[CW] ?"Morse Therapy"

Tue Aug 26 17:29:04 EDT 2008

As one who learned "Morse" in Scouting (via light, sound and wig wag flag),
then later worked as a senior intercept operator in the Army Security Agency
and then signals NCO in a Green Beret Bazillion, and then finally worked
circuits as a telecommunications officer with the State Department and
Department of Defense for 29 years - I find this all somewhat familiar.
But, one must realize, that "skimming" for information as we mostly do as
hams is not quite what the rest of the world would consider "copying" code.
Yes, we can hear and write down calls, names, QTH, bits about antennas etc;
sometimes at a quite rapid rate.  Many of these rapid exchanges we are
hearing, especially today, are guys who send only a word or three, or at
most a sentence with the above info, and then turn it over to their QSO
partner- and some have become quite proficient at it.  They can knock QSOs
off at astounding rates: 2-4-6-12 , who knows, a minute -0- and get them all
in the logs too.  But, I have noted, when talking with some of them, that
the minute one asks an "oddball" question, even simply for a repeat of
something, that suddenly ones on signal just got bad!  We drop from 599 to
349.  Strange occurrence.

Copying, by the way, means transferring it from sound to written language,
missing nothing, getting it 100 percent correct, and if not, asking for
repeats and fills, until you do.  Those of us who got paid for it, were held
to high standards.  After all, you the citizens paid for it, and do you want
us to send us a message from some embassy or military unit, saying the world
may come to an end if we dont do A -B - C about it, and then leave out the
C?  Do you want to order 1000 shares of GM (Today?- you gotta be kidding) ,
and then find out we passed the word you only wanted 100 (In that case it
woud be more kind).

Now, I am not saying its most or a majority of operators who I have notice
this from, but the numbers have certainly been going up.  They, most often
than not, do seem to have nice clip-along code.  Its almost like you could
probably read it with a computer!  That's quite different from the days of
old too.  I used to be able to sit and jazz along (writing each and every
character on paper) and at the same time, recognize exactly who the op was
on the other end - even before hearing his call.  It was like hearing their
individual "voice" and recognizing them as an old friend, or at lest someone
who I had talked with from time to time. Back then- we called it "swing".
Today, it all sounds the same.  Must be my ears?  Thought so anyway.  Even
went to the doctor and had them checked recently.  He said I "have" lost
some upper range hearing.  My wife gets my attention, but I cant always make
out that she is asking me to take out the garbage.  But - she usually
manages to get the message across anyway.

Anyway, all this hasn't stopped me from listening-in, nor will it, if I have
any say in it.  Ill still be hear listening to the CW bands for another
expedition like the "TI KI" to holler "help we are sinking", or another
motor sailor down in the Caribbean asking for someone to pass on that their
motors have quit, and their sails have torn, to their embassy in Washington,
or any number of other smaller items that we hams may be able to help with
as the days go on.  ((I just hope those ships maintain some type of
equipment whereby they "can" get on the ham bands, when all else has failed.

Danny Douglas
N7DC
ex WN5QMX ET2US WA5UKR ET3USA
SV0WPP VS6DD N7DC/YV5 G5CTB
All 2 years or more (except Novice)
Pls QSL direct, buro, or LOTW preferred,
I Do not use, but as a courtesy do upload to eQSL for
those who do.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Zond" <k3miy at csonline.net>
To: "CW Reflector" <cw at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 4:38 PM
Subject: RE: [CW] ?"Morse Therapy"

Right on Hans. That's why they called them "fists" 73.

Ron
K3MIY

-----Original Message-----
From: cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On
Behalf Of K0HB
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 1:47 PM
To: CW Reflector
Subject: Re: [CW] ?"Morse Therapy"

That's a very nice piece, David, but I have to take issue with this
sentence.

> The words appear right inside  my head, words that were never
> spoken; uncorrupted by  accents, verbal peculiarities, oddities
> of vocal intonation.

Good Morse.....

(not the popular robotic-sterile machine produced morse but real
hand-produced Morse sent by a skilled radioman)

..... >>DOES<< contain "accents, peculiarities, and intonation".

That's not called "corruption", it's called "communications enhancement".

73, de Hans, K0HB
Most Reverend Keeper of the Codes of Q

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