In contests, the CW is being sent automatically, but most of the operators 
are copying the CW by ear, because computers still cannot do as well as the 
ear and brain can, especially when signals get weak, fluttery, or surrounded 
by QRM.
For an example of what computers can now copy, check out the Reverse Beacon 
Network.  This automated internet site shows who is calling CQ or working 
stations, and which receiving stations are hearing him.  I use RBN sometimes 
to determine whether a band is still open, and to where, by sending out CQ 
DX at the 100-watt level.  I have had several surprising results, such as 
being heard in Japan on 10 meters at 4:30 AM Japan time, or in Cyprus on 15 
well after their midnight last fall.

73,
Lloyd Rasmussen, W3IUU, Kensington, MD
Licensed since 1955 and cited by Grand Island a couple of times.
-----Original Message----- 
From: Robert Ringwald
Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2014 12:57 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Happy Ham's Day

Yeah but during contests most of the operators are using automatic =
equipment and not really copying or sending CW to any great extent.

That's not real CW.

-Bob K6YBV


From: Tom Behler=20
Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2014 4:19 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Happy Ham's Day

Very interesting, Phil.

I got my Extra back in 1996, when you still had to do the 20 WPM CW, and =
am
proud of that to this day. ...  CW has always been my favorite operating
mode.

I'd say that now, I'm comfortable with a cruising speed of around 26 to =
28
WPM, but in contesting, I can go considerably faster since the exchanges =
are
usually relatively short.

People often suggest that CW is dying, but I disagree.  It's always very
easy to find any time of the day or night, and on contest week-ends, =
it's
usually wall-to-wall on all of the involved bands.

73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ


-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators =
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Phil Scovell
Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2014 1:15 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Happy Ham's Day

Tom,

I saw my first ham stations, a DX60 and the HQ129X receiver over at a
friend's house whose older brother repaired televisions and was into ham
radio when I was age ten.  No, actually, I was about 7 the first station =
I
saw but I didn't understand what it was for even though the guys there =
tried
explaining it to me.  At age ten, I wanted to go into electronics after =
my
friend's brother let me watch him in his work room and took me on house
calls to repair televisions.  But a few months later, my father died
unexpectedly and six months after that, my retinas began shredding into =
tiny
pieces.  I've had about 30 operations and medical procedures in my 62 =
years
and about 15 of those were on my eyes and almost all of those were =
before I
turned 12.  It was at the school for the blind I discovered they had a =
ham
stations and wouldn't you know it, another DX60 transmitter.  I dove =
head
first into learning the code and in less than a week, had all the =
numbers,
letters, and punctuation memorized and began practicing with others =
trying
to study for their test.  My Elmer told me I was copying 10 WPM when I
passed the novice code test and 20 WPM when I passed the general 7 =
months
after passing the novice.  I didn't take my advanced class until =
something
like 1977 or so so I lost half my phone bands due to incentive  =
licensing
which I'm still mad about to this day, haha.  I took my extra in the =
fall of
1978 and that was, of course, when you still had to send and receive 20 =
WPM.

I lost some time during college and early married life but I always had =
a
receiver somewhere and a friend's house which I could go and operate all =
day
so I've never been far from those dits and daws.  I worked a lot of =
phone
back in 1980 to 1982 on 20 meters and one year on SSB on 20, I worked =
295
countries in that one year.  The wood pecker was alive and loud back =
then on
20 meters, too; some mornings during long path it completely blanked out =
20
meters both phone and CW parts of the band.  I don't miss that Russian =
wood
pecker either but who knows what those HARP installations around the =
world
are doing to us now, smile.

Phil.
K0NX




----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Behler" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, April 25, 2014 6:59 PM
Subject: Re: Happy Ham's Day


> Congrats, Phil, and happy ham anniversary!!
>
> I got my first novice ticket in June of 1969, so I was just a few =
years
> behind you.
>
> Of course, I had a significant gap in my ham career after that novice
> license expired, due to college, graduate school, starting a family,=20
> getting
> settled in my career, etc.
>
> But, in the early 1990's, I got my ticket back, upgraded to Extra, and =
I
> guess the rest of the story is still be written to this day.
>
> 73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators =
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Phil Scovell
> Sent: Friday, April 25, 2014 3:32 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Happy Ham's Day
>
> It was 48 years ago today I made my first contact as a novice.  I was =
at=20
> the
> school for the blind when my mom called from home on a Monday =
afternoon=20
> and
> told me my ticket came.  I had her repeat the call sign a dozen times =
to=20
> be
> sure.  I had been walking to our regular Monday after school student=20
> council
> meeting.  I was representing the 9th grade, and the office secretary=20
> called
> out the office door as I passed by going to the library for the =
meeting.
> She said, "Phil.  You have a phone call."  The only person who called =
me=20
> at
> school was generally my uncle in Kansas but this time it was my mom =
with=20
> the
> good news.  I hunt up the phone, and spun around and took a step to =
the=20
> open
> office door.  Our superintendent was a nice guy and although he was =
not a
> ham, he made sure we always had good equipment, unless one of our =
radios=20
> was
> down for repair, but he called out and said, "Hey, Phil.  You got your
> license."  It wasn't a question.  I was so out of it, I just grunted a =

> yes,
> and ran down the hall to the radio room.  A couple of friends were =
already
> in the ham shack and one was a novice of about 3 months.  I told him =
to=20
> move
> over, I was getting on the air.  It took them a few seconds to believe =
me
> but when I threatened to dump him off the king's chair in front of the
> radio, he got the picture.  At this time, our DX60 was off the air so =
I=20
> used
> an A T 1 on 80 meters to make my first contact.  I was WN0ORO and my =
first
> countact with another guy in Nebraska and his call was WN0OHO.  We =
kept in
> touch for years after that.  After supper that night, I was back in =
the=20
> ham
> shack pounding out CQ again and having the time of my life.  To this =
day,
> although I only had my novice license 6 months before I took the =
general
> class, it was still the most fun I had as a ham.  The guy I almost =
dump=20
> out
> of the chair lived at home where the school for the blind was so we =
worked
> each other, building up our code speed, in the evenings and then when=20
> school
> was out for the summer.  We had a lot of the same crystals so we ended =
up
> working each other hundreds of times that summer.  We even started a
> midnight schedule which we carried on for years after getting our =
generals
> and could work side band.
>
> Phil.
> K0NX
>