Many people who are still at an early stage of developing their CW skills will have “key fright”, and may be reluctant to go on air. We are excited to announce a regular slow-speed hybrid on-air and on-line CW Playground on the third Monday of each month for members of the club who are learners and members wishing to practice. This is not a net in the traditional sense, but a more informal environment where participants can practice sending and receiving and having QSOs at a slow speed. It is designed to support and encourage our members who may have resisted going on-air by themselves, especially those who are new to Morse code or who have recently completed a training course, so that they can practice their skills in a relaxed and friendly environment.
Any club member who can get on 2m CW is welcome, and even those members who aren’t yet confident enough to fully participate might like to listen and try to follow along.
Each session will be led by one member who will co-ordinate the activities on Zoom. Everyone who wants to have a go at practicing QSOs or sending and receiving simple exchanges will have a chance to do so.
Dual Access: On-Air and Online Support
Participants will be encouraged to send and receive on-air, where they will at a minimum exchange callsigns and signal reports (this is sufficient to constitute a two-way QSO which can be logged). A concurrent Zoom meeting will be open throughout, where participants can speak about the exchange immediately before and after going on-air. This online component is set up to help participants who might miss or misinterpret a piece of Morse code, offering real-time clarifications and further discussion. It’s an excellent opportunity to ask questions and deepen understanding in a relaxed, supportive setting. This format combining on-air practice with online support ensures that everyone, regardless of experience
level, can participate and learn effectively.
Details
- Date: Every month on the Third Monday
- Frequency: 144.035 MHz
- Time: 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM (local time)
- Speed: Speed around 10 words-per-minute (WPM) to accommodate beginners.
- Format: Instructor-led with concurrent Zoom meeting
- Zoom meeting: The Zoom call will run concurrently throughout for participants to ask questions or clarify anything they missed in Morse. The Zoom call will be open 10 minutes before the net starts. Zoom details will be circulated on the club email reflector closer to the time.
Speed
Everyone at the CW Ops Academy learns Morse with a fast character speed (around 25 WPM), but withwide spacing between characters. Therefore, we encourage everyone to send at whatever character speed is comfortable (but no more than 25 WPM). However, since this is a slow-speed net, it’s important to leave long gaps between letters to keep the overall speed at a friendly 10 WPM. This should feel natural for those coming from the Academy.
Glossary of Common Abbreviations and Prosigns
- OP – operator (same as NAME)
- GE – good evening
- TU – thank you
- DE – from
- ES – and
- TNX – thanks
- PSE – please
- RST – readability/signal/tone (report)
- QRS – slow down
- WX – weather
- RU – are you?
- UR – you are or your (e.g. UR RST 599)
- R – roger
- K – over
- CUAGN – see you again
- QRT – I’m going off air
- <KN> – prosign (no gap between K and N) – over; expecting reply from specific station
- <BT> – prosign (no gap between B and T) – new subject; break between topics
- <SK> – prosign (no gap between S and K) – I’m bringing the QSO to an end
Why Join?
This monthly CW Playground provides an excellent opportunity for members who have recently completed their CW Ops Academy training to transition from practice sessions to real-world QSOs. It also fosters camaraderie within the club and helps build confidence in Morse communication. We encourage all members, whether seasoned operators or newcomers, to join us. Let’s make this a vibrant and supportive space for learning and growth! If anyone fancies having a go at running the Playground, we’re happy to rotate “Chairman” duties. If you
fancy leading a session for a particular date, just let Dav M0WDV or Kieran G8CHB know in advance, and we’ll set it up.
We look forward to hearing you on the air!