[UK-CONTEST] M0BEW - WAECW 2002
Ian White, G3SEK
G3SEK at ifwtech.co.uk
Wed Aug 14 04:07:14 EDT 2002
Don wrote:
>But for Ian, I'm afraid it's bad news. Like learning a language, Morse
>seems to come most easily when you are young. Something to do with
>pathways in the brain. Just as adults can rarely become totally fluent
>in a new language (sounding like native speakers), so the younger you
>learn Morse, the better. Those who I admire for their CW ability,
>people like N5TJ N5KO etc, all started in their early teens and were
>ragchewing regularly at 50 wpm or thereabouts before they reached the
>age of 20 (I am generalising, but I think this pattern is typical).
I'm sure the analogy about complete fluency is correct... and we can
never be as fully fluent as native-born CW speakers.
There's also a very close parallel with music, where each generation
seems to start earlier, grow taller and play faster.
>For us old fogeys, it's downhill all the way!
Nah, we just get more skilled at looking for the brighter side!
For example, all those years listening to extremely weak moonbounce
signals are paying off on HF too. I just need to pick up the pace.
>Of course, practice helps, but we need every assistance we can -
>keyboards included! (oh, and most of the contesters I envy have also
>made a point of learning to touch-type, another skill I will never
>master as I'd have to unlearn two-finger typing first!).
>
A few people have sent "me too" e-mails off-list, so it may be worth
relating my recent experience.
I can read callsigns in my head pretty accurately up to 35+, and am also
a fast typist, so it was very disappointing to find those two reflexes
don't automatically join up. I'm having to consciously spell out the
letters in my head, and then type them, and of course there's no time
for that. Evidently a new set of pathways needs to be burned-in, to make
a completely automatic link between ears and fingers. That only comes
with practice... but my experience with playing music and working up new
tunes is that it *will* come, even at my age, and to a reasonable
standard if I keep at it.
G4ZFE's Pile-Up program is getting me somewhere, using it in "practice
mode" and typing in each callsign it throws up. With single callsigns
the simulation seems to translate pretty well into real-life S&Ping.
Multiple callsigns and real-life runs are for later!
http://www.babbage.demon.co.uk/pileup95.html
--
73 from Ian G3SEK
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