[Elecraft] Iambic Keying (WAS: Straight key first?)

[Vic K2VCO]

I've heard several stories like this. It's a special skill, which is different from what 
most of us who learned the code as hams have developed. The text goes into the brain, 
where it is buffered, and then out the fingers.

In some cases the people who can do this may not be able to tell you the content of what 
they copied. And they can do it with plain text, code groups, or a language they don't 
understand.

On 6/29/2011 9:57 PM, Phil Kane wrote:
> On 6/29/2011 8:48 PM, WILLIS COOKE wrote:
>
>> For that matter, it would be pretty hard to head copy and then
>> write a full minute with no errors to pass the FCC code test.
>> Head copy is pretty much a ham radio thing.
>
>    Starting in the late 1960s I was one of the FCC code examiners in San
>    Francisco.  One day  an "old timer" coast station operator came
>    up for the Radiotelegraph First Class code test - 25 wpm -
>    where a "mill" could be used.  He said that he wanted "the
>    First" before he retired.  He set it up, and just before I
>    started the tape he asked whether it was OK to smoke during the
>    test. In those days, no problem.  He put on the "cans" and said
>    "start the tape".  He reached into his pocket, took out a
>    cigarette.  Then he reached into another pocket, and pulled out
>    a book of matches, lit the cigarette, put the extinguished
>    match in an ashtray, dropped the matchbook on the floor, bent
>    down to pick it up, put it back in his pocket, sat back for a
>    few seconds, and then started typing like a madman about
>    halfway into the 5 minute tape - perfect copy. When the tape
>    was finished, he turned to me and said "didn't think I could do
>    it, did you, sonny?!
>
>    Something I will never forget.
>
> --  73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane
>      Elecraft K2/100   s/n 5402
>
>      Retired and loving every minute of it
>      Work was getting in the way of my hobbies

-- 
Vic, K2VCO
Fresno CA
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/