[UK-CONTEST] Keyer or Keyboard? (Longish)

[Royce Hunt, M0RHI]

Chris,
    Yes, we had a similar set up. Well, ironic to say we really, a 
single op event done entirely by me, as none of the other club members 
can do much CW above 12wpm and past all my persuasion, they were daunted 
by the NFD speeds, so it was left for me to dig in and do what I could. 
Anyway, don't want to touch on my experiences too much, I'll leave that 
till I've got the log off the laptop and sorted with a full write-up 
(keep tuned, or unsubscribe as you will!)
    Anyway, yes, I had the same setup. Didn't have an external keyer 
handy in the ramshackle thrown together job that are RHI's field days. I 
am a reasonably proficient typist, I can type faster than I can send CW, 
so unlike your experiences, I made the send queue do some work, at 
least. The only problems I had were dosile 4am moments when I forgot 
what I was 'saying' to the other station (a regular occurrence on either 
voice or CW for me at 4am). It certainly works for me. As I know how the 
keyboard works (ie the function keys, the quickly decrease speed as 
necessary keys, the alt-k) I can quickly navigate and hit what I want 
when I want. I'm not sure if this is thanks to me being a reasonably 
fast typist, spending far too long for my own good in front of a 
keyboard a day, or if I know my way around the software better? Not 
meaning to sound at all derogatory there, but I've found before people 
having software that I haven't used before set up in a way I'm not used 
to, and it can fox me. For the first few QSOs I panicked and hit the 
wrong F-key, the one I was used to, on NFD, but I got into it quickly.
    If you can make anything out of that rambling, good for you, if not, 
all the best in trying to figure out what I'm on about :)
    Do let me know what you think, but I certainly enjoy this way, and, 
even when the laptop failed at something a.m. and we had to use the 
internal keyer in the rig and the bencher, for the first few I was 
jittery again, but that only lasted for 10 Qs before I was back using 
the laptop. Maybe I just adjust very fast?

Royce, M0RHI(/P)
P.S. If it was you on the key at 5:30am and I called you Dave, sorry!

G3SJJ wrote:

>Just reflecting on my experiences during NFD over last weekend and wondered
>if I could illicit some from differing schools of thought on CW contesting.
>
>I was recently looking at a photograph of myself operating NFD around 1970
>using an ETM2 transistorised keyer, I recall using one of the first logic
>designs in the late 70s and then G3RVM's Ultimatic, moving to the N0II, on
>to the ETM90 and finally the microHam Keyer using WinKey, (Curtis A, Auto
>Character Spacing.)  Throughout all this I have been an active contester
>moving from paper logging to computer logging about 16 years ago. For me,
>operating technique consists of two important aspects:
>
>Ergonomics, positioning of main and peripheral equipment. Keyer paddle just
>to the right of the keyboard and keyer speed controls towards the left.
>
>Marketing, how I come across to potential punters, how to complete the
>exchange to the satisfaction of both parties and possibly to get them to
>call me on another band/mode.
>
>I use a combo of Keyer and semi-keyboard (ie F Keys/Insert/+). When the rate
>is high I am happy to conduct all sending on the keyer, with my left hand
>doing hunt and peck on the keyboard to enter info. I tend to use the F-keys
>when things slow down.
>
>Until the last year or so I have assumed that similar styles or variations
>where the norm. I have detected the odd inference that a different style was
>becoming more prevalent, which leads me to my 2 NFD experiences. The control
>system we used could not cope with any external keying and so all sending
>was done using semi or full keyboard mode. Very difficult for me as I was
>severely limited in my marketing technique, other than suing ALT K and doing
>hunting and peck. EG, I wanted to move G3GRS/P: ALT K, t r y  4 0 m. Reply
>was Why?  !!  ALT K, Q S O, Reply was QRG?  ALT K,  7   0   3   0. (Even
>longer gaps because I was hunting along the top number row, since I have Num
>Lock on. What a bl--dy shambles. I really did feel so embarrassed and to top
>it all didn't get the move.
>
>The other 3 ops had no problem since they were keyboard proficient and
>obviously used to this style of operating. Which leads me to me to my
>thoughts about the alternative style. It seems to me there is a newer
>generation of operators, who are firstly keyboard proficient, having learnt
>computer skills BEFORE they came in to contesting. to them, sending data out
>is no different to recording data in. Don't misunderstand me, I am not
>decrying this. I perceive there is a growth in this aspect of operating. It
>would be interesting to get a feel for the extent and to hear views on both
>aspects.
>
>Chris G3SJJ (op at G3NKC/P)
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