[ILQSO] slow CW suggestion

[Jay Hainline]

For the cw challenged amateur, I have to say the Writelog contest logging
program built in cw reader does a pretty decent job. 

73 Jay


Jay Hainline  KA9CFD  EN40om
Colchester, IL

-----Original Message-----
From: ilqso-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:ilqso-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of Hank Greeb
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 14:11
To: Illinois QSO Party
Subject: Re: [ILQSO] slow CW suggestion

Anyone who doesn't slow down when receiving a call from a slow operator
should get a big certificate engraved with "Lid of the Year."

I know for a fact that the best way to learn how to copy CW is to engage in
a contest - my first "go for the guts" contest was the ARRL SS at my school
club station.  Members cajoled me into running SOLP from the club station.
I was at a plateau between 15 and 18 WPM.  After 20 or 24 hours (maximum
permitted for the contest in those daze), I was thinking in Morse code.  I'd
hear English, but have to translate it into code before I could understand
it.  After that 20 WPM for the extra class license test was a sn*p.  This
lasted for almost a half a day.  
Translating class lectures was a real challenge.  Fortunately I didn't have
any tests that morning!

So, tell the slower operators to persist - there's slow CW on the bands
- look around the QRP frequencies of 3560, 7030, 14060, etc. in particular.
Many QRPers send with hand keys, and/or prefer QRS to be sure to get info
across when running <5 watts.

73 de n8xx Hg

Danny Pease wrote:
> I had a suggestion from one of our ILQP participants about a set frequency
for slow speed CW operators (he mentioned 10 wpm). I know, I know, all you
CW operators say you have no problem slowing down if someone asks, but I
know from experience most of you do not adjust the keyed speed back, you
just space the characters out more. OK if the other station can copy 20 or
25 wpm not so good if your best speed is quite a bit slower. Plus, if you
are looking for CW contacts on that given frequency, you will be looking for
the slower speed operators (trying to get their speed up), so you should be
already running at the slower speed. I know from my own experience that I
have to listen to someone's report a few times at 35 wpm (my own comfortable
copying speed being somewhere closer to 17 wpm) before I can be sure I have
it right and I do not like to ask a faster CW op to slow down for me and
break his rhythm. 
>
> Anyway, back to the suggestion. Does anyone have an opinion about s
specific frequency be suggested for slow CW for ILQP. Maybe really high up
in the bands, like in old Novice territory on 40 meters. I think it could
stir up a lot more CW QSO's, but better yet, it may get a lot of stations on
CW that would not normally.
>
> Danny  NG9R

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