The idea originated from Graham, G3XTZ, who wanted to encourage members who were less than confident in their morse sending and/or receiving.  We hold sessions at 8pm local time on Tuesday evening, using LSB and CW on topband, somewhere around 1.997 MHz, so listen out for some SSB and/or CW.  We go up there, because there is often an AM net on topband in the evenings, centred on 1.977 MHz.

Someone (Graham, typically) calls CQ Echelford on SSB and waits for callers to 'login' to the net.  After a short general chat, we switch to CW and a passage of text is sent using the Farnsworth method, i.e. sending with a reasonably fast character speed (15 - 20 words per minute), but with a longer-than-normal gap between characters, thus bringing the overall word speed down significantly.  The passage ends with "SSB SSB", indicating that we should change back to SSB mode.  We then have a good laugh as each of us describes what we thought we received (or not, as the case may be!).

Others are then invited to send a passage of text, and the process is repeated until everyone decides they've had enough.

It's a very friendly, informal gathering, with no regimented right way or wrong way of doing things.

I have put together a 'Cheat Sheet' that I have been using for some years now.  It includes the punctuation and ProSigns (Procedure signs) that are commonly heard on the bands, and which are used in the (now voluntary) Morse Tests.  It can be downloaded here.

Please come and join in - and let us know how you'd like to see things evolve.

73 - Stuart, m0sar