[SD-User] Winkey and character spacing

[G3ZSU]

I couldn't agree more with you Paul.

I noticed that in CQWW - which I only played in - I often had to listen
through a callsign twice or sometimes 3 times before I was confident I had
good copy.  Now, I admit I'm not a good telegraphist, but I can usually copy
25 wpm with a reasonable level of accuracy.  I can't help feeling that
adding an extra half a space between characters in a callsign could actually
increase the run rate of the big sig stations rather than than this quest to
squeeze more characters into the smallest amount of time.  In CQWW in
particular there is a case for speeding up the exchange as you can pretty
much anticipate the zone. 

73,

Shaun G3ZSU

-----Original Message-----
From: sd-user-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:sd-user-bounces at contesting.com]
On Behalf Of Paul O'Kane
Sent: 05 December 2004 23:32
To: SD-USER at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [SD-User] Winkey and character spacing

----- Original Message -----
From: "gw0etf" <gw0etf at btinternet.com>

> ... variable character spacing (^,,, in SD) - or rather the lack of it 
> in Winkey.

It's included in V11.07 to be released within a few days, although I've not
tested it as it works only on a WinKey
V9 chip - mine is on order.

I used WinKey in CQWW and, more and more, I think that automatic CW (for
one's own callsign) is too fast for a given wpm setting.

How can it be too fast - do I hear you ask?  It's simple!
Set WinKey, or any memory keyer, to send your call 2 or 3 times, then send
the same thing manually with the paddles
- at the same wpm setting, of course.  Automatic CW is almost always faster
(takes less time) and, to my ear at least, seems to run the characters
together.

This doesn't matter when you're sending someone else's call, but it matters
when you want another station to read your call first time.

Perhaps there's an argument for applying a "padding factor", similar to the
serial padding factor (in the CWZERO command) to the #R keyer parameter for
own callsign?  Any suggestions?

73,
Paul EI5DI
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