FISTS CW Club

FISTS supports the use, preservation and education of Morse code. The club is devoted exclusively to CW operators, CW operating and people who are passionate about Morse code.

NYE 320-001 Straight Key from Dennis K6DF's collection. Click to go to a larger picture

We have three straightforward goals:

Further the use of CW (Morse Code)
Engender friendships among members
Encourage newcomers to use CW (Morse Code)

FISTS UK is the Headquarters of the FISTS Club (International Morse Preservation Society).

Bencher BY-1 Paddle from Dennis K6DF's collection. Click to go to a larger picture

Interested in becoming a member?

Find out more about our history.

Latest News:

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25 Jul 14: Elecraft has ceased production of its four band K1-4 QRP CW transceiver and the four additional band plugin KFL1-4 kits due to lack of component availability. However, the two band K1-2 transceiver and the two additional band plug in KFL1-2 kits are continued.

Elecraft's Wayne Burdick N6KR writes:

The 4-band module requires extremely low-temperature-coefficient trimmer capacitors because of its narrow-band pre-mix and RF band-pass filters. The last source for these exotic trimmers dried up recently. A redesign using higher-TC trimmers might be possible, but the filters would end up being triple-tuned, which would force the use of SMD components throughout, and tuning the filters would then be very difficult without a spectrum analyzer.

Sales volume for the K1 has decreased in recent years due to the KX1 (which is smaller and has a DDS VFO), and the KX3 (which covers all bands, all modes, with up to 12 W output and has a much more capable auto tuner, nicer user interface, etc.). So the cost of a redesign wouldn't be recovered.

That said, for the time being we're continuing to offer the two-band version and the other options (KAT1 ATU, KBT1 battery pack, etc.). The K1 is one of our "full" kits, and has a bit of a fan club of its own.
25 Jul 14: Ladder Sunday: The next FISTS Eu Ladder sessions are on Sunday 27th July, 14:00-16:00 & 18:00-20:00 UTC.

The Ladder involves relaxed, conversational QSOs and is a good opportunity to meet up with other members. Call CQ or call other people at a speed of your own choosing. Activity is typically around 14.058, 7.028 and 3.558 MHz, and QSOs must include at a minimum exchange of name, RST received, QTH and (if applicable) FISTS member number.

Note: QSOs in the Ladder (& other FISTS Europe Activities) with European stations also count for the EuCW Snakes & Ladders activity. Ensure you look up each station's Locator and include it in your electronic log.
25 Jul 14: The next sessions of the new FISTS Eu Two Metre Activity are on Saturday evening 26th July 1700-1800 UTC followed on the Sunday morning with a session at 0900-1000 UTC.

Exchange a minimum of:
RST, Name, 6 character Locator, and (if applicable) FISTS member number.

A calling frequency of 144.058 MHz can be used to establish contacts. Logs are welcomed and QSOs count towards FISTS Awards.
25 Jul 14: FISTS CW Club North America Reduces Dues for Ages 65-80:

FISTS CW Club in North America has reduced its dues for members aged 65-80 from $15 to $10. The new rates are:
1. Under 18 years of age - free
2. 80 years of age and older - free
3. Joint HandiHam/FISTS membership - free
4. Family membership (with one member of family as active member) - free
5. College Student - $10.00 per year
6. 65-80 years of age - $10.00 per year
7. Regular membership - $15.00 per year
For the following: under 18, 65-80 and the 80 and older groups, you must supply your birth date when you join or renew.

HandiHams must forward your current Membership Certificate in the HandiHam program, either life or annual, as per our agreement with them to qualify.
This can be attached to an email or by mail.
If you are a current active (dues paying) member of our chapter and qualify for a lower dues rate, contact me by email . I will prorate an extension of your expiration date.

This is being done on the honor system. No verification of age is required.
However, the chapter does reserve the right to require hard copy verification if it is perceived that abuse is taking place.

You may now join or renew with the above rates on our website by going to:
http://fistsna.org/howdoi.html#join. You may pay by PayPal or you may pay by check or money order per instructions on the same page. Free family memberships should download the application form and annotate the active member's call and FISTS number on the application of the family member.

73's Karl, KB1DSB
FISTS, NA Chapter, President
20 Jul 14: Message to FISTS North America Members:

One of the things that active FISTS members look forward to is receiving our NA Chapter KeyNote. With the transition since Nancy, WZ8C became a SK, this has been one area of concern. How does the KeyNote get put together, laid out, sent to the printer and then mailed out. Some of the moving parts to the process were just a matter of setting things in place.

Thanks to Dan, KB6NU, we now have someone who has a great deal of experience serving as our KeyNote Editor. Dan is a consummate professional and will not just throw something together and rush it off to the printer and call it done. Dan is a volunteer, like all who serve the NA Chapter. He does, however, have to share his time with earning a living and other obligations.

This upcoming issue for which you all have been waiting is in the works. It is a special one as it will be a memorial to Nancy, WZ8C, our founding NA chapter president, as well as a reference issue. The reference section includes the things our chapter has to offer its members which Nancy, along with others brought to fruition, among other pertinent things.

I can only ask your patience as this issue is completed and moved to printing.

One final note, the NA Chapter will sometime in the future offer the KeyNote in a format which can be downloaded by active members from our web site.
This, too, requires some logistics to accomplish. Print issues will continue to be mailed out to all active members, as many have expressed the desire for them in that format as well.

73's Karl, KB1DSB
FISTS, NA Chapter, president
18 Jul 14: The next sessions of the new FISTS Eu Two Metre Activity are on Saturday evening 19th July 1700-1800 UTC followed on the Sunday morning with a session at 0900-1000 UTC.

Exchange a minimum of:
RST, Name, 6 character Locator, and (if applicable) FISTS member number.

A calling frequency of 144.058 MHz can be used to establish contacts. Logs are welcomed and QSOs count towards FISTS Awards.
17 Jul 14: Gregg WB8LZG has resumed making wooden finger pieces for keys. (Note: please ignore the "crossing-out" on his website; this is a technical issue; Gregg really is supplying finger pieces again.) He writes:

I will be taking orders for a Limited run of replacement finger pieces from now until Sept 15, 2014. I can make them for Vibroplex, Bencher, P2, Black Widow and a few others. Here are the woods available:
- African Padouc, dark red, nice grain
- Tulipwood, red with nice grain
- Purple Heart, dark purple with nice curling
- Canarywood, yellow with nice figure
- Great Western Curly Maple, light yellowish, very nice "tiger" curling
- Mohogany, light brown
- Northern Mich curly Maple, Birdseye Maple, light yellowish
- Spalted Beech, light wood, nice spallting
- Brazilian Satinwood, yellow with very nice figure
- African Sapele, Brown es nice grain
- Zebra wood, light brown with superior figure
- Chate Cok, red with nice figure
Cost is $25 (USD) per set postpaid, $40 (USD) fer 2 sets postpaid. I can make them for other keys besides Vibroplex, Benchers, P2's, Black Widows es Schurrs but custom pieces are $40 (USD) a set, and I need an EXACT tracing to show size and hole placement. Vibroplex single lever paddles get 2 finger pieces es nylon spacers with mounting screws.

All pieces get made in 3 shapes. Vibroplex ovals, Bencher triangles, and a Generic "rounded off triangle" (for P2s es similar). Anything other than these 3 shapes is a custom order.

Orders are expected to be filled by mid November - early December 2014.

This is what I need to do your order:
- State how many sets.
- For what kind of key.
- State a choice of wood. ( 1st es 2nd choice please)
- Enclose check or M.O. for the order to my QRZ.com address.
- Your correct return shipping address.
Any Questions? Contact me for information at
73 Gregg WB8LZG
17 Jul 14: Pete G0PNM has a Facebook Group for FISTS CW Club that club members may enjoy joining.

FISTS CW Club (Europe) News items are available from the official Facebook Page for FISTS CW Club.
17 Jul 14: The July 2014 edition of the "morsEAsia" newsletter from FISTS East Asia is available.

This edition is packed with interesting articles, including details of a homebrew bug key.

FISTS East Asia was formed in 2004 to provide East Asian members with various services in their native languages.

13 Jul 14: We're very pleased to welcome our latest members:

Jud	W9IAL	#16775	Barry	K4BLB	#16776	Long Family Group	AA9BL	#16777
Scott	N0HOT	#16778	Keith	G0CXP	#16903	Bernard	G8EWF	#16904
Mike	G1KOT	#16905

11 Jul 14: The FISTS Eu International Day Bastille Day activity is on Monday 14th July, 14:00-17:00 UTC (15:00-18:00 BST). Activity is typically around 7.028 and 14.058 MHz. The minimum exchange is RST, name, QTH and (if applicable) FISTS member number. European FISTS Activities are relaxed events with sociable QSOs and everyone, from those relatively new to CW to experts, is encouraged to join in. The scoring provides most points for contacting members and non-members from France. Log submissions are welcomed but not essential.

QSOs that take place during the overlap between the Bastille Day and Ladder activities can be submitted in logs for both.

The free FISTS Log Converter program can be used to create log submissions for this and all other European FISTS Activities.
11 Jul 14: Ladder Sunday: The next FISTS Eu Ladder sessions are on Sunday 13th July, 14:00-16:00 & 18:00-20:00 UTC.

The Ladder involves relaxed, conversational QSOs and is a good opportunity to meet up with other members. Call CQ or call other people at a speed of your own choosing. Activity is typically around 14.058, 7.028 and 3.558 MHz, and QSOs must include at a minimum exchange of name, RST received, QTH and (if applicable) FISTS member number.

Note: QSOs in the Ladder with European stations also count for the EuCW Snakes & Ladders activity. Ensure you look up each station's Locator and include it in your electronic log.
11 Jul 14: The next sessions of the new FISTS Eu Two Metre Activity are on Saturday evening 12th July 1700-1800 UTC followed on the Sunday morning with a session at 0900-1000 UTC.

Exchange a minimum of:
RST, Name, 6 character Locator, and (if applicable) FISTS member number.

A calling frequency of 144.058 MHz can be used to establish contacts.

Logs are welcomed and QSOs count towards FISTS Awards.
08 Jul 14: New from Begali is the 60th Anniversary Key, a special edition of their aclaimed Sculpture key, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the company. Only 214 will ever be made.

There are two further new keys for 2014:
- The Sculpture Arrow straight key.
- The Sculpture Swing, a no-compromise cootie key.
Callsigns can be engraved on these keys for an additional fee.
08 Jul 14: The FISTS North America Summer Sprint takes place on Saturday 12th July 0000-0400 UTC. Members worldwide are invited to participate.

Bands are 3.5, 7, 14, 21, and 28 MHz. Work stations only once per band.

The exchange includes: RST, U.S. state or Canadian province or DXCC country, first name, FISTS member number.
Non-members send their power output in Watts instead of a member number. Call 'CQ FS'.
08 Jul 14: CW operators urgently needed in Wiltshire, UK

From RSGB RSS: Over the weekend 26-27 July, the village of Codford - near Warminster in Wiltshire - will be commemorating the centenary of the start of WW1.

This event will fill the village hall and its adjacent recreation field with a rich mixture of memorabilia and other exhibits from the time, including a full-scale section of a front-line trench.

In the trench dugout will be an earth-mode telegraph station, which will communicate with a similar station on the far side of the field.

Reproduction telegraph equipment is being constructed by members of the Trowbridge and District ARC, but there is a critical shortage of CW operators to demonstrate the stations.

Any willing volunteers would be most welcome. Please contact G0GRI via the Trowbridge and District ARC website or G4ZUP who is QTHR or G3ZXX via the GB3JB repeater or its website.

There is more information on this project at http://earthmodetelegraph.webnode.com.
08 Jul 14: Mike NT8O and Fred N8BX are now producing K8RA keys (Jerry K8RA became a Silent Key in January).

For more information, see the K8RA website.

Small image of a Century Award certificate.

07 Jul 14: Please join us in congratulating the recent FISTS Awards winners:

Name	Callsign	Member	Awards
Milan	S58MU	#8905	Basic Century Award
Phil	N1DN	#14602	Basic Century Award
John	G4LRG	#14873	Perpetual Prefix 50 & 100 Endorsements
Pete	G0PNM	#16592	Basic Century Award

For more information about FISTS Awards, available free to paid-up members worldwide, please see the Awards web page.

07 Jul 14: Want to know the connection between the BBC Sports reporter 'Wimble Dot' and FISTS CW Club? Listen to this BBC iPlayer recording at 54 minutes 30 seconds in Friday's Radio 4 'PM' programme.

Note: the recording expires in a few days time, so don't delay. With thanks to Chris GU3TUX for bringing this to our attention.
06 Jul 14: The fifth FISTS International Day activity, Tynwald Day, is on Monday 7th July, 14:00-17:00 UTC (15:00-18:00 BST). Activity is typically around 7.028 and 14.058 MHz. The minimum exchange is RST, name, QTH and (if applicable) FISTS member number. European FISTS Activities are relaxed events with sociable QSOs and everyone, from those relatively new to CW to experts, is encouraged to join in. The scoring provides most points for contacting members and non-members from the Isle of Man. Log submissions are welcomed but not essential.

The free FISTS Log Converter program can be used to create log submissions for all European FISTS Activities, EuCW Snakes & Ladders and EuCW QRS Week Activities.
04 Jul 14: FISTS Member Pete G0PNM has recorded a video demonstrating and comparing his Czech, HiMound HK708, and Kent straight keys.
03 Jul 14: The very first session of the new, weekly FISTS Eu Two Metre Activity is on Saturday evening 5th July 1700-1800 UTC followed on Sunday morning with a session at 0900-1000 UTC.

Exchange a minimum of:
RST, Name, 6 character Locator, and (if applicable) FISTS member number.

A calling frequency of 144.058 MHz can be used to establish contacts.

Logs are welcomed and QSOs count towards FISTS Awards.
01 Jul 14: The TBKII (Torsion Bar Key) is a new single lever key from Steve Roberts W1SFR.

You can use it as a standard paddle, a sideswiper, or as a straight key.

The contact system uses stainless steel tabs that make contact with the contact screws. The contact is virtually silent and the slight cushioning effect creates a very smooth action. This system of contact makes this key an excellent sideswiper as well.
01 Jul 14: The June 2014 FISTS Down Under newsletter is now publicly available.

FISTS Down Under is the Australian & New Zealand Chapter of the FISTS CW Club. If you are a current FISTS Member and would like to receive the latest newsletter (only available to members), please send an email to FISTS Down Under fists-down-under@ihug.co.nz.

01 Jul 14: A very warm welcome to our latest members:

Steve	M0GNG	#16692	Ian	G4DPF	#16694	Andrew	M6APP	#16695
John	G4PBN	#16696	Tony	GSWL22	#16697	Marco	IZ4ISK	#16698
Mike	M1BVA	#16699	Bill	KB1WJK	#16768	Patrick	KM4CGV	#16769
Timothy	AD2WB	#16770	Julia	KT4JR	#16771	Larry	K4MWE	#16772
John	WP3ZP	#16773	John	WP3ZP	#16773	Marshall	KF0UV	#16774
Graham	G4NMD	#16900	Paul	IK1JPW	#16901	Chris	G0VUT	#16902

26 Jun 14: The second FISTS Eu Fifth Sunday activity of the year is on 29th June, 13:00-17:00 UTC.

The minimum exchange is RST, name, QTH and (if applicable) FISTS member number.
Activity is typically around 14.058, 7.028 and 3.558 MHz, and QSOs must include exchange of RST, name, QTH and (if applicable) FISTS member number.
Note: you can contact the same station more than once provided it is on different bands.

European FISTS Activities are relaxed events with sociable QSOs and everyone, from those relatively new to CW to experts, is encouraged to join in. Logs are welcomed but not essential.
26 Jun 14: UK amateurs: The third annual RSGB 6m CW contest is Sunday 29th June, 0900-1200 UTC.

This should be interesting with the added likelihood of sporadic E. The exchange is RST, serial number and 6 character locator, with most European CW activity between 50.080-50.100 MHz. Unlike HF contests, though, don't expect to get 599 for each QSO!

Please visit the News page for a full list of recent and older news items.

Interested in becoming a member?

FISTS HQ welcomes new members who have a passion for Morse Code.

1990 Vibroplex from Dennis K6DF's collection. Click to go to a larger picture

Benefits of membership include:

Our popular Quarterly A5 News Booklet
Free use of the FISTS QSL Bureau
Access to our members-only area
Help and support from like minded people

The FISTS Club is one of amateur radio's fastest growing organisations. It's an unique club, founded and maintained on solid principles using radio's oldest and yet most reliable communications mode - CW! Why not join us?

FISTS History

The FISTS Club, (International Morse Preservation Society) was founded in 1987 by the late George "Geo" Longden G3ZQS of Darwen, Lancashire England, after recognising a need for a club in which veteran operators would help newcomers and less-experienced operators learn and improve CW proficiency. During the first year, membership reached 300, most of whom were in Great Britain and Europe. The original Introduction to FISTS by Geo holds as true today as it did when he wrote it. Geo also explains how he chose the name FISTS.

Sideswiper ('cootie') Key Number 9 made by Bill NT9K. Click for a large picture.

The North American Chapter was formed in 1990 to assist 11 members in the USA receive the newsletter and as a banking convenience. Nancy Kott WZ8C of Hadley, Michigan was named US representative, a position she held until sadly she became a Silent Key in 2014.

The Down Under Chapter (New Zealand / Australia) was formed in 1998 to provide a similar service to Australasian members, with Ralph Sutton ZL2AOH as the VK/ZL representative. From a VK/ZL membership of four, there are now over 100 members "Down Under", principally in New Zealand. The New Zealand membership is the largest in any country outside England, Wales and North America.

The East Asia Chapter was formed in 2004 by a few Taiwanese and Japanese members to provide East Asian members with various services in their native languages.

Why not join us?

Acknowledgements: Thank you to Dennis K6DF, Bill NT9K and Billy AB4RH for permission to use photographs from their key collections.