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

[Clive Whelan]

Bob 5B4AGN wrote

<<
> So why is ut all the best ops - still send by hand......

I suppose it depends very much on your definition of "best" but if we are
talking about those who take top honours in the big world-wide events, then
although I haven't collected hard evidence, I would be very surprised if
this assertion is even close to true.  :-))>>


Bob is right, but is being conservative

They may ( whoever they may be) use the paddle for fills, mini QSOs within
the contest, panic corrections etc., but trust me they don't send everything
on the paddle, and then type it into the log. A cursory examination of the
process reveals that that is inefficient use of hand movements, which should
be at a minimum. Quite simply you cannot sustain a rate of 180 p.h. ( even I
get part hour rates of that ilk) keyed at 32-35 w.p.m that way. Doing it in
S&P is easy peasy, since the rate is generally not higher than 60 p.h. in
that mode. No, if you want to be in the top ten box in major contests, you
simply must do most of the work on the keyboard. I personally don't think it
matters, since I started my contest career on a straight key in NFD 1959,
moved on to a semi-automatic in the early sixties, went full electronic and
paddle with a home brew W9TO by 1964, but then took another 30 years to go
the whole hog, and use computer logging/keying. I used to have a Ford Anglia
( yep that old!), and enjoyed driving it, but wouldn't want to take it on
the M4 today. To win, you have to do everything at the top level. If that
turns you off, that's also fine of course.

73


Clive
GW3NJW