[SFDXA] For you all who think the code is useless nowdays .....

[Norm Alexander]

This an interesting story on how Morse Code was the solution to one handicapped person - read about how Tania over came here handicap.






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I'm reminded of the "wheelchair" 
that Stephen Hawking's students and staff developed for him, a grid of visual 
"blocks" for him to look at as he shifts his vision from one letter to another. 
He's able to make a laser beam deflect to the correct area for the letter and 
symbol he wants, then a DAC program converts the sequence to a synthesized 
voice. That is how he can conduct lectures and communicate with anyone for 
anything he needs to talk to and about. 




By contrast, Tania is quite 
adept for her own needs, having developed the described system using Morse Code. 
I find it  both fascinating and embarrassing that we, here in America, have 
gotten so spoiled and lacking in initiative, that "the Code" is looked upon with 
derision.  Our South American neighbors, especially in Colombia, are 
schooled in their military to be fluent at any speed up to 60 wpm, according to 
one news release. In order to get messages to the soldiers whom have been 
kidnapped by criminals and rebels, the AM radio station that the captors listen 
to plays high speed Morse Code of "Do not despair, we are searching for you", 
and the thugs regard it as being "natural background noise". 
 
 I gave 
up on my own sister, she would rather read a "women's mystery novel" than pay 
any attention to my CW, thus she's useless to me in case I lose speech ability. 

To each his own, but I was impressed at one "aged W.W. II" Veteran who appeared 
at a VE session, was given the sheet of paper to write down all the text for 
Extra Class at the time, so he first let the tape run, then picked up his pencil 
and filled in every letter, followed by turning over the test paper and 
answering the "comprehensive test" also! He had been fluent at 60 wpm and above 
while in the Navy, and won awards for his abilities in contests, earned ribbons 
and medals for his communications skills in battles in the Pacific campaign. 
  
Our present generation has let our predecessors down badly, very 
little overall CW ability, then to make the scene uglier, I hear foul language 
being used on sideband in the HF bands, also the VHF FM repeaters (Foul 
Modulation), so our respect for each other and our social skills have degraded 
badly. When I'm able to put my voice back on the air, I'll go back to my 
previous years of admonishment, "When you touch that PTT switch, you're talking 
to the world, and there are ladies and children listening, too, so regard 
yourselves as being in church". 

  I'll bet that Tania uses NO foul 
language in her stream of words! 

"Charlie Whiskey" used to be fun, and a 
real challenge, now it's being abused when it is used. Shame on us, ham radio 
operators were once regarded as being as clean verbally and socially as 
preachers! 

Think of it, then get to work with your key, enjoy the 
challenge that is fun. 

73's
Gil WA5YKK 


On 5/7/2013 8:18 
PM, Skip Luke wrote:

  
>On KIRO Radio Seattle  today:
> 
>"When Kirkland's Tania Finlayson  communicates, what you hear is a series of beeps.  "I have cerebral palsy, which  occurred at birth. My disability makes it hard for me to control my body  movements. I have always been non verbal."
>
>
>Those words came out of a  speaker, in a woman's computerized voice, attached to her wheelchair. Tania  tilts her head back and forth to trigger a couple of devices that allow her to  use Morse Code to communicate. 
>
>The Morse Code is translated to type on a  screen in front of her, and then the words come out of a speaker. She started  using Morse Code when she was 11 or 12 and it changed her life. She could  finally communicate.
>"My mom did not dress me in  plaid anymore. I could tell on my brother. And I finally had the chance to  annoy my dad with question after question about the world."   .................... 
>
>"Ken says Tania designed her Morse Code 
  translator herself, despite having a degree in recreation, not engineering, 
  and she now markets the product to others with physical constraints. "
>Full article on KIRO Radio  ....   
>
>Skip  KL7IXX
>

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