RadioBanter - View Single Post

July 15th 04, 05:52 AM

PAMNO (N2EY) wrote

It does make sense that copying code groups eliminates
the need for one skill: figuring out word spaces. You
*know* that each group is 5 characters long.

That's one factor, but a more important one is that the operator
copying coded groups has no temptation to 'understand' the message
being copied. This has two implications ---

1) The operator will not (consciously or unconsciously) attempt to
anticipate the word being sent, thus will not get 'flummoxed' when the
expected word is incorrect (for example hearing 't h e s' he might
expect the word to be "these" and transcribe it that way, only to have
it turn out to be "thespian", causing him to drop out of his "zone" to
fix the error, perhaps missing the following word.

2) If the operator is not trying to 'understand' the message being
copied, the mechanics of copying become more 'automatic' with (as one
old telegrapher described to me) a mode in which "the message follows
a short circuit between the eardrum and the fingertips without passing
through the brain". From this mode come the (true) tales of operators
who could seemingly "multi-task" copying Morse at a subcounscious
level, and carry on other activitives like carry on a conversation,
retune the receiver, or read a book at the same time.

73, de Hans, K0HB