[SCCC] SCCC Digest, Vol 103, Issue 18

[Art K6XT]

Bob
On errors I often do a CTRL-W and start over from memory. You are right, 
one mis-step while correcting and the logger is likely to send you down 
a road that takes two or three Q's of time to straighten out. I find by 
then I'm so frustrated I forget what should be entered.

I touch type numbers. My fingers know when I've screwed up. I didn't do 
much by way of being smart in high school but the one really useful 
class was 9th grade typing. Learning to touch type is IMHO essential. 
Although there are some mity speedy hunt and peckers out there.

The numbers take all that care because of the 6,7 and 9,0 keys. The rest 
are extensions of the letters below. I bet if you analyze where most of 
the mistakes are it will be on those keys. Always keep in mind the 
QWERTY keyboard was purposely designed to frustrate and slow down fast 
typists because the typists were jamming and breaking the mechanical 
lever setup of early typewriters.

One thing you might do - and this isn't easy, I've tried without any 
particular success- is switch to the Dvorak keyboard. This system was 
designed to facilitate fast typing.

73 Art K6XT
Allison, Colorado
"Idealism is fine," Mr Buckley said, "but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive."
GMCC CWOps 728
NAQCC 1342 SDDXC


    2. CW Keyboarding Question (RGrubic at aol.com)
    3. Re: CW Keyboarding Question (H Lawrence Serra)


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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:28:10 EDT
From: RGrubic at aol.com
Subject: [SCCC] CW Keyboarding Question
To: sccc at contesting.com
Message-ID:<1cda8.405f8fb6.3b5f9c5a at aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I'm now starting to practice copying cw on a keyboard. I'm starting very
slow--one letter at a time (using the FISTS K7QO CW CD from the
beginning)--but  I'm progressing very, very fast because I can already type and I know
the  code pretty well. After reviewing which fingers to use on the numbers (I
never  did type numbers regularly), I'm finding that typing numbers is
slowing me  down--hitting the wrong row sometimes, missing the zero for the nine,
slowing  down on the 4-5 reach to hit the right one, etc. I'm NOT looking
at the  keyboard.

My question for those of you who operate in contests at a high QSO rate and
  type onto a keyboard: what tips do you have for me specifically in typing
the numbers accurately--other than practice, practice, practice. If there
are any tips to be had, I'd like to hear them. I fear, though, that the key
(pun intended) lies in practice, practice, practice (like ultimately with
RUFZ  cw trainer).

When you type, do you look at the logging software screen or off into space
  just off the screen and KNOW whether you've hit the right key or not. I
guess  you'd need to look and be sure your cursor is in the right window so
you  could Tab around at times. Making and correcting mistakes with the
Backspace key is also problematic. It take time and has to be executed  smoothly.
Did you go through all these steps too? I'd like to hear from  non-touch
typist too--the hunt and peck group if is there is one. What  typing tips
could you pass on to an interested ham--even other than regarding  numbers?

Thank you very much in advance. I've always gotten some good responses
from this SCCC group.

73,
Bob,  NC6Q