[Elecraft] CW Contest and Elecraft K3 Decoder

[Chester Alderman]

When I contest, I normally send between 30 to 34 wpm and believe sending any faster really drops one's rate. However, many years ago when I got interested in QRQ, I had to use a code reader to get myself over the 55 wpm 'hump'. The 'hump' is where you have to re-learn how to copy code; and as I call it, you have to get into the 'flow' of the conversation. About 20 years ago, there were maybe 15 to 20 hams, nationwide, who were doing QRQ QSO's and they were pretty active, but they all could copy around 100 wpm. And with their really great sense of humor, made QRQ seriously fun part of the hobby. But NO, none of those folks ever did QRQ to 'impress anyone'; they only did it for the pure fun of it!

CW and QRQ is just another FUN part of our hobby and it is not done to impress anyone!

73 and Merry Christmas,

Tom - W4BQF - #149



-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of F5vjc
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 1:26 AM
To: Dauer, Edward
Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] CW Contest and Elecraft K3 Decoder

Very well stated Ted.

Contesters who send at ridiculous speeds, futile, impresses no one. 30WPM is reasonable, but in excess, you think it improves your rate?

73 F5VJC

On 28 November 2017 at 04:05, Dauer, Edward <edauer at law.du.edu> wrote:

> Same here.  I am an avid contester; but since the one time I did a 
> clean sweep in the SS a lifetime ago, I haven’t sent in a single log 
> to a contest sponsor.  For me, the competition is me – can I do a one 
> weekend WAS, or closer to a clean sweep than I did last year?  (Did 
> that a couple of times, but not lately.)  Can I do a one weekend DXCC? 
> (never did, but I might
> someday.)  Can I make my station, and my antenna farm (in truth, more 
> like a window planter than a farm) more effective and easier to 
> operate this year than last?  Can I get my code proficiency up to the 
> point that I can QSO faster than I can type?  (Yup, done that.)  Can I 
> integrate new equipment and gadgets just to see if they help?  Can I 
> get Nebraska on ten meter CW which I have been chasing unsuccessfully 
> for a 5BWAS for almost ten years?  (If I had ever done that I wouldn’t 
> have mentioned it.)
>
> Using a decoder would be contrary to what I am trying to do.  
> Likewise, relying on spotting, working lists, renting other peoples’ 
> stations, running full illegal power, etc.
>
> I don’t mean to disparage what anyone else does.  I mean only to say 
> that contesting can be great fun despite what others are doing for their fun.
>
> With one exception.  I would like to personally pour a beer on the 
> head of operators (many of them DX) who program their memory keyers to 
> send just their call at utterly incomprehensible speeds although every 
> other part of the exchange is at 30 – 35 or so.  I waste a lot of time 
> just trying to figure out who and what they are; and never has one 
> responded well to a polite request to QRS.
>
> Ted, KN1CBR
>
> ------------------------------
>
>     Message: 25
>     Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2017 16:51:27 -0800 (PST)
>     From: Hisashi T Fujinaka <htodd at twofifty.com>
>     To: Bob McGraw K4TAX <rmcgraw at blomand.net>
>     Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>     Subject: Re: [Elecraft] CW Contest and Elecraft K3s decoder
>     Message-ID: <alpine.NEB.2.21.9.1711271648300.389 at chris.i8u.org>
>     Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
>
>     I view contests as "an easy way to work DX" for me. I'm on a city lot
>     that's getting noisier and noisier and CQWW is a good time to find 
> a lot
>     of DX stations all on the air and willing to make a contact with this
>     guy with 100W into a vertical.
>
>     Not that I got on this year for either contest. :)
>
>     On Mon, 27 Nov 2017, Bob McGraw K4TAX wrote:
>
>     > I have refrained from working ANY and ALL contests for several years.
>     > For that and other reasons.   I view contests today in the same
> class as
>     > "road rage".
>     >
>     > 73
>     >
>     > Bob, K4TAX
>
>
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