The Straight Key Century Club is the most active group of mechanical-key Morse code radiotelegraph operators in the world. Founded in January 2006, we have thousands of members around the globe.
Here's how it works:
-- Apply for free membership. (Open to licensed amateur radio operators
only.)
-- Make HF radio contacts using any of the three early original types of
manual telegraph keys: Straight Key, Bug and Cootie.
-- Gain on-air experience in sending and receiving by swapping numbers
with other members; enter Club sponsored sprints, contests and special
events; rag chew; earn activity & achievement awards; access our online
resources, newsletter, forums and chat.
Please see the description of mechanical key types and participation guidelines here.
To receive an SKCC number, click on the Join SKCC link at left. If you are helping someone who wants to join but doesn't use email, you can download a snail-mail application here.
A two hour event, to be held on the second Friday of each month from 2200Z through 2359Z.
The inagural event will be on September 9th.
Please see the event homepage @ https://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/sksa/ for more details.
A 24 hour event will start on the third Saturday of each month from 0000Z through 2359Z.
The inagural event will be on September 17th.
Please see the event homepage @ https://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/oqs/ for more details.
Please take some time to check it out. It can be found here.
73,
Ted — K8AQM/VE9AQM
SKCC —1629S
SKCC is pleased to announce the sixteenth SKCC Marathon Award presentation to Bob Paiva, AK9A, #5902S. Bob made his first marathon QSO on February 9, 2023 and confirmed his 100th marathon after 5 weeks on March 17th, 2023. A remarkable achievement.
Bob began his CW journey shortly before joining the SKCC on October 1, 2009. His long-term goal has always been to hone his CW skills and build friendships through rag chews. After many years of SKCC number hunting, DX hunting, POTA activating and hunting, he decided last summer that it was about time to become a rag chewer. He enrolled in CW refresher training after joining the Long Island CW club last summer, completed Carousels 1 and 2, and continued with Morse Code Ninja.
This past winter, Bob began working on his rag chew goals in earnest. Through daily rag chews and marathons, he dramatically increase his speed, comprehension, and endurance and was completing up to 5 marathons daily. This resulted in a Marathon Award in the shortest time to date.
Bob station includes several Yaesu radios and an Elecraft KX2 for POTA activations and camping excursions. His favorite key is his W1SFR Horizontal Straight key. This key has allowed him to continue straight key operations into his senior years without the previous pain he experienced with his old J38 Key.
Bob would like to thank all of the members of the SKCC for their support of his quest. Their willingness to help and esprit de corps is quite admirable! The network of referrals was outstanding!
SKCC is pleased to announce the seventeenth SKCC Marathon Award presentation to Samual (Sam) Cross, VE3WH, #4592S.
Sam made his first marathon QSO on June 17, 2022 and confirmed his 100th on March 17, 2023. Sam joined the SKCC on July 15, 2008 and has been active in many areas - especially rag chew.
Like many of us, retirement gives us the time for many things, including our hobbies. Since retiring in April 2022, Sam added Centurion Award last September, followed by a Tribune Award in October, Triple Key Award in November, and the Senator Award in March 2023. He holds Rag Chew #128 X 45, making him among the top few. Sam is also a member of CWops and an avid participant in their QTX Award program (their version of rag chew). He earned a gold medallion for their QTX rag chew program in December 2022, his first year to participate.
As Sam worked on the marathon award, he was encouraged by other marathoners who had completed the award and inspired by those still working on it. The unsolicited “after” QSO emails and QSL cards sent by other participants have made it a very positive, meaningful, and worthwhile experience. Sam continues to give back and by supporting the Marathon and Rag Chew Award programs as well as other SKCC activities.
The Marathon Award was established in 2008 to recognize SKCC members who demonstrate their skill, talent, and love for ragchewing by completing 100 QSOs each with a separate SKCC member lasting 60 minutes or more. The first award occurred in 2014, and now has a total of seventeen awardees. Consider joining in the fun and developing your ragchewing skills.
This is not a contest. The goal is to work slow speed operators @ 12 wpm or less. Please QRS.
Visit the Slow Speed Saunter Home Page for details.
The Monthly SKCC Euro-Sprint (SKS-E) occurs on the first Thursday of the month from 1900 - 2100 UTC with 15 minutes added on each end for QRS exchanges. The event time varies according to British Summer Time (BST). BST details can be found here TimeAndDate.com
Visit the SKSE Home Page for sprint details.
The Monthly Weekend Sprintathon (WES) occurs on the second Saturday of each month @1200 through 2359 the next day (A total of 36 hours).
Visit the WES Home Page for details.
A two hour event, held on the second Friday of each month from 2200Z through 2359Z.
Visit the SKS-A Home Page for details.
A 24 hour event held on the third Saturday of each month from 0000Z through 2359Z.
Visit the OQS Home Page for details.
Then check out our CW Beginner's Corner page. It has plenty of basic information about CW operations that will help turn those first CW QSOs from jitters to joy.
If you want personalized, on-air help, check out our Morse Elmers page. You'll find contact information for members who have volunteered to serve as CW mentors. Drop one an email to set up an on-air schedule. Or just visit the club's sked page. You'll see a list of members logged in and can use the page's messaging functions to reach a member to arrange an on-air contact.
You have lots of help available to you as you become more adept at using the original instant-messaging mode! You'll find links to the Beginner's and Elmer pages in the navigation column at left under Getting Started. The link to the Sked Page appears under SKCC Community.
Visit the club's sked site at https://sked.skccgroup.com. It's a fun, friendly place. New members and beginners are encouraged to join! No commands to learn, no Mickey Moussing around with new software. The system simply asks you to provide some basic info about yourself and, presto, you get a list of all SKCC members looking for some CW fun! Can't get any easier than that! A hearty "thank you" to Mark, K7MJG, for developing the sked page. A link to it also appears under SKCC Community in the navigation column at left.
Looking for SKCC related software? Download club related software free. Programs like W5ZR's SKCC Awards tracker. If you are a software author and have club or CW related programs to contribute, please contact the webmaster@skccgroup.com See the Files and downloads under Member services at left.
We have all faced the daunting task of firing-up the radio for that first CW contact. Now you can take that shaky, uncertain hand and turn it into a confident, firm fist with the help of our group of SKCC Morse Code Elmers. Simply click on the Morse Elmers link at left, choose from the list of Elmers, send him or her an email requesting a sked, and before you know it you'll be enjoying the thrill of sending and receiving solid CW.
So now you've joined SKCC, you have your mechanical sending device, radios, antennae, and other station accessories. But do you have the SKCC "look"? Here are some gift ideas you might think about when gift-giving/receiving time arrives. Why not stop by some of the vendors who are providing SKCC-related gear and do a little virtual window shopping?
For an SKCC name badge, stop by the SignMan of Baton Rouge, purveyor
of the SKCC badge shown at left. If you're interested in pinning one on your shirt pocket, you can order an SKCC badge here.