CW Speed & DXpeditions

[N4KC]

I think K3TN is correct.  The large splits...especially on SSB and QRPers...have caused some hurt feelings among the daily QSO and net folks and it doesn't take many of them retaliating to create havoc on the DX's frequency.  I try to check my calling frequency before I start yelling, but I may not be hearing most of the roundtable or net.

Another point: when I use the amp, I do not have full break-in on CW.  When the DX station is whistling along at 35 or 40 WPM, he has acknowledged a station while I'm still sending my callsign, but I don't hear him and call him again.  And again.  We're doubling.  And it could even be me he is calling!  I hear that happening a bunch with other stations.  There is much less of this if the exchange takes several seconds instead of a brief blip.

Not bragging but I can do 35 with no trouble.  But the QSO rate suffers if the DX has to send the exchange three or four times because we are all doubling with him.

Don N4KC
www.n4kc.com
www.donkeith.com
 
 

[AJ4RW]

If people can't copy this they shouldn't be using the mode for Dx'ing.

Sorry you feel this way.  I hope you never encounter any medical problems but you're not going to change one of my pleasure in amateur radio and I hope no one else is influenced by this statement.  If you hear me on just spin the dial!  BTW my comfortable copying speed is somewhere around 25 - 28 wpm.

Either I'm listening to pirates or they have slowed down considerably

I've upgraded my antennas and my rx capabilities have improved dramatically.  Switching between the beam and the quad there's a 4-5 s unit increase which might account for the increase in hearing QRMers.  The other night on 40 meters was the worst I've ever heard though.
Randy

[AF3Y]

I've upgraded my antennas and my rx capabilities have improved dramatically.  Switching between the beam and the quad there's a 4-5 s unit increase which might account for the increase in hearing QRMers.  The other night on 40 meters was the worst I've ever heard though.
Randy

Randy, you are right on..... that show on 40 SSB was beyond anything I have heard on the air.  If there is one good thing, I think many of the SSB QRMers cannot do CW, so they have to crawl around in the phone band. SSB QRM is ALWAYS worse than CW IMHO.  I try to avoid going to the SSB freqs unless I simply cannot get a contact elsewhere. Then, prior to moving up to phone, I take an extra pill and a BIG glass of Shiraz before I get started.

73, Gene AF3Y

[NU4B]

If people can't copy this they shouldn't be using the mode for Dx'ing.

Sorry you feel this way.  I hope you never encounter any medical problems but you're not going to change one of my pleasure in amateur radio and I hope no one else is influenced by this statement.  If you hear me on just spin the dial!  BTW my comfortable copying speed is somewhere around 25 - 28 wpm.

Either I'm listening to pirates or they have slowed down considerably

I've upgraded my antennas and my rx capabilities have improved dramatically.  Switching between the beam and the quad there's a 4-5 s unit increase which might account for the increase in hearing QRMers.  The other night on 40 meters was the worst I've ever heard though.
Randy

Randy,
 I'm sorry for your medical condition and how it affects your ability to copy CW. But what is the right answer here? Suppose there are people that can copy only at 5WPM? Is that the right speed or as long as you can copy that is good enough? While that may sound ridiculous, it may not be ridiculous to that person that for whatever reason can only copy at 5WPM

 All I said was that today they were operating at a much slower rate - certainly below 30WPM on 12 and 17 meters. I stick by my statement that if somebody can't copy today then I do have questions on whether they should be DXing. Maybe I should have said they should DX stations operating at the speed they can copy.

It is not the responsibility or the fault of the DX station if someone can't copy, medical condition or not. There are things many of us can't or haven't been able to do in life because of medical conditions or even physical attributes. Me included!

When I operate I always slow down to the speed of the other station and I'm glad to do so. But I'm not a DX station with thousands calling.

If and when the time comes I can't effectively use CW, I'll switch to a mode I can use.

[NU4B]

BTW my comfortable copying speed is somewhere around 25 - 28 wpm.

Randy, if you're at that speed - its not a stretch to get in the lower 30s looking for call signs and sig reports once you get in the rhythm of the station. That's not too shabby.

[AJ4RW]

My fine motor skill to my fingers is not a major problem, just a minor inconvenience.  My fingers don't function exactly like they should.  I just have some difficulty using a keyer amongst a few other things so I use the keyboard, no biggie.  My preference is around 18 - 22 wpm copying and I don't mind QRSing if someone ask.  Actually with the PT0S teams' fast code speed I found myself losing concentration today when they slowed down.  I still practice with a keyer and hope to overcome this minor affliction.  You're right about getting up to and over 30 wpms but I don't put much effort into it, I'm lazy hi hi.

You're right about CW not getting QRMed as much but I still hear them.  Actually a QRMer today caused me to make a contact PT0S on 15 CW.  I've had a hard time working them on cw but when the QRMing was going rampant on 15 it kept EU pile way down and the QRMing wasn't too bad down here so it gave me a chance to work them.  That's the only positive thing that has ever came from QRMers.
Randy

[K3STX]

I'm sorry for your medical condition and how it affects your ability to copy CW.

I might be wrong, but I thought he said the medical condition affects his ability to SEND CW with paddles. I don't think anyone "objects" to using electronics to send (I use my memory keyer for my call in pileups!). The "problem" is guys who cannot copy CW in their head, so when the "decoder" can't decipher it they are stuck and that is why there is repeat after repeat after...  It is not a SENDING issue, it is a RECEIVING issue.

p

[NU4B]

I'm sorry for your medical condition and how it affects your ability to copy CW.

I might be wrong, but I thought he said the medical condition affects his ability to SEND CW with paddles. I don't think anyone "objects" to using electronics to send (I use my memory keyer for my call in pileups!). The "problem" is guys who cannot copy CW in their head, so when the "decoder" can't decipher it they are stuck and that is why there is repeat after repeat after...  It is not a SENDING issue, it is a RECEIVING issue.

p

I don't know. I thought people thought the PT0S guys were sending too fast and DXers were having trouble with the copy at that speed. Maybe the PT0S crew is tired but they weren't operating that fast earlier today. It actually seemed rather slow for an expedition on 12 meters. Personally I don't care either way - they can operate at whatever speed they want.
As far as DXer sending speed - you always hear different speeds - from very slow to fast - so I don't know what the problem is there because I don't think anybody was complaining about that.

[K7KB]

PT0S just finished up a bit ago on 20M CW. Although I'm comfortable copying up to around 30WPM if conditions are good, the op that just finished was doing around 35 - 40 WPM at least. If anything, that just slows down the QSO rate because people are not copying when the operator is calling leading to re-sending, more QRM, and frustration.

John K7KB