Fri 10-23 May GB4PEN
Sat 18-24 May FISTS Eu Exchange Your Age Week
Sun 26 May FISTS Eu Ladder
Sun 09 Jun FISTS Eu Ladder
Sat 22 Jun EUCW Straight Key Day
Sun 23 Jun RSGB 6m CW Contest
Sun 23 Jun FISTS Eu Ladder
Sun 30 Jun FISTS Eu Fifth Sunday
Fri 05 Jul FISTS Eu Tynwald Day
Fri 12 Jul FISTS NA Summer Sprint
Sun 14 Jul FISTS Eu Bastille Day
Sun 14 Jul FISTS Eu Ladder
Sun 28 Jul FISTS Eu Ladder
More...

Upcoming
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Welcome to 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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  • 17 May 13: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members:

    ShinJR7ASO#15138 DaveG4OTV#16241 TerryMW6TAB#16242
    PaoloIZ8SKD#16243 NickMM0NJC#16244 MikeM3ZZA#16245
    QuentinGW3BV#16246 BadgerM6BRZ#16247 DaveGM4NFI#16248
    AlanG7VNM#16249
  • 16 May 13: We have been contacted to ask if anyone has an RAF Type D Morse key for sale.

    If you do have one available, please email details to members@fists.co.uk and we will forward the information on to the person concerned.
     
     
  • 16 May 13: FISTS Europe's Exchange Your Age Week 2013 (EYAW) starts this coming Saturday 18th May 00:01 UTC and runs continuously for 7 days.  FISTS members worldwide are welcome to join in.  QSOs are very relaxed with (at a minimum) an exchange of name, QTH, member number and age.  They can be with members and non-members on any band except for 12m, 17m, 30m, 60m and wavelengths higher than 500m; keep an ear out on and around the FISTS Frequencies.  It's not necessary to submit a log afterwards, but they are very much appreciated.  Even if you're not competitive, it's an excellent opportunity to come on the air and meet old friends and make new ones.
  • FISTS pentangle logo.
    16 May 13: The European FISTS Spring 2013 Key Note is running very much later than I had hoped.

    Apologies for this.  On the positive side, the Summer Key Note will follow on all the sooner after it!

    73 de Graham G3ZOD
  • 10 May 13: This weekend (11/12 May 2013) has lots of opportunities for FISTS members.  Activities include:

    Sat, 17-21 UTC: FISTS North America Spring Sprint
    Sun, 14-16 UTC: FISTS Europe Ladder
    Sun, 18-20 UTC: FISTS Europe Ladder

    FISTS is a member of the European CW Association, EUCW, so please also support:

    Sat, 10-12 UTC: EUCW Fraternizing CW QSO Party
    Sun, 18-20 UTC: EUCW Fraternizing CW QSO Party

    (Note: the Sunday EUCW Fraternizing CW QSO Party runs concurrently with the FISTS evening Ladder and has very similar requirements for QSOs - entering both is straightforward.)

    Finally, for UK VHF CW enthusiasts, it's also the annual RSGB 4m (70 MHz) CW Contest on Sunday:

    Sun, 09-12 UTC: RSGB 4m CW Contest
  • 10 May 13: The European FISTS website www.fists.co.uk may be unavailable on Sunday 12th May between 11:30 & 14:30 UTC due to our hosting company performing maintenance.

     
  • 06 May 13: The fourth FISTS International Day activity, Europa Day, is on Thursday 9th May, 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 outside England, France, Germany, Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales.  Log submissions are welcomed but not essential.

    The free FISTS Log Converter program can be used to create log submissions for this and all other European FISTS Activities.
  • 02 May 13: Please join us in congratulating the following FISTS Awards winners:

    RichardG0ILN#398 Silver Century
    RobertAA2SM#2434 Silver Century
    RienPA7RA#9819 Millionaire 2 Million Sticker

    For more information about FISTS Awards, available free to paid-up members worldwide, please see the Awards web page.
  • 02 May 13: The latest version (2.5.6) of the free FISTS Log Converter program fixes problems with creating logs for the EUCW QRS Week activity.

    The program is available from the download page.

    Many thanks to Richard G0ILN for reporting the issues and helping with testing this new version.
     
  • 29 Apr 13: It's a pleasure to welcome our latest members:

    JohnVK7JB#14163 JackW2JWP#16196 JimKK6BCU#16197
    StephenAG2J#16198 RayAB9HT#16199 JuanEA5BLP#16232
    GerryEI4GD#16233 SveinLA6IKA#16234 IldefonsoEA5HEU#16235
    DavidG0FKX#16236 BarryG4PCL#16237 MarioOR4K#16238
    LiamG4UWP#16239 StuartM6VGE#16240 KentKG7CPR#16301
    JoeKJ8O#16302 TommyKC2WXP#16303 JeffN4JSG#16304
    NeilKJ4CIA#16305 BobW0ZPE#16306 MikeW1AWG#16307
    DaleK3OET#16308 GeorgeK8ZER#16309 BruceAA5CO#16310
    BobKB0KXL#16311 DerekK3XD#16312 NormN7JOE#16313
    SamWE5EE#16314 JyrkiAG6SN#16315 DaveKB1WOD#16316
    BobKD8UNJ#16317
  • 28 Apr 13: The EUCW QRS Activity Week takes place this week 29th April - 3rd May.  The maximum speed is 14 wpm.  For more information and a list of recommended frequencies, please see the EUCW QRS Activity Week web page.  (The FISTS Log Converter program for Windows supports creating log submissions for the QRS Activity Week.)
  • 26 Apr 13: The FISTS Down Under May 2013 newsletter is now available.
     
    FISTS Down Under is the Australian & New Zealand Chapter of the FISTS CW Club.
     
  • 26 Apr 13: Ladder Sunday: The next FISTS Eu Ladder sessions are on Sunday 28th April, 14:00-16:00 & 18:00-20:00 UTC.  These involve relaxed, conversational QSOs.  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 exchange of name, QTH and (if applicable) FISTS member number.  Members worldwide are encouraged to join in.
  • 22 Apr 13: The third FISTS International Day activity, St. George's Day, is tomorrow, Tuesday 23rd April, 14:00-17:00 UTC (15:00-18:00 BST).  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 in England.  Logs are welcomed but not essential.

    The free FISTS Log Converter program can be used to create an entry for this and all other European FISTS Activities.
  • 22 Apr 13: Please listen out for GB4RPI, CW-only, 11 April - 8 May 2013 on 160m, 80m, 40m, 30m and 20m.

    GB4RPI commemorates the loss on 18th June 1972 of the British European Airways owned Hawker Siddeley Trident aircraft G-ARPI and 118 passengers on a scheduled flight from Heathrow, London to Brussels.  Shortly after take off the Aircraft suffered a deep stall, crashing on the outskirts of Staines.  For more information, please see http://qrz.com/db/GB4RPI.  Geoffrey M1EDF.

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 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 still holds but she now handles the affairs of over 7,000 members in the Americas.

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.

Worldwide, FISTS members number over 10,000 members, growing each month.

Why not join us?


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

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