[UK-CONTEST] 80MCC Data Legs

[Dave Sergeant]

On 17 Nov 2006 at 11:03, g4fka at aol.com wrote:

> Lets look at the other modes; CW - how many actually use real CW -
> straight  keys keying something fairly near the output component. Very
> few I suspect. In 
>  most cases it is the keyer in the rig or in the interface box doing
>  the  
> talking. In an increasing number of cases it is the software doing the
> listening  as well as there are regular participants who use the
> decoding packages.  And lets not forget the "keyboard only" operators
> - they exist as well and dont  touch any key at any time.

Well I must be among that 'very few'. Every single QSO I have ever 
made in contests (and otherwise) has been with a key, admittedly my 
paddle driving the elbug inside the K2. And since I detest any form 
of iambic keying every single dot and dash is sent with my own 
fingers. I have never seen the need for my logging software to send 
the cw for me, and while I am listening the same fingers are typing 
the callsigns and other data into the computer. I am not sure if any 
serious contesters are using their computers to copy the off air cw, 
when I checked one of the programs a few weeks ago its efforts to 
copy even 599 signals were diabolical...

73 Dave G3YMC

http://www.davesergeant.com