Morse Code

[WB9YBM]

I'm strictly a rag chew CW type guy, which is a completely different style. I know OPS who blaze 30 WPM on exchanges who struggle trying to carry on a conversation at 13.

I'm a rag-chewer, too--my getting faster was more by accident & practice than actual intent. I know what you mean about the 30 WPM folks when they slow down--maybe it's because the cadence changes slightly?

Some of the best CW ops I've talked with were ex-military--they have an amazing fist!

73 DE Klaus

 

[RichardW9RAC]

I think the inability has to do with the lack of practice regarding putting a conversation together in your head, sending it and being able to keep your thoughts together as the conversation progresses, vs just RST, QTH, OP, 73. So when you are having an in-depth conversation you are "off script" so to speak. Those people can not rag chew at any speed, its an acquired skill, 73 Rich

 

[WB9YBM]

I think the inability has to do with the lack of practice regarding putting a conversation together in your head, sending it and being able to keep your thoughts together as the conversation progresses, Those people can not rag chew at any speed, its an acquired skill, 73 Rich

Definitely! that reminds me of some of the e-mails I've seen at work: a surprising number of people can barely string enough words together for a single sentence and have the statement make sense. (I've lost count of how often I've had to walk over to someone's desk and ask "What the hell are you talking about?") Maybe that's why text modes like RTTY aren't as popular any more either?

 

[majoco]

Better to send at 18wpm once than 30wpm with mistakes and get requests for repeats.

 

[WB9YBM]

Better to send at 18wpm once than 30wpm with mistakes and get requests for repeats.

I think mistakes are caused more by lack of practice than operating speed--once an op has had enough practice they'll feel the cadence of the letters & numbers, and the speed will naturally increase. At least that's how my code speed got up there. Might help to hear about the experience of other ops when their code speed increased.