[CW] Watch "Kubla Khan - Take 2" on YouTube

Mon May 25 19:08:38 EDT 2020

    An interesting article. I don't think I agree with him about 
straight keys. I think the kinetic feed back is important to 
learning spacing. I think if you start with an electronic keyer 
it will become the only kind of key you can use without 
retraining. Bugs should not be used below about  15 WPM. I use 
the G4FON program for keeping tuned up. I also practice using the 
code practice files from W1AW. I read about folks who can read at 
60 WPM. Sounds like noise to me, I would love to do it. My 
hearing is damaged so I get fatigued quickly. I practice now at 
about 30 WPM but push it faster and then drop back. Like swinging 
two bats to warm up. The CW lists I belong to have taught me that 
most people go through what I have. I can often read several 
sentences at thirty and then it falls apart. At speeds below 
about 15 WPM I must write it down. I learned code a very long 
time ago but somehow never broke that really high speed barrier. 
I am still at it.
     I also listen on the air a lot because real code sent by 
real people does not sound quite the same, especially some of the 
strange fists around. I think if CW is to be practical for rag 
chewing you must be able to decipher bad sending. But make sure 
your own is legible.

On 5/25/2020 2:24 PM, Bruce Prior wrote:
> Hi DR --
> I spent some time trying to find that article, without success. 
> According to Wikipedia:
>
> "There is no standard representation for the exclamation mark 
> (!), although the KWdigraph 
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digraph_(orthography)>(▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄) 
> was proposed in the 1980s by the Heathkit 
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathkit>Company (a vendor of 
> assembly kits for amateur radio equipment). While Morse code 
> translation software prefers the Heathkit version, on-air use 
> is not yet universal as some amateur radio operators in North 
> America and the Caribbean continue to prefer the older 
> MNdigraph (▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄) carried over from American 
> landline telegraphy code."
>
>
> So, you agree with the latter choice. I think that one may be 
> used for other letters in some alphabets, however. 
> Incidentally, I always prefer to use dits and dahs rather than 
> dots and dashes, like you. I made the bad mistake of learning 
> Morse for my Boy Scouts first class badge by memorizing a 
> dot-dash chart, which continues to slow me down many years 
> later. See the attached article. The upper limit of my accurate 
> sending dexterity is about 17 WPM with an electronic keyer when 
> I'm operating from SOTA summits. Receiving above about 25 WPM 
> gets dicey for me.
>
>
> 73,
>
> Bruce Prior N7RR
>
>
>
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net <cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net> 
> on behalf of D.J.J. Ring, Jr. <n1ea at arrl.net>
> *Sent:* Monday, May 25, 2020 8:50 AM
> *To:* CW Reflector <cw at mailman.qth.net>
> *Subject:* Re: [CW] Watch "Kubla Khan - Take 2" on YouTube
> What did you suggest. Bruce?
>
> I nominate dah-dah-dah-dit.
>
> But having a dash at the end can be lengthened!
>
> So dah-dah-dah-dit-daaaaaaaaahh ?
>
> 73
> DR
>
>
> On Sun, May 24, 2020, 13:01 Bruce Prior <n7rr at hotmail.com 
> <mailto:n7rr at hotmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     The lack of the exclamation mark in International Morse
>     Code is a big hole that needs to be filled. I wrote about
>     it in *Morsum Magnificat* years ago.
>     73,
>     Bruce Prior N7RR
>
>     -----------------------------------------------------------------
>     *From:* cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net
>     <mailto:cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net>
>     <cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net
>     <mailto:cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net>> on behalf of D.J.J.
>     Ring, Jr. <n1ea at arrl.net <mailto:n1ea at arrl.net>>
>     *Sent:* Sunday, May 24, 2020 7:28 AM
>     *To:* CW Reflector <cw at mailman.qth.net
>     <mailto:cw at mailman.qth.net>>
>     *Subject:* [CW] Watch "Kubla Khan - Take 2" on YouTube
>     https://youtu.be/r8JXr3I2ycQ
>
>     When Morse decoders came out, I used one to detect the
>     deficiencies in my Vibroplex semiautomatic key sending. I
>     could now be sure I was actually sending NN MA instead of
>     CQ. So I watched the screen while I sent, it really helped
>     me. I'm probably going to embarrass myself but have to
>     automation read this: https://youtu.be/r8JXr3I2ycQ
>     <https://youtu.be/r8JXr3I2ycQ> Turn on English captions as
>     I added them a few days ago.
>
>
>     To turn on the CAPTIONS use the menu in the upper right
>     (click and three vertical dots will appear which you also
>     need to click to get to the menu.) When you see the drop
>     down box, you must select English-United States. Usually
>     the captions will NOT start, so do this: Click the video
>     time bar at the middle, all of a sudden the captions start.
>     Now click back to the beginning and start the video from
>     the beginning. You will now see: KUBLA KHAN BY SAMUEL
>     TAYLOR COLERIDGE OR A VISION IN A DREAM. A FRAGMENT. = IN
>     XANADU DID KUBLA KHAN A STATELY PLEASURE-DOME DECREE (&c)
>     complete with punctuation sent in Morse. Since there is no
>     exclamation point in International Morse currently, where a
>     ! is used in poem, I substituted "EXCLAIM" for that symbol
>     as ITU Handbook for Sending and Reception on Morse by aural
>     (ear) means (sounder or tone) (Appendix B,) Enjoy!
>
>     73
>     DR
>
>     N1EA
>
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-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL