Net Details

Schedule

The CQQRS slow CW practice QSO net operates every Tuesday on 40m then 80m.  The current schedule is below, along with information about the following morning's (Oceania time) Post Morsum call-back on AllStar and the Friday Kick-Back.

Details about the net, reports, tips and the background information you might be interested in follow.

The Net

The CQQRS net is run as an uncontrolled and very friendly get-together.  So rather than having a central control station, we spread out across segments of the 40m and 80m amateur bands and call CQQRS or respond to others' calls.  

So you'll be able hear many QSOs in parallel, different speeds and different sending techniques.  

Some QSOs are brief - callsign and signal reports only, especially among people who are taking their first CW steps;  others are nice long relaxing rag chews - great for listeners to practice hand- or head-copying.

Reports

I'd love you to have a listen and send me a report each week for the RagChew newsletter;  here's the link to our report form:

The report form closes at 1300 Eastern Australian time on Thursdays.

Next Tuesday’s Net

Our CQQRS Group will be on as always on Tuesday from around 0700z until about 1300z;  see the schedule above for details.

Doesn’t matter whether you’re brand new and want to try just exchanging callsigns and RST reports, or you’re ready for a good old rag chew.  We’ll have fun.

There's usually people around until after 1300z - so keep calling in the segment of the band designated in the table below until you catch someone.  I should be on as usual from home in NSW or via the Remote at Bedfordale WA, and I’ll also be watching the proceedings using the VK6QS and Tecsun SDRs in WA and NSW respectively.  Hope to hear you there.

Please let me know via our Reports form (linked above) who you work or hear on Tuesday’s Group.  The report form closes at 1300 Eastern Australian time on Thursdays.

Post Morsum

Richard VK6HRC will run our phone Post Morsum on the South West AllStar net (via repeaters and hotspots all over WA) from 0600 WA time, then from 0700 WA time on 80m (3605 LSB).  

For the 0600 (2200z) net, if you’re in WA all you need is an FM 2m or 70cm transceiver and an AllStar node nearby.  If you’re elsewhere in the world, if you have an AllStar node (or you may be able to connect your local AllStar-enabled repeater to the net via DTMF codes), connect to node 42482, 51077 or 42732 - these are the hubs that tie the network of repeaters and nodes together in WA. If you don’t have access to AllStar, you can connect to the network via Echolink.  On Echolink, search for one of the following Nodes:

• VK2KI-L

• *VK6-HUB*

• VK6ZGN-L

• VK6RMH-R

• VK6NRA-L

When you connect to one of those stations on Echolink, you’ll be automatically connected to the WA AllStar network, and you should hear us on soon after the hour; let me know (cqqrsnet@gmail.com) if I can help with connecting via AllStar or Echolink.  If you’re in WA and can’t connect, give Richard a call on 3605kHz SSB from 0700 (2300z).

More details about the CQQRS Net

The team will be on again for our usual Tuesday arvo / evening Practice QSO Group.  See the schedule above for the frequencies and times.

QRL?

So tune around and call anyone you hear, or find yourself a quiet spot in the designated segment, send “QRL?” and if the frequency is quiet, start calling CQ QRS at about 75% of the speed you're comfortable receiving at;  hopefully responders will match (or send slower to their comfort level).  And if you are already having a QSO and someone sends “QRL?”, respond with “R”, “C”, “Y”, “YES” or QRL to let the caller know that the frequency is in use.  

If we’re on 40m and you can hear that the band is open outside Australasia, perhaps consider calling 500Hz above each 1kHz slot - to minimise the chance of having to copy our team through QRQ QRM that’s often dead-on the kHz markers.

Speed?  Rhythm?

If you’re proficient at CW and can race along at 20 or 30wpm - terrific, but please remember, the Group’s aim is to encourage participation and learning, not show how fast you can hammer the key.  Please send slowly where you can and concentrate on rhythm - listen to your side-tone, get that wrist action going and make a special effort to make it sound like perfect CW;  the longer we go with our Group, the more I understand just how many non-transmitting listeners we have - and they will most likely appreciate your QRS!  

So, if you’re an experienced operator, please try to send nicely balanced slow CW to give them a chance to practice and gain confidence…. they’ll reward you one day by coming up on air to say g’day and thanks - how good is that?  

And if you’re new or like me, just rusty…. ignore the above… just have a go - the lather of sweat will be worth it and there’s plenty of time to get the details sorted out as you practice.

Matching

And also for the oldies like me, when you hear someone new, please match their sending speed - or slower.  The person you’re replying to may not be as deft on the decoding as you - it may be their first ever CW QSO - remember your first?  Lather of sweat, key that refuses to send that you tell it, brain that refuses to decode those complex letters that were right there half an hour ago, etc!  

PSE QRS

And if someone is sending too fast to comfortably copy - “PSE RPT PSE QRS” or “AGN? PSE QRS” will make life easier for everyone…. and might just encourage other listeners to have a go themselves.  

The other thing to remember - most operators are writing down what they hear… so when you put it back to them, expect a delay while they read your words of wisdom, before replying.

Whose frequency is this anyway?

The normal amateur radio courtesy and protocol is to respect the frequency that others are operating on.  So if Station A is calling CQ and Station B responds, Station B should move off to another frequency before continuing with other stations.  But what happens on if Station C comes accross the QSO and when it's finished, calls Station B (not knowing that Station A was on frequency first)?  Normal courtesy on SSB is to respond with the caller's callsign and advise 'down 3kHz' or similar;  both stations QSY and Station A can then continue.

However, on CW, this can be quite tricky.  One CW tone sounds like the next, and it can be a challenge to rattle out a quick 'KI DN 3' or similar without interrupting the original station's activities.  And, on our net we have many new operators who won't expect or understand such a request.  Confusion reigns!  So for the CQQRS net, we don't necessarily stick to the normal protocol.