[Elecraft] [OT] CW speed and decoders and SS

[David Wilburn]

Well said, and understanding the exchange is the initial difficulty I
was having.  I couldn't find anyone going slow enough to understand how
the exchange was handled.  Many folks put NR in front of the sequential
number, which is a big help for us newbies.  About half didn't.  Some
may be looking at the time saved, or it just did not occur to them.

I replied to all CQs at 15wpm.  Some slowed down automatically, others I
asked to QRS after they returned their info at high speed, others I had
already worked out their info and just answered, and others lost what
ever time they saved, by having to answer my questions before I supplied
my side of the sequence.  So it all worked out.
-  

David Wilburn
dave.wilburn at verizon.net
K4DGW
K2 S/N 5982


On Mon, 2007-11-05 at 10:51 -0600, Craig Rairdin wrote:
> > What blew me away trying to get into my third CW contest was the 
> > speed everyone was running.  Additionally I had not dealt with 
> > sequential exchanges before, and wanted to listen to one first 
> > to get the "feel" of the exchange.  But it was all too fast.  
> 
> > The concept of answering folks at what they sent, was few and far
> > between in my experience.  I heard some folks consistently sending
> > slower (meaning 20-25) only to be answered by much higher rates.  
> > They still worked them, so they were capable of higher than they 
> > were sending (seems quite possible) or they had help.
> 
> I think SS almost demands computerized logging so the sequence numbers are
> handled automatically. I use WriteLog and interface to the rig through a
> microHam microKeyer. The nice thing about this setup is I can speed up or
> slow down by turning a knob. I have trouble sending by hand above about 25
> wpm but no problem turning a knob up to 40. :-)
> 
> I take pride in the fact while I call CQ at 30 wpm I crank it down to 15 if
> you call me at 15. You will be able to copy my "R TU" at the end, but the
> QRZ will be back up to speed. Similarly, if you're calling CQ at 35 or 40
> you'll get my reply at that speed.
> 
> I've been a private pilot for about 17 years. My dad is just learning to
> fly. When he and I fly together into busy airspace like O'Hare, he's always
> amazed at how I handle the complex communications. The secret is that all
> controllers say the same thing in the same order no matter where you go.
> Once you know the pattern it's easy to understand them because you're
> already anticipating it. Copying contest exchanges at 40 wpm is no
> different. You know what's coming so you can anticipate it. I copy
> conversational CW in the 20 wpm range (OK, maybe more like 18) but have no
> problem with any speed in a contest because I know what's coming.
> 
> > Decoders must be useful, the K3 has one....
> > Are they using the MFJ decoder ....
> 
> I turned on the K3 decoder for the contest and I glanced at it a couple
> times when I wasn't sure I heard right. It does a much better job than the
> piece of crap MFJ decoder (sorry, "piece of crap MFJ" is an oxymoron; I
> shouldn've just said "piece of crap" and you would've known what I meant). 
> 
> My pet peeve are the guys who send different parts of the report at
> different speeds; as if sending their call at 50 wpm is going to increase
> their QSO rate. I like to pause for a little longer than normal when I reply
> to them just to eat up all the time they saved. Then there's the bozo who
> decided not to send his call in the exchange, apparently because I already
> know it. That really throws off the trick of knowing what's coming. All of a
> sudden I'm getting numbers where I expect a callsign. I had to ask for his
> ck and sec again, thus eating way more time then he saved on the next 100
> Q's by not sending his call. And what's with the keyers that separate the
> elements by nanoseconds instead of dit-widths? They sound like a solid tone.
> 
> Enough complaining. :-)
> 
> 
> Craig
> NZ0R
> K3/100 #25
> 
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