[Elecraft] About the K3 cw speed

[Doug Smith]

Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
 > but they were operators on some rare, private, closed circuit

[Apologies to all for this off-topic rambling]

I was the R/O on the SS Tampa Bay (KNJA), one of the last of the US Flag, all 
CW, banana boats.  Most of the US Flag ships had long since gone to SITOR or 
INMARSAT -- we had neither.  I used to work WLO every day as we plied the 
waters of South America and Africa.

We handled all traffic at speeds between 25 and 30 WPM and it was rare for a 
fill either direction.  And since we both had full QSK and knew how to use it, 
fills were nearly instantaneous.  I don't know but I suspect the WLO guys were 
using electronic keyers -- I know I was.  (I still use that keyer, a Wm. M. 
Nye ESK-001 that has keyed everything I've ever plugged it in to.)

It was my very strong preference to always send my traffic through WLO because 
they were quick and efficient.  Plus, I could hit them from *anywhere* in the 
Pacific or Atlantic on 12 or 16 MHz.

WLO                  KNJA
==================   ==================
Sending wheel CQ     "WLO"
"DE"                 "KNJA"
"UP"                 DIT
QSY to working frequency and handle traffic.

There was one incident where we were in heavy seas and I couldn't even stay 
seated in the chair.  Anyway, I kept making mistakes and finally stopped and 
apologized to the op at WLO.  He came back with something along the lines of 
"you've got the best fist we work".

Now, I'm not *that* great of an op so his comment inspired me to listen to 
some of the other ships WLO was working -- I do not know how the guys at WLO 
could even copy them.  I could only decipher about a quarter of what they were 
sending.  It was the worst CW I've ever heard and I've *never* heard CW that 
bad on the ham bands..

I tell you this: those guys at WLO were incredible ops!

73,
-Doug, W7KF