[CQ-Contest] CW Test Results.....

[Joe]

Here are the results of that CW test.  WOW! This was interesting!
CW can be a HOT topic, almost as hot as political opinions!
I mean 90% of the replies I got were "Just the facts mam" type of replies.
But some were like WOW! Like I was killing off their religion or 
something! he he he.

OK the test,,, The three messages were all sent at 20 words per minute.

The first one was stock traditional specifications, ratios, spacing etc. 
of Morse code.

The second one was also still 20 words per minute, but the characters 
were sent
using a Farnsworth/Koch method where they were at 25 words per minute.
Spacing them further apart. But the overall words per minute was still 20.

And the third was the same, but the Characters were sent at 30 words per 
minute.

Reason I did this test was to see how well people copy the off standard 
type of code.
When I learned code in the early 70's I had no help, it was like the Boy 
scout way,

A = Dot Dash
B = Dash Dot Dot Dot

etc.

actually learned them alphabetically yeah I know, UG! but hey didn't 
have any help or know any better way.

In the late 70's and until the code requirement went away, in all my 
Novice classes I taught, where of course they had to learn the code is 
when I learned about the Farnsworth/Koch method, of sending the letter 
FAST like 20/25 wpm speed.
So the student did not count Dots and Dashes, but learned the Character 
by it's sound. MUCH Better.!!

Just like the much acclaimed CW Academy now also does.

Hearing it this way for sooooo many years teaching the newbies, I got 
very used to it.

Matter of fact I played with this some on my own. I fall into the group 
of the middle one the +5 speed.

I actually tested this running speeds from word speed of 10 to 40 wpm, 
but at each step had the character speed being 5 higher than the word 
speed. and it made the copy soooo much easier to me.  The +10 speed is 
too far off. Reminds me of my old Hallicrafters "TO-Keyer" with the 
weight ratio way off, all choppy sounding.

So here are the final results,

Standard Speed  = 54

+5  =  36

+10  = 15

By the way the super opinionated killing my religion ones? every one was 
on the Standard Speed group.

I hope you all enjoyed this little experiment.  In my contesting I have 
been running with the +5 rate,
never had any complaints he he he,, maybe I'll meet everyone half way at 
like +2 or +3 levels he he he,

Joe WB9SBD / W9ET