2022 Ham Radio Oceana CW contest when you haven’t got a key

So what do you do when you haven’t got a key handy and it’s contest weekend ??

Well hold my beer. You improvise.

Just the one contact this time….and on review of the video, the station logged me as VK2MAP. My bad. Didn’t pick it up until after. The adrenlin rush that is ham contesting is overpowering at times.

I usually don’t use a microphone on the radio, as often I think with my mouth open and say the quiet things out loud. CW is more my thing. I’m not very good at it, but everyone I meet there is so nice, patient and helpful. It’s also the SKCC Weekend Sprint-a-thon too. Might bust out the key after I have finished a few chores.

Let me know if you want more Morse Code / ham radio stuff.

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Technical details: Same rig as last week. Same antenna. FT747GX powered off an FP757 power supply and external speaker. Ran that into my 20/40 End fed half wave trapped vertical aluminium pole. No ATU needed for those bands. Poorly matched at 2.8:1 on 28MHz which was where things were busy, but was able to get through.

Probably pushed 20W out the antenna, certainly not any more

As for the legality of it in content rules, it’s probably more legal than a park gap transmitter, and it was Morse code. Just poor quality key shaping and tone. As he got my callsign incorrect, it won’t count. I won’t be submitting a verification log, so, I’ll leave it there.

Some hashtags #hamradio #morsecode #CW #hfradio #HamRadioContest #QSO #qsoltachallenge

Thanks for making your way to the bottom of the description. Remember do not subscribe, and to leave your hate in the comments. Go outside and touch grass. Be with your family, your loved ones, your pets. It’s better for your soul than my obsessions. However, if I made you smile then we both won.

73 CUL GL TU dit dit

ITM & TYFYC for those in the know

[Paul_VKHN]

Di do do do, di dah dah dah, is all I want to say to you...

[frankartieta]

I a contest againster so I do not care
But still