[Elecraft] CW GET and KPA100

[Jeff Burns]

The recent comments on computer assisted CW and the need for a 100w have
been interesting so I thought I would share some of my latest observations.

My main radio goal recently has been to improve my CW skills. I have used
all sorts of study methods and am currently able to copy about 15 wpm, and I
still need to right everything down on paper.

I have avoided using CW-get for several reasons. First I have been afraid
that it would become a crutch that would keep me form learning to use my
ears. Since the only computer the family has is on the other side of the
room from the radio it is also inconvenient to set things up so I can use
the computer with the radio.

When the 160m contest cam around I was hoping that I could finally make some
contacts during a contest. I sat down Friday night to see what I could do.
Once again everything was a completely confusing. I decided to try CW-get. I
set everything up and set the power on max (15w). I put 33 contacts in the
log that night. That's not many for a good operator, but for me that was
amazing. I was also amazed that every one I called herd me even thou I was
using low power and a marginal antenna. On Saturday night I only head a
short time at the radio, and did not set up CW-get, but I was able to make
two contacts by ear. Perhaps using the computer to read CW can improve
manual copy skills?

The next weekend I jumped into the 10m contest. I thought I wold work both
phone and CW, and would keep the power at 5w. I also put up a temporary
vertical dipole because my main antenna does not tune well on 10m. I started
out on SSB and quickly became frustrated because it seemed know one could
hear me. After two contacts I switched to CW, and was able to make 31
contacts. Even with CW I was still having difficulty being heard by the
other stations. On Sunday I switched back to SSB and had more success, but
there were still many station that I could hear but could not work.

Recently I was calling CQ and a person came back to fast for me to copy
reliably. Not only was he to fast, but he was also very verbose. I asked him
to QRS. If he did slow down I cold not tell. Apparently his computer program
cold not transmit slow. That was a frustrating QSO. Perhaps if I were using
a computer we could have run 40 wpm, but I fail to see the point of that.

As I said at the beginning my goal right now is to improve my CW skills. If
I had a computer at the operating desk I would probably give CW-get a try
more often. Perhaps I need to get a new computer and give CW-get more time.
I would like to hear more comments on the educational value of using a
computer to decode CW.

I would also love to get a KPA100. It would have been useful in the 10m
contest. I might have even been able to work SSB on the first day. In 160m
contest it did not seam necessary. (Now that is strange!) Would it help me
get better at CW? Please someone say yes. I need to justify a new toy.

Jeff Burns
AD9T