[Elecraft] K3: An Observation for Struggling Brass-Pounders

[Carl Clawson]

>
> My opinion is that a Morse decoder does more harm than good for a
> learner.  Maybe it might be helpful for those first few terrifying QSOs
> (which are still quite vivid in my memory), but I think that the learner
> would be far better off learning to trust his or her own decoding
> apparatus.
>

Where I find some kind of recording device to be invaluable is when I make a
typo keying in the exchange to my logging program. If I correct the typo
right when I make it I will miss the rest of the exchange, so I just keep
typing. But by the end of the exchange, half the time I've forgotten what
the mistake was! This is why I keep a tape recorder running during contests,
but a decoder might be a great solution as well. It'll be fun to try it. I
used to just listen through the next QSO, but that has drawbacks apart from
taking more time. Sometimes there IS no next QSO, and multi-multi stations
don't always give out consecutive serial numbers so if you lose that, your
QSO is in doubt no matter what you do.

There was a thread a few days ago on copying contest exchanges that would be
quite good reading if you missed it. It describes exactly what I went
through on my first couple Field Days when the experienced CW ops went home
to bed and I was left by myself staring at a radio, a key, and a log
sheet...

73, Carl WS7L
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