Jackie wrote:
Hi Current_gothic,

I'm listening to 7 MHz too, up and down the dial... mostly boring
conversations in Morse, from what I've heard... can you understand Morse at
all? I can understand 10 WPM well, sometimes catch bits and pieces of it at
higher speeds (when there is a contest, it's fast but repetitive).

There is a contest in progress (until 0600 UTC) in North America on all
shortwave Morse ham frequencies. Probably from now to 0600 all the
activity will be on the 1.8, 3.5, and 7MHz bands.

Morse speeds are generally between 25 and 35 WPM. Operators are to
exchange their name and state/province. As you say, the same
information is frequently repeated (especially callsigns) so even if you
can't normally copy anywhere near 25wpm you stand a fair chance of being
able to figure out what's being sent.

(I was participating - made just over 400 contacts - until the
thunderstorm lit up...)
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com