[Elecraft] Text Decode Issues

[Edward R Cole]

I would love to have a CW decoder do the work of copying CW for me, but...

Most CW that I work is very weak-signal.  If not at noise level is 
actually below noise.  I have found no computer decoding sw that will 
work into the noise.  Solution?  Its called JT65 (or one of its 
variants).  JT65 will decode at 28 to 30-dB below noise level (SSB 
bandwidth) with signals below about -20 dB not even strong enough to 
hear with the human ear.

But it takes a computer as I know no one that can copy JT65* by 
ear.  So......CW is for human copy and JT65 and other digital modes 
are for computer copy.  *not referring to the shorthand codes which 
are simple to see/hear.

Not a scientific comparison but it "seems" that the CW text decoder 
in FLdigi works a bit better than the one in my K3.  But all require 
a strong clear and well formed CW character to perform well; I think 
this pretty much requires machine precision generation of CW. Almost 
all CW ops have a "fist" which "colors" their sending. The human mind 
can accommodate and even appreciate this; the machine - not!

My conclusion is that I must rely on myself for copying CW, and not a 
machine.  But this is not to discourage those writing sw to get a 
better CW decoder.

73, Ed - KL7UW
http://www.kl7uw.com
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