Re: Interesting speed test
 

Yes,
Please do. What kind of equipment might they have? he asked with a smile.

Re: Interesting speed test
 

A bunch;)
1 receiver and transmitter and 1 "transciever"...
And alot of other random parts
And we have a large(50ft.)antenna pole......

.....I wanted to get it last year but never got around to signing up....

Re: Interesting speed test
 

When one asks this question, the other replies with models like Heath HW101, or Collins S-Line. Then the other smiles and replies with low whistles and "I used to have one like that." or "I wanted one of those when I was younger!"

Re: Interesting speed test
 

I never got around to learning code, I probably should have....oh well....

and my boat anchor BC-348-Q sits right over my computer. It was converted to 120 VAC by a previous owner, I've had it over 20 years now.

Re: Interesting speed test
 

Someone (not me) should consider organizing a FIRST-net in Atlanta, if nothing else, so we can all say "hi". I'm not sure what repeaters are available in Atlanta (or which are reachable from within the bowels of the Georgia Dome), but I'd vote for something in either the 144 or 440 band. Perhaps 15 minutes before the pit opens, Thursday, Friday & Saturday?

I believe the official rules specify "no radios in the pit, field or spectator areas", but several exceptions have been officially made. Perhaps someone could post to the Q&A asking for an explicit exception allowing Ham Radios?

I'll happily bring my HT, if anyone else is likely to do the same.

N8UOB

Re: Interesting speed test
 

Cell phones should come with a morse code capability. That could be fun.

Re: Interesting speed test
 

you can text dots and dashes :)

Re: Interesting speed test
 

i think it should be noted the guy with teh cell phone wasn't using a qwerty keyboard...

even with my HTC TyTN (ATT 8525... unfortunately my BlackBerry 8800 passed away tonight...) im able to type that message in under 30 seconds

im sure with my 8800, it would be somewhere between 18-22 seconds

Re: Interesting speed test
 

Yes, but you have a few unfair advantages. For one, you knew the message at least a minute before you ever started texting. This would lead to a possible 5 second difference. Furthermore, use of a qwerty keyboard would be typing not texting. There is a difference.

Besides if you watch the video closer, you will notice that the morse code team did it in 20 seconds. Even with the use of a keyboard, advance notice of the message, and your own approximation it would still be a toss up.

Further break down: The message was 11 words long and transferred in about 20 seconds. This means that he was sending at about 1.8 sec/word. That is 39 letters. So approximately 2 letters every second. This is an amazing pace. All of this is neglecting any spaces and such. Now, I realize that in reality he probably abbreviated alot. Even if he was able to break it down to 20 letters.(which would be very hard to do and still leave the message legible) He would still be sending at 1 letter a second.

I, for one, think we have to admit it. For absolute speed, old school has our tech beat. For now, that is. This is one of those cases where you win some, you lose some. But you learn a lot more from the losses.

A side note: I would be interested to see how far along the kid was to finishing the message. Wish they told that.

Re: Interesting speed test
 

He still had two words left to enter. There's an FAQ here

Re: Interesting speed test
 

I like to see that code is still in use. I have had my license for 3 years now, and never had any interest in it. I was very glad that they did drop the requirement so that I could get the higher license without the need to learn code that I would never use. I have a lot of respect for people who know it, since I tried to learn many times and failed.

Re: Interesting speed test
 

That would be great...Someone please post times and freq info and I will be there, 144 or 440

Re: Interesting speed test
 

I sent email to the president and outreach chair of the Atlanta Radio Club (http://www.w4doc.org/) asking for permission and information about their repeaters. I haven't heard back yet, but I'll certainly let everyone know if/when I do.

What time do you think works best? The pits open at 7:15, 7:30 & 7:30 on Thurs, Fri & Sat, so I was thinking either 7am each day, or 15 minutes before the pits open each day, or when the pits close on Thurs & Fri, and nothing on Saturday.

Re: Interesting speed test
 

Yes. Yes, you should. Even if you never use Morse Code, having a small radio to communicate over several miles, just spending time talking on shortwave, or any of the new digital modes which really CAN easily decode a signal that is really inaudible under the noise.
I assume you mean the texter, not the Morse code guys. I read an interview with the radio guys that appeared in a ham radio magazine a few months after, and they said that they sent every single letter, and they sent it slowly on purpose. As mentioned, 35 WPM (that's almost 3 letters per second!) is not terribly unusual.
Oh yes, just listen in the CW portion of the band anytime. In fact, there is more activity now than before.
(And, for all you kids out there - Morse Code is a great secret language)


The key thing to remember is that CW has had several decades to be optimized. Pressing a key up to four times to get out a letter is highly sub-optimal - especially when you consider the most common letter - E - as requiring two presses. Highly inefficient.

What makes me laugh the most is that the kid receiving the message makes a motion like "oh darn, we lost" - he actually thought that they would win!

What remains important to remember, though, is that Morse Code requires some skill, while texting does not.

Don

Re: Interesting speed test
 

I just had a thought that maybe we should do it at night. I would not like to have to deal with my HT all day and have to worry about it getting broken :ahh: We could all get on from our hotel rooms :cool: