> Color me skeptical. I wonder if it is a "mind reading" trick. I wonder > how accurate a computer sending CW would be at 100 wpm -- or how well > it would sound passing through a repeater.
Not mind reading (he corrected me on my grammar too), nor machine copy (what are the chances he happened to have a CW reader then and there, or that the repeater and his own rx didn't distort such a high speed signal to the point at which a machine couldn't copy?) Copy at 100 isn't like at 20 or 25 where you copy 100%. I don't think these guys are necessarily copying (or even trying to copy) 100% at these rates -- just enough to carry on a conversation. At these rates the entire conversation is more -- well, conversational -- less rigid, more fluid and spontaneous, "seat of the pants" sort of stuff. It's just amazing to listen to them. Tom (Chester), W4BQF, is a good example. Frequently on 40m flying along at over 70. He's not the only one, just the one I hear most often. Given the number of people I've heard who can do 50 to 70 with ease, what I find hard to believe is that 74 is the official record. Maybe they mean 74 with the ability to reproduce it, 100%, on paper. At speeds of 75 or more, I don't know that there's an easy way to prove you hear what you hear. The best way I can see is to simply have a long conversation with someone at that rate, and the proof will be in the pudding, or however that saying goes. It will quickly become obvious whether or not the op is copying for real. > decades ago and never overturned. If there's so many people who can > copy north of 60 wpm, why has this record never been broken? I'd like to know! Again I suspect it's because of the way they determine "success." > Where are these 60 wpm and higher operators? The highest speed CW I > hear is just north of 40 wpm -- during contests. They seem to be centered around 7.030 to 7.033 kHz in the evenings. The "Chicken Fat Operators" (CFO), a bunch of high speed ops, used to be very active there, but activity has died down alot starting around 10 years ago, about the time I got hooked on high speed and joined them. They're still out there though. Their roster must be over 1,000 members by now. I think about the only requirement for joining up was that you could carry on a QSO at 40 wpm or higher. Proof was by getting on the air with two members and QSO'ing with them in this manner. I'm just getting back HF after a while off (having kids will do that to you; where did the time (and money) go?!), and one of my priorities, if not my highest, is to get the speed back up (when I went inactive last, it was somewhat comfortable around 50 to 55, pushing at 60, and liked to practice at 70). One thing for sure, it does take practice. It's real, and it's possible, and more important, it's a blast. Way more fun than Thanks for pointing me to the PTT mod -- I took a look. Really need to order my K2... _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
