Station Ergonomics

[ke6ber at usa.pipeline.com]

On Mon, Mar 25, 1996 10:27:08 AM, Bill Coleman AA4LR wrote: 
 
>If you cannot touch type, then you have a problem -- but isn't this the 
>same situation as with learning morse? It is just a skill you have to work

>to acquire. Considering how central the computer is to today's contest 
>operation, touch typing would appear to be a prerequisite. 
 
I have become quite a proficient touch typist over the years.  Let me
relate my story as it may be helpful to some. 
 
I took a touch typing class in Jr. High.  I failed it.  Couldn't even type
my own name without errors or looking at the keyboard.  BUT, I had learned
several things, weather I knew it or not.  I knew what the home keyes were,
and what fingeres were SUPPOSED to hit which keyes.  (making it happen was
a whole different story.)  To compound my problems, I have  very large
hands, that even overflow a standard size keyboard. 
 
During my four years in High School I was very active on local bulliten
board systems, and spent hours upon hours "chatting" with people on these
BBSs.  This involved typing a large amount, as well as being able to type
fast enough to keep up with my thoughts (but that's not too hard usually,
hi hi.).   
 
I now type everything.  I take notes in class on my laptop.  All this keeps
me in practice, as well as helping me increase my speed even further.  When
I get on a roll, I can reach 80WPM, and still be quite accurate. 
 
So my advice to anyone who is not comfortable with hiding the keyboard
while typing would be to get on simplex packet with a friend, on IRQ, or on
a local BBS, and "chat" with people every evening for a while.  If you do
this in the right forum, it can be very useful in gettin information,
talking with a friend, as well as improving your typing confidence and
speed. 
 
Good luck, and see you in WPX. 
 
Al, KE6BER/1, KE6BER at usa.pipeline.com 

>From barry at w2up.wells.com (Barry Kutner)  Mon Mar 25 21:23:48 1996
From: barry at w2up.wells.com (Barry Kutner) (Barry Kutner)
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 96 21:23:48 GMT
Subject: should I renew NCJ?
Message-ID: <Dy8cLD3w165w at w2up.wells.com>

"John Dorr K1AR" <p00259 at psilink.com> writes:

> 
> One final point. Our research showed that many new hams are not 
> subscribing to *any* ham publication. CQ VHF was, in part, created to 
> provide a forum for these folks and make them feel more "mainstreamed" 
> in the hobby. Response to date tells us that it is working.
> 

John - Allow me to make one suggestion for the success of your VHF 
publication:
I suggest you attach two belt loops to the binding. This will allow your 
subscribers to hang the magazine next to the rig. A nice touch to make 
any shack complete.
73 Barry

--

Barry N. Kutner, W2UP       Internet: barry at w2up.wells.com
Newtown, PA                 Packet Radio: W2UP @ WB3JOE.#EPA.PA.USA.NA
                            Packet Cluster: W2UP >WB2R (FRC)
.......................................................................


>From Bruce Lallathin <aa8u at voyager.net>  Mon Mar 25 22:24:09 1996
From: Bruce Lallathin <aa8u at voyager.net> (Bruce Lallathin)
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 17:24:09 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Download locations
Message-ID: <199603252224.RAA19611 at vixa.voyager.net>

At 10:13 AM 3/25/96 CST6CDT, you wrote:

>Is there a place that I can download version 9.27? I was sold an old 
>version by Harvard radio. Questions to K1EA, AD1C, and Harvard radio 
>go unanswered. Is this the kind of response I can expect? 

Yup.....download from CT BBS only. Rare is a routine question answered,
judging by personal experience. Fortunately, the software is worth the
frustration.
73,
Bruce aa8u at voyager.net