Greetings! This has been a great thread, a great review of the issues,
certainly a complex subject. For myself over the last 9 years that I have
put a great deal of effort in CW operating I offer two points, mentioned
previously, but I offer that they need to be emphasized more.
1. Get the speed up, push the speed as high as you can, even only getting
30% of the copy is good enough for conversational CW. This is easily done
in a Contest when the exchange can be predicted with 99% accuracy but you
get the practice under fire. I am no example of excellence, I struggle but
I do know I have to grab for a piece of paper quick if I get into a QSO at
18 WPM or less - I can not remember what has been sent -the code is going by
so slowly that I forget or wander off between characters.
2. The other most important part is to have CW running in the background.
Right now I am insulating and doing the vapour barrier in a new house. I
have a small RX running in the house, the RX is 60 yers old and I have it
tuned to the middle of 40 meters. The RX wanders around 40. I get to copy
a wide variety of QSO's over a few hours. I really enjoy trying to keep up
with the thread of a conversation as the RX drifts along - great practice.
You need to do something when your gooing up the vapour barrier and
installing the sealing tape - I would glading hire a specialist to do this
work in a few hours, but the leaks in the vapour barrier would drive me nuts
so I do it myself with 100% quality control and relaxing copying of CW on
40. Try it you will like it.
In summary, I can copy considerably faster than I can send, even with a
keyboard for the hard work.
Good Luck
Larry
VA3LK
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