I practice on the slate occasionally, but I've never felt as comfortable
with it as I do with the brailler.  I practice the slate while I'm watching
TV so I won't fall asleep.  I can bang out 40 words a minute onn a brailler.
I'm always surprised when I see a brailler for sale.  They, too, can be used
when the power is out.  I've used them for net controlling, too.  I think a
slate would be extremely slow and inconvenient, especially if you are
running a net where you must take down the check-ins and ackknowledge them
without a roll call.

I used to listen and check into a swap net on 2 meters and I could hear the
ncs banging away on a brailler.  I just don't see how a slate user could
keep up with a swap net without cheating and using a tape recorder as
backup.  (grin).

Terri, Amateur Radio call sign KF6CA.  Army MARS call sign AAT9PX,
California
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Webb" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 8:09 PM
Subject: traffic handling slates etc.


> SInce the subject has been discussed recently I thought I"d
> present another angle to consider.
> dUring Katrina I would have been hard pressed to charge a
> laptop, pda or other device's batteries.  THank GOd for a
> slate and stylus.
> When handling traffic using phone the sending station should
> assume that the receiving station is using pen or pencil
> writing in longhand.  HE or she should send at a speed which
> accomodates this spelling and voicing possibly unfamiliar or
> ambiguous groups as they come up.  A moderately skilled
> slate user should be able to follow along if the sending
> station is a skilled traffic handler.  Otherwise tell him or
> her to slow down.
>
> Even if you're not a regular slate user, if you're a
> braille user at all you should practice this skill
> occasionally.  AFter all, those little notetaker batteries
> have a finite lifespan without the umbilical to the outside
> world.
>
> IN fact if I ever buy a notetaker I"ll be quite interested
> in fabricating a recharger for its battery pack which can
> draw power from 12 volts dc.  A friend of mine did something
> like that for his laptop a few years ago.
>
> 73 de nf5b
>
>
>
>
> Richard WEbb,
> Electric SPider Productions,
> Eads Tennessee
>
>
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