[UK-CONTEST] M0BEW - WAECW 2002

[Clive Whelan]

 G3SEK Ian White wrote:
> It's not the Morse 
> reading speed that's hard to believe, but the typing/scribbling speed 
> required to get the solid string of 10 into the log with no time for 
> 'reading behind'. Is it real, or in WAE is 'QTC' a signal - at least for 
> some people - to press the REC button?
>


It is widely rumoured that leading contestants have, for many years before 
technology made it so easy, recorded the QTCs as a matter of course. 
However, this could easily be sour grapes on the part of less successful 
operators. I suspect the truth is that some ops do do this, and more today 
than ever before . However I agree with Ed, that it is not in the spirit of 
the contest. If you do it however you are only cheating yourself, as it is 
not against the rules per se.

Ian will be gratified to learn that I do struggle to get the stuff into the 
keyboard at 35 wpm plus ( 30 is comfortable) I can read the CW easily at 35 
wpm, and type ( *not* easily!) at 35s, but that doesn't mean there is a 
good match. To "do" 35s, I believe you need to type at about 45s or more, 
and that implies touch typing, which I personally believe would never be 
achieved without professional tuition.


Hesitation and retention are two key words here. He who hesitates is lost, 
was never more true than when taking QTCs into the keyboard! Retention is 
important, because if you are thrown off balance by say ( fictitious) 
LX/9A6QQ/P then you need to recall that from your brain's volatile RAM 
register. I am in little doubt that Anno Domini degrades such an ability, 
even in the best of operators.

Some anecdotal evidence suggests that if you learned keyboarding *before* 
CW, you are much better equipped for this procedure, whereas the OFs ( no 
names no pack drill!) who originally had to write the stuff long hand, are 
much less natural at the game. I have considered writing the QTCs to paper 
like I used to do before computer logging came along, and then transcribing 
to kbd post contest, which I think is entirely ethical. However I decided 
to persevere with direct to kbd copy, and the good news is that it was 
slightly easier this year. The problem is that once a year is quite 
insufficient practice to improve. What is needed I think is some kind of 
practice "tapes", but how this could be made interactive I have no idea. 
methinks a certain G4VXE may be the man for such a project. Wot sa Tim!


73


Clive
GW3NJW
gw3njw at gw7x.org
Contest Cambria-http://www.gw7x.org