[CQ-Contest] Unsportsmanlike?

[frugoli]

Here's my experience learning "contest code".  I call it "contest code" 
because I know I can't keep up with 30wpm in conversational CW, but for the 
short bursts in contests, my brain can usually handle it.

My first experience with high speed contest style CW was on field day 
several years ago.  Two very proficient CW ops were running, one working the 
stations, the other logging and duping.  Filters wide open, no headphones.  
Sounded like a mess to me.  My meager 13 words per minute I had passed the 
week before seemed woefully inadequite. 

Even though I was very intimidated, I sat down and listened for a while, 
catching about 1 letter out of 10.  After a while I started to pick up on 
the rhythm of the QSO's and was recognizing patterns (like there was our 
callsign, followed by some number, then some letters). 

I was just getting up to leave, when the guy logging said he had to take a 
break and would I sit down and log.  I said there was no way, but the guy 
running the stations said he would call out what I needed to write down.  So 
off I went, pretending to hear what was being copied.  The op turned on the 
narrow filter, and suddenly I heard only 1 signal instead of 10.  Whoa, I 
could actually copy a little better now, maybe getting 1 character out of 5. 

This lasted for probably half an hour or so.  We had a great run frequency.  
I was starting to catch the first parts of callsigns (not too hard when you 
only have to listen for A,K,N,W), and the first part of exchanges.  I was 
impressed with myself.  Aparently so was the op, because he suddenly said he 
had to go to the restroom, pushed the key in front of me and turned down the 
keyer speed a little. 

WHOA!  There was someone else in the tent now, and he offered to log and 
help copy.  What was nice is that he made me work for it.  I was asking for 
fills, repeats, etc. at probably 20wpm.  I worked guys for probably an hour 
after that, progressivly getting better at my copy. 

The next week I went and passed my 20wpm, which I thought I'd never get! 

This past weekend I had writelog set at 28WPM, which is now fairly 
comfortable for my skills with "contest code". 

I guess what worked best for me was being thrown into the thick of things 
along with having some backup that made everything workable for both me and 
the calling stations. 

Hope these insights help, and hopefully your rookie CW contester won't give 
up.  Get a Y adapter for the headphone jack and work the next CW contest 
with this guy, one working the stations, one logging.  Then trade off! 

73 de Al, KE1FO