My quest to learn CW (5)

The bands are really open these days if I look at the DX that I've worked lately. Even 6m is awakening around this time. We had excellent propagation to RSA and Namibia last evening. Now I have the Begali simplex morse paddle,  I also practise sending morse. I noticed it helps me also decoding CW. If possible I try to practice both decode and code morse everyday. After I do some practising text I always send CQ CQ PE4BAS TEST (not really on-air), still that I find very difficult and I do not master it at all. But in the end I hope I will get it. I completed my task to finish all 40 lessons with a speed of 28wpm and 8wpm effective, my goal was doing lesson 40 without faults at this speed and I did. I started all over again now with speed 28wpm and 9wpm effective. I also practise callsign decoding, words and complete sentences. I think I will get better but it goes very very slowly...

I still think about re-adjusting the Begali paddle, I think it is very touchy. However I'm not shure, it might be something I have to adjust to. Mike VE9KK tells me he has adjusted his one because he has a heavy fist and pounding the paddle is his thing. Not shure what I have. I might get aggresive in a pile-up and have a "heavy fist" ;-)

#WSPR Svalbard 10m

 

First new one since 2022. I was surprised I didn't have Svalbard in the log with WSPR. See my efforts here: https://pe4bas.blogspot.com/p/wspr-dxcc.html

#60m Chad and Easter Isl. worked

 

I was up early this morning due to a annoying great tit that knows CW and in continue signing "A" "A". If you think that's funny well....this birds always wakes me up too early except when I need to get up early. Anyway, I decided to see if anything happened on 60m. I knew two DXCC I didn't have on 60m were active there the last few days. And indeed, with very loud signals they were. TT8XX took me only 2 calls before he came back to me. Then I noticed a large pile-up from 5353-5356KHz CW. A quick look at the DX cluster revealed that Easter Isl. 3G0YA was calling. And yes, I received him very well. A few calls later in the pile-up and he responded. 2 new 60m band DXCC in the log.