All the Ham Radio Operators on Chief Delphi will find this interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc5j4Bia9nI
If you’re going to Atlanta check out www.w4doc.org
73
WA1MOW
That was an interesting idea. I’m really not that surprised though. The question is, what do you attribute it to? I personally think it is user interface. He didn’t have to search for the keys. He had one button. He just had to push it wisely.
Without really knowing for sure, I would guess that the Ham was sending at something like 20 words per minute by the sound of the code. It took about 18 seconds to send the message via Morse Code. It looked like they were using one of my favorite rigs, a Yaesu FT-817 as well. Code operators, by the way, have been using short hand (abreviations) in sending messages for a long time. One of the nicest things about using code in ham radio is that it can still transmit a message even when signal conditions are so bad that the noise is louder than the signal. This is impossible for analog voice communications.
Of course, the two Morse code guys were very experienced. 38 and 43 years, competing against a pair of guys in their teens/twenties. Something to be said for practice.
Scott,
Even out of practice I can do between 5 and 10 WPM. Give me a few minutes and I can get back up higher. Prior to April 2007 (I think) all ham license classes except Technician, required a code test. Novice was 5 WPM, General and above was 13 WPM both for send and receive. Many years ago, the upper classes also required higher code proficiency. Extra as I remember may have 20 WPM. Radio operators in WWII were required to copy 5 letter nonsense groups at 35WPM or above, some while typing. The traffic was coded so nonsense was intentional.
They weren’t sending that fast, just smart. Good fist.
I wonder if there is an I-phone morse code app?
KQ6Y
Is that a new oxymoron?
Here are some background details on the video clip:
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/05/16/3/?nc=1
What really drives me nuts is I have friends who can sit there and work CW at 30+ wpm in a contest, while talking to whoever is sitting next to them. I struggle at 5 wpm 
73 de K0JSP
The cellphone users do not seem to have been FIRST material.
I would have clicked a picture of the message card and had the pic message on the other cellphone in less than 5 seconds (trouncing the speed of the Morse Code guys).
Or even better, I could have had a pair of eight year olds do it.
Jeff,
Remember contesting uses a limited vocab.
Which is outside the box, like a 150 lb robot without the batteries or bumpers, I’m sure. Does it do the job? Yeah. Is it legal? Nah. Why? It’s sending TEXT, not pictures.
If you’re going to use a pic message, then I’ll just use voice and have it there faster. I can read that message into the phone in less than 5 seconds, and it’ll be understandable. And yes, that is still using “old” technology.
If you’re going to use the voice on the phone, I’ll just run over and give him the message. (I could just shout it out, but then the other guy would hear it too!)
I know, but it’s still annoying to those of us who struggle to be able to do it at all 
People with musical inclination take to CW much better than those of us who struggle to play “Mary Had A Little Lamb”. The military actually came on campus and recruited some of my wife’s college classmates who were music or music therapy majors as high speed CW intercept operators. They were taught to be able to receive nonsense character groups at 50+ WPM (since anything they would be copying off the air would be encoded). That was “a few” years ago, I don’t know if they still do that.
Must say i’d prefer texting, because I’m completely familiar with my qwerty keyboard and can use that familiarity for other things, morse code on the other hand would still be nifty
KDOHFT (very recently became licensed for the solar car team)
wow,
seems like alot of people have their liscence…
my dad and his dad used to do this. we still have all the equipment…
I should probobly go get my liscence…
Yes,
Please do. What kind of equipment might they have? he asked with a smile.
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…
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!”
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.
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