Code Practice Oscillators, CPOs

Another tool that is highly recommended for the Learn Morse KC course is a Code Practice Oscillator.

CPOs are very simple audio devices.  They are NOT radio transmitters.   Nobody needs a license to use one by itself.  Code Practice Oscillators produce an audible beep through a speaker or headphones whenever an attached morse code key is pressed.   It's really that simple.  Most CPOs will have a couple of knobs.  One for volume control, another that varies the pitch of the beep.  CPOs are very inexpensive.  Even the fancy commercial ones are modestly priced.

A code practice oscillator will be a great tool to help you practice SENDING morse code.  It will even be possible for you to key up your VHF transceiver, hold your transceiver's microphone close to your CPO, and send morse code over a simplex frequency or over the repeater to another student or to your instructor.

That's right.  With a CPO, you will be able to PRACTICE your lessens during and between classes by sending morse code back and forth over your VHF radio with other students in the class, and any of them with a CPO will be able to answer you the same way.  You might even find some experienced Elmers willing to help you practice.

The amount of fun you can have with your fellow students as you send each other morse code will amaze you.  If you have a CPO, you will never be alone in this class.  You won't get bored.  You will look foward to practicing with your friends.  Say goodbye to boring computer programs droning out morse code with little or no meaning to you.  Say goodbye to the torture of copying long recordings of morse code.  Instead, have fun laughing and talking with your fellow students over your radio as your practice with your CPOs. 

If there is more than one ham radio operator in your household, you can practice with them without using your VHF radio.  You can talk to each other using your CPOs from across the room.  Great fun!  Take your CPO with you to the Beryl Breakfast and practice with each other at a table.  Show up early before a ham club meeting and practice with another student, or with another club member that already knows the code.   There are countless other possibilities. 

Having your own Code Practice Oscillator is a game changer.  You won't be sorry you got one.

How inexpensive can a Code Practice Oscillator be?

Does $3 feel like it is within your budget?

Robin, WØFEN, has acquired a dozen Code Practice Oscillator kits that he is more than happy to resell to you at his cost.  If demand is high enough, he is willing to order more kits to meet demand.  Robin's kits are a small circuit board and the components that you will need to solder in the correct locations.  The kit does not come with a soldering iron, solder, or soldering flux.  The kit does not come with an enclosure, so you will need to come up with something yourself for that.  I suggest asking Robin for suggestions on enclosure options.  The kit does not include a morse code key, paddles, or keyer, but we discussed those in my previous post.  You'll simply connect whatever key you acquire with the circuit board, and you'll have a nice CPO.
 

I think it's awesome that Robin is doing this to support your efforts in this class.   Thank You Robin.

Email Robin to ask questions or to make arrangements to purchase one of his kits. 

w0fenrobin at gmail dot com

As much as I love the idea of everyone building a kit CPO for the course, I realize that may not be everyone's idea of fun.  It's more than acceptable to buy one that has already been built.  Feel free to google "code practice oscillator".  You will discover that there are many different types and styles at a variety of price ranges.   I'm pretty sure that the Candy Store (Associated Radio) will have CPOs as well.  You may also ask some of your ham friends if they have a used CPO that they want to sell or loan to you for the duration of the class.  Of course, you could always bribe another student into building one of Robin's kits for you.  ;)

It's not mandatory that you get a CPO to take this course, but you won't be sorry you did, and when you can get one for $3 why wouldn't you?  Why would you skip all the most fun parts of taking this course?

Get a Code Practice Oscillator.  You won't be sorry.

My next post will discuss proper body position, hand position, and the proper techniques to operate a morse code key.

Mark

NRØR

Keys, Paddles, and Keyers

It's not absolutely required to take this course, but VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you acquire a morse code key and/or iambic paddles with a keyer now.  Remember that the whole point of this course is to teach the necessary skills required to get on the air on HF and make CW contacts.  Eventually you will need a morse key to plug into your HF radio to do that.  Logic indicates it is best to acquire a key and/or paddles/keyer now so that you can use them to help you learn and practice while taking this course.

 

Morse Keys and Paddles are a topic of constant debate among CW operators.  We each have our favorites, and we love to argue with each other about what is best and explain in glorious endless detail our reasons for each of our choices.  Don't believe me?  Put two or three CW operators in the same room and ask them what key is best.  Then stand clear and watch what happens!
 

As your instructor, I choose to remain neutral in that particular debate.  Not that I don't have opinions on the topic.

I advise you to initially keep your expenditures low until you figure out what key or paddles are YOUR favorite.  If you can borrow various styles of keys from ham friends to try, that's great.  Perhaps ask them to bring them to Field Day so you can check them out?  Once you figure out what is YOUR favorite, invest however much money you are comfortable spending.
 

There is a huge range of prices for these items.  Brand new commercially built straight keys are sold for as little as $15.  They aren't fancy, but they get the job done.  If money is no object, you can spend $5ØØ for a Begali work of mechanical artistic precision with gemstone bearings.  Keys or paddles for every price in between seems to be sold somewhere.  Some hams even homebrew build their own keys.  Some are humble.  Some incredibly beautiful and precise.  While I'm a huge fan of homebrewing ham equipment, keys included, I do NOT recommend that your first key is something home built.
 

The reality is that a skilled CW operator can send excellent morse code over a cheap $15 key or a $5ØØ Begali with very little performance difference.  It really is all about operator skill, not how much money someone spends on the tools.
 

Don't hesitate to acquire a used key or paddles or keyer.  See if members of your ham club have any extras they want to part with.  You may even get a key gifted to you. 

If you choose Iambic Paddles, you will need some kind of electronic keyer.  Many newer HF radios already have a keyer built in, but not all.  Older radios typically only had a key input for a straight key.  If your radio only has an input for a straight key, you will want to acquire an external electronic keyer that will plug into your radio's key input.  Your iambic paddles will plug into your keyer.
 

Other options are semi automatic keyers, single lever keyers, bugs, sideswipers, and various other less popular choices.  I'm not an authority on these, so if you want more information on them, I suggest Google or find a ham friend that is an expert on them.  Remember, what matters most is your ability to send high quality code using whatever tool you choose.  What works best for someone else may not be what works best for you.  Don't spend a lot of money until you are certain you will love what you are purchasing.
 

The next post will discuss Code Practice Oscillators.

 

Mark

NRØR

Necessary Radios

As a student taking the Learn Morse KC course, you will require a radio that can access the 145.17MHz KØGQ repeater in Raytown MO.  We all owe a special thank you to the Raytown Amateur Radio Club for agreeing to host this morse code course on their repeater.  Since everyone that is enrolled so far is already licensed, it's very likely that you already have the necessary transceiver.  If you don't already have a VHF radio, you will need to acquire one.

Please test your ability to reliably hear and hopefully communicate over the Raytown repeater.  If you need assistance setting up your station to communicate with this repeater, first try to contact hams that live in your area for their advice.  If you don't know who lives in your area that could help you drop me an email, and I'll do my best to put you in touch with an appropriate mentor (what we hams call an "Elmer".)  Outdoor antennas as high up as practical are usually the best answer to such problems.  There are numerous creative ways to put VHF antennas up high, even in neighborhoods that restrict antennas.  Obviously, you won't get much from the course if you cannot access the repeater well.

Feel free to drop an email to learnmorsekc at gmail dot com and I will do my best to answer any questions you may have and advise you on possible solutions.  This is the highest priority issue for everyone.  More important than any additional posts on this blog.

The next post will discuss Keys, Paddles, and Keyers

Mark
NRØR

July 2019 course Announcment

ANNOUNCING

The July 2019 Learn Morse KC course.

July 8, 2019 First Class
7 pm

Over the radio on the 145.17MHz repeater

minus .6ØØ offset.  Tone 151.4

Classes will be held Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays
7pm each night

 for at least a month, possibly longer if deemed necessary.

Additional posts will help students be properly prepared before the first class session.

We will do our best to make this class as informative as possible, yet still enjoyable.  We look forward to teaching this class and working with each student that enrolls.
 

Email to enroll:  learnmorsekc at gmail dot com

#learnmorsekc

 Mark,
NRØR