[Elecraft] New Mystery: Copying groups vs plain language text

[Fred Jensen]

Why were code tests with groups almost always at a slower speed than 
plain text?

I had to copy 5-character groups at 16 [I think], and plain text at 20 
[I also think ... might have been 25, it was a very long time ago] for 
the 2nd Telegraph.  I've never sat a military circuit to copy groups, 
all my experience with groups was practice, the test, and WX reports 
which sort of approximate groups.  However, I find groups to be easier 
copy than plain text, especially on a mill of teletype tape perforator 
keyboard.  The transition to "Ear-to-Fingers" mode with nothing passing 
through brain is almost instantaneous and permanent for the duration. 
With plain language text, I'll sometimes rouse from that state, try to 
make sense of what I'm copying and have to catch up.

Just curious, lots of folks here here have copied groups for a living 
and might know the answer.  Incidentally, Jettie Hill, W6RFF [SK], once 
told me that in WW2, he had to learn to sight-read inked tape at 45 or 
50 WPM.  I think that would have caged my eyeballs. [:=)

73,
Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County

On 4/30/2020 9:36 AM, Phil Kane wrote:
> On 4/29/2020 10:31 PM, Edward R Cole wrote:
>
>> CW test had been downgraded to a multiple question exam about plain
>> language text message vs the five mixed character groups back in Detroit.
> The ham CW test was always plain language text.  5-character groups were
> only for the Radiotelegraph CW exams.
>
> 73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane
> Elecraft K2/100   s/n 5402
>
>