[UK-CONTEST] Keyboard reduces fatigue

[Jonathan G0DVJ]

Hi all - thought I would add comments from a little pistol so to speak 
...

I totally agree with Roger about the fatigue element.   Let me 
elaborate a little...

I found myself really rusty on NFD, having unusually not done any 
serious CW (contesting or otherwise) since HF NFD the previous year (I 
was unable to do CW AFS or SPDX this year which both normally give me 
CW practice).   Then within 20 mins of starting NFD we found that the 
keyboard wasn't going to work so were only left with my Bencher paddle! 
   On top of that, despite plenty of support (as usual) from our club 
members the actual number of operators was only two, G4EYE and myself 
for the 24 hours.

Although I could easily read the faster stuff - trying to send with the 
paddle initially matching the speed at first was a real struggle.   
Found myself really having to concentrate whereas before it has been 
almost automatic.   By the time the night shift came along, the fatigue 
was really showing and a number of sending errors with associated 
corrections crept in.  At least with a keyboard, not only can one rest 
while the sending takes place but you know there will only be one shot 
at it - the PC doesn't need to send any corrections, so operator 
confidence isn't dented.  As a human paddle operator, for me the 
frustration of an error/correction often leads to a second error which 
is doubly frustrating.  Apologies to anyone who suffered on the 
receiving end of corrected serials etc. from our station.

Of course when you are tired, its not only your own call or exchange 
sending that can become error-prone.  Its possible to read calls 
correctly but then send them back incorrectly whilst running.  With the 
received call correctly typed in, you can't send the wrong call back 
thereby eliminating the confusion or forced repetition from the 
listening/calling station(s) when using the keyboard!

Like most have commented on, we have always had a key in-line with the 
PC Keyboard although few of the operators competent with the PC have 
used it - some preferring to use typed characters (rather than preset 
memories) to send NR? or other extras.   I found in NFD this year - 
being forced to only use the paddle - that even the physical movement 
of my paddle hand (right) from key to keyboard had 2 undesired effects 
...  a) occasionally my hand would clip a paddle on the way back to the 
keyboard and then send an additional confusing spurious dit or dah, ... 
b) I found that the fraction of extra time before I could begin typing 
the received info (compared to having my fingers of both hands hovering 
over the keyboard already) sometimes meant I was suddenly required to 
"buffer" what I was hearing for longer and for more characters which 
added to the concentration level required.

Having said this, I enjoyed doing CW the old way for my half of the 24 
hours of NFD although I look forward to being able to exploit the 
various benefits of the keyboard next contest.

73,
Jonathan G0DVJ (NFD op at G0RGH/P - HARIG)
--


On Jun 11, 2005, at 10:54 pm, G3SXW wrote:

> Dear UK-Contest,
> The 'Keyer versus keyboard' discussion has, I think, omitted
> the most crucial point: keyboards reduce operator-fatigue.
> If a 'good' contester is at least competent with both keyer
> and keyboard then it is a tactical decision which to use,
> whichever most increases the score.
> Concentration needs to be far higher when sending with a
> paddle. Conversely, there are thousands of moments in
> a contest when the PC could be sending the CW and the
> operator can relax just a little, momentarily.
> The cumulative effect over 24-48 hours really reduces
> fatigue, leading to fewer errors. Additionally, when the PC is
> transmitting the brain can switch momentarily to thinking
> about other things: band-changes, beam-headings, double-
> checking typed call-sign etc, - all contributing to the score.
> Personally, I prefer to send CW from the paddle only when
> the QSO-rate is slow, to avoid boredom.
> Yes, of course a paddle is absolutely essential, for those
> panic moments.
> 73 de Roger/G3SXW.
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