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Sunday, February 04, 2007

 
More Tuna Trolling Hams

Transversing the Southern Ocean, ( we’re talking 40 degrees south latitude); a boat can travel for days without seeing anything on, in, or above the water. I felt comfortable on my 3 am to 6am watch to DX on CW. With a straight key I was able to send Morse code at 15 wpm but could copy about 20 wpm, if I really concentrated. Somewhere in the world the sun was either setting or rising which affords the best propagation for radio. This phenomenon is called “gray line”. On my watch one morning I QSO’d with a ham in New Jersey who encouraged me to “keep my boots dry” and in a subsequent call, QSO’d with a ham in New Guinea, and later India. Both locations were gray line and received a 5-9 signal report. I am always amazed that some hams have a special talent with CW….either their sense of humor shines through or their “fist” is so melodic that the rhythm is like jazz. (Their “fist” is the style of sending Morse code.”)

- posted by Holly @ 6:23 AM