[Elecraft] "Professional" Morse (WAS: CW Mistakes)

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Along the idea of this thread (and Frank, it's all good advice but the only
IMPORTANT advice is to get on the air, no matter how shaky, not matter how
much you stumble, and start having fun!) I ran across something that
reminded me of the frequent discussions about 'good' CW here. 

Commercial stations are often held up as some example to strive for in
sending crisp code anyone can read. 

IMX, a good operator - especially a commercial operator - is one who can
read any darn fist that ever hammered at a key, no matter how bad. 

For those of you who are interested and who can do a 11 mbyte download,
click on the link below and listen to the CW sent here by professional
operators. It's all commercial stuff from the heyday of Morse, if not CW,
because most of it is not CW but spark. Good old quenched spark
transmissions from ships to shore and ship to ship from the 1920's. Simple
stuff. Traffic lists (lists of calls, etc.) and some messages/news, but I
wonder how many of today's operators can copy those fists or even tell the
dits from the dahs. 

And there's a sample of what the 600 meter marine band sounded like on a
typical receiver of the time. Talk about QRM, but it wasn't a serious
problem for those ops most of the time. 

It's a audio file created by W5JN of the OOTC (the really OLD, old timer's
club). 

http://www.ootc.us/W5JN%20QCWA%20Ch41.mp3

He provides some narration and a few hints about what you're hearing during
the ten minute program. 

Ron AC7AC