[Elecraft] CW Decoding - Your Brain is best

[Gary K9GS]

Hello Phil,

I respectively disagree Phil.  I can absolutely, positively, 100% 
GUARANTEE that a major CW was never won by someone using a CW decoder.  
I'd even stick my neck out and say that no one has ever broken into the 
top 10.  I also don't think software will ever surpass the human brain 
for decoding CW.

The purpose of CW skimmers for contesting is not so much to decode 
callsigns as it is to fill the bandmap of available stations to work.

At the end of this month is the biggie....CQWW CW.  Please take a few 
minutes and listen, really listen, to one of the big stations work a 
pileup running stations.  Then switch on your CW decoder and see how 
that works.  It will open your eyes.......


On 11/8/2012 4:21 PM, Phil Hystad wrote:
> I can see that someone might want to use a K3 CW decode or a computer decode program like CW Skimmer when operating a contest.  After you set things up, very little real CW skill is necessary to be a CW contest player.  Indeed, many probably do just that.
>
> Ultimately of course, the software will get better and the instance of the human operator will no longer be necessary.  Some future glorified computer program can play the game all by itself.  You can even schedule your computer program to startup when the contest schedules begin and stop when they end.  Of course, total control of your rig by remote is included.
>
> Cool -- just think, I could be off doing more interesting things while operating a contest from my Mac hosted computer application.  I could be a high scorer -- I could win!  I would be the contesting CW champ.  Or, at least my program would be but no one need know that.
>
> The best part is that during the contest and during all those automated hours or cranking up my score at 2.7 GHz CPU speeds, I can be out in the wilds nearby with my wire antenna thrown into the nearest tree and operating QRP CW from my KX3 using my Begali paddle.
>
> 73, phil, K7PEH
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-- 


73,

Gary K9GS

Greater Milwaukee DX Association: http://www.gmdxa.org
Society of Midwest Contesters: http://www.w9smc.com
CW Ops #1032   http://www.cwops.org

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