(I heard some talk of putting this info on the CMARA web page in an info box; feel free to edit it down to the bare essentials, and put the whole enchilada in the _Chatter_).

You generally need at leat 5 WPM skills to copy these nets, but you *don't* have to get over the 13 WPM hump.

1. Ohio Slow Net Mon-Sun, 1810ET, 3708KHz You can pass NTS traffic, but you can also just practice checking in and out.

Note the helpful instructions (net protocol, subset of QN* signals) on the net's web site: http://www.geocities.com/sixdavid75/OSN.html

2. Maine Slow Speed Net Mon-Sun, 1800ET, 3685KHz Convener: N1NGM, Norm

3. Sunrise Net Mon-Sun, 0800ET, 7148KHz People check in, then the NCS has a short chat with each in turn. Typical QSO is RST, name, home QTH, weather - nothing scary. Sunday mornings, NCS Dortha, N4SHE uses a straight key, and so the net is even easier to copy for beginners. http://www.qsl.net/ki8du/sunrisenet.htm

4. Handi-Ham Informal Slow-Speed Net Fri: 1330Z-1530Z, 7112KHz (0830-1030EST(winter), 0930-1130EDT(summer)) I traded EMail with convener Paul, W8IRT to get the guaranteed schedule; so, they know CMARA students may be listening some morning. This morning the NCS was booming in and slow, but the other station was inaudible; a powerful lesson in propagation.

Other resources:

1. The premier CW guide online: A Beginner's Guide to Making CW Contacts, by Jack Wagoner WB8FSV http://www.netwalk.com/~fsv/CWguide.htm A *very* supportive and pragmatic guide for the operator who is scared to death of pressing the key for the first time.

2. W1AW Operating Schedule http://www.arrl.org/w1aw.html For me, 80m and 40m work best at this point in the sunspot cycle. 160m is sometimes as good as 80m, and 20m is sometimes audible, but not comfortably. From Metro West, don't lurk around the higher frequencies in the hopes of getting in some practice - just head for 80m or 40m. The slow code practice uses the Farnsworth method. You can receive the 2m MCW broadcast on 147.555MHz with a vanilla FM rig if you're passing the Hartford area at 7PM, especially on Friday nights. Note: W1AW's preamble to even the slow code practice is faster than 5 WPM. Maybe not 18 WPM bulletin speed, but up in the teens. Do Not Panic when you tune in promptly only to hear this faster boilerplate; by 7-8 minutes after the hour you can hear the station drop in to low gear, and stay down at 5 WPM until 19 minutes after the hour. Every speed first sends some paragraphs of prose from the front of _QST_, and then some contesting results from the back (call signs and numbers); mastering the latter is necessary for getting a good score on Element 1.

Hope this helps, /AHM/THX (W1AHM) -- Alan Howard Martin AMartin.MA.UltraNet@RCN.Com