[Elecraft] ARRL November Sweepstakes CW

[Stephen W. Kercel]

>I am a newcomer to all of this, and I am wondering if there is any place
>left in contesting for those of us who choose not to have a computer send 
>code
>or receive code--ie just used for logging. I am working on getting my 
>speed up,
>  but I couldn't participate due to my inability to copy the high speed CW
>used by  what I assume are mostly computers sending code. Am i off-base 
>here? I
>do enjoy  the QRP contests I have entered since these seem to use "manually"
>generated  exchanges at slower speeds (20 - 25 WPM). Thanks for any 
>advice...Ci,
>  WU7R

What a curious comment: "ie just used for logging"

This is not a criticism, simply a comment on these digitized times. The 
presupposition is that if there's anybody left that does not use a computer 
to send and receive code, then surely it must go without saying that 
everybody uses a computer to keep logs, at least in contests.

I've been hamming (for fun) for over 40 years and talking to computers (for 
money) for only a trifle less than 40 years (yes, we had them back then), 
and have never seen the need to mix the two.

I still send CW with a key (admittedly hooked to an electronic memory 
keyer), receive CW with pen and paper and do all my logkeeping on paper.

I'm the first to admit that in "go for blood" contesting I would be 
hopelessly outmatched by the computerized QRO stations that roll up 90 QSOs 
per hour.

However, in QRP contesting (i.e., in the QRP class in regular contests 
where you're score is only compared to other QRP entrants, but you're 
competing head to head with the QRO stations for contacts), where the S5 
signal in an S9 ambience pretty much guarantees a relatively low contact 
rate (10-20 QSOs per hour), a computer does not give that much of an 
advantage, except maybe in preparing the log for submittal.

73,

Steve
AA4AK