbyists had been seeking crystals at that frequency. This is presumably an amateur radio design I guess, given the frquencies are higher.

[Terry]

The use of a higher IF, such as 1700kHz, gives better second channel rejection on short waves.

The use of crystals in the IF circuits would be be for crystal filters to give a sharply defined peak with maximum rejection outside the passband, thus providing vastly superior selectivity to that achieved with normal IF transformers.