[Elecraft] Re: Learning CW

[David A. Belsley]

I have to go along with Mike on this issue.  Sending and receiving code use 
different parts of the brain and so can be skills differentially learned. 
The same is true of learning languages, speaking and hearing.  I have 
definitely encountered numbers of hams in all four camps: good/poor sending 
combined with good/poor receiving.  I will say, however, that good sending 
makes it much easier for the guy on the other end to be a better receiver, 
and the same goes for poor sending leading to difficult receiving.

I, by the way, have adopted a new q-code: QZS.  It's meaning is "please 
space between your words."  Before this, I would simply send back to those 
who do not space between words the same way (which, you may find difficult 
to do -- it took some practice to learn how to avoid spacing).  But that 
just got people mad because those who don't space don't seem to realize it. 
So now, after the first comeback, I just send QZS, and go on with my part 
of the QSO.  Then, just before passing it back, I send QZS again, just as a 
reminder.  Inevitably the first thing they ask is what does QZS mean.  When 
I say, it means, please space between your words, they usually say, "sorry 
about that, I'll try to do so," and all continues amicably.  Additional 
QZSs may be needed during the QSO since there is naturally a strong 
tendency for people with that habit to revert to it.

best wishes,

dave belsley, w1euy



--On Monday, November 17, 2003 1:12 AM -0600 "George,  W5YR" <w5yr@att.net> 
wrote:

> My experience, Mike, has been that really good CW ops can send and receive
> equally well, discounting the oddballs with maladjusted bugs who
> intentionally send "weird" code for the fun of it.
>
> In fact, I cannot imagine how anyone with normal physical capabilities and
> coordination could receive code well and not be able to send equally well,
> provided that an element of practice is involved to keep the motor skills
> tuned up.
>
> The sending difficulty that most of us old timers face is being able to
> retain in our mind the material that we intend to send and to spell it
> correctly on-the-fly. In that sense, we can probably receive better than
> we can send, but I can still toss out good code about as fast as I can
> receive it. I doubt that I am alone in that . . .
>
> 73/72, George
> Amateur Radio W5YR -  the Yellow Rose of Texas
> Fairview, TX 30 mi NE of Dallas in Collin county EM13QE
> "Starting the 58th year and it just keeps getting better!"
> w5yr@att.net
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <MikeN2JZ@aol.com>
> To: <elecraft@mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2003 10:15 PM
> Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Re: Learning CW
>
>
>> I think sending and receiving CW share common pathways through the brain
> but
>> for the most part they are independent of one another. Therefore, being
> able
>> to send CW does help in being able to receive CW to some extent. However,
> for
>> the most part they require different skill sets i think and therefore,
> someone
>> who can send CW very well may in fact be a poor receiver and vica versa
> but
>> generally the former. I would venture to guess that the skillset
> commonality
>> between the two is about 20 percent or less.
>>
>>
>>                                             73s,
>>
>>
>>                                             Mike N2jz
>
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----------------------------------
David A. Belsley
Professor of Economics