[CW] methods to increase code copying speed

[David Ring]

Don's suggestion of "code reader" is a good one.  For years I
struggled with the "copy words" and "copy letters" systems.  I would
copy some 70 wpm fellow and say - that doesn't make sense.  Years
later when I bought a DGM keyboard SRT-2000 with CW/RTTY decoder, I
started to see why.

The 70 wpm keyboard sender was typing wrong letters!

So after this, I strongly decided - use canned code practice - then
you can gain confidence.  What I hear is what was sent.

Still with on the air received copy, you are going to find
circumstances where a micro-fade (very short phase distortion) garbles
a dash and makes a dot out of it, or takes a dash and makes two dots
out of it by causing the middle of the dash to fade out.

So remember phase distortion, QRN (static), QRM (man made noise like
power tools and nearby radio signals) all will cause problems copying.

Just a thought for today:  Back in 1910 QRN and QRM both sounded alike
- because all there was at the time was lightning (spark), and motor
noise (spark) and nearby transmitters (also spark).  The only problem
was man caused QRM and nature caused QRN.

73

David Ring, N1EA

On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 3:01 PM,  <K8MFO at aol.com> wrote:
> If I had answered this question 50 years ago,  when I was first licensed, I
>  would have suggested joining CW traffic nets,  operating contests on CW, and
>  just plain rag chewing with whomever you encounter  on the air.
>
>  Now, with modern technology, even though I have to be dragged  kicking and
>  screaming (!) into some of it, I would suggest the same  things.   However, you
>  could also find a CODE READER program and watch  while it decodes the signals,
>  and compare it with what you hear.    There is not a computer program written
>  that is as good as  the human  brain, but they can be useful.    My Elecraft
>  K3 radio has one  built in.
>
>  PRACTICE is still the key.      As is  the case with golf, "the more I
>  practice, the luckier I  get"...
>
>  73
>
>  Don K8MFO
>