Copy Breakthrough!

Started by gil, December 16, 2012, 12:34:45 PM

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gil

Something weird happened today while chatting with Ray on 17m. I found myself staring at the trees through the window as I was writing down; without seeing dots and dashes! For the most part... It was sort of an automatic writing. I had no idea what I had put down, but reading it later, it was perfect copy! Before I had to strain my brain to decode, and today, it just happened  ;D There is still the odd letter I miss and it messes me up, but there was definitely a difference in processing today. I hope it will still be there tomorrow!

It is still very different from head copy though, because I do not even know which letters I'm writing, much less words.. Though sometimes a commonly used short word does pop in my head, like "test" or "rst" or "the," usually common four letter words and less.

Something to be happy about today. It's taking long enough  ::) Ya'll have a good one  :)

Gil.

WA4STO

Quote from: gil on December 16, 2012, 12:34:45 PM
I do not even know which letters I'm writing, much less words..
[/quote]

That's actually the MUCH preferred way to do two things:

1.  Pass an FCC Morse receiving test.  If you guess the word beforehand, you'll blow it.  A callsign?  Forget it... Write it down, letter by letter.

2.  Receiving traffic accurately and quickly.  See #1 above.

I learned 25 cipher groups per minute (much  more difficult than wpm) in Pensacola as a 17 year old.

But it wasn't until I started handling traffic on ARRL NTS TCC skeds that I finally broke 60 wpm, both send and receive.  Doubt that I could do that any more.

73 de Luck, WA4STO

KC9TNH

Took another brick from The Wall (cue Roger Waters' bass).
Congratulations. The piece of the brain needed, focusing on the piece of information needed, sync'd. It's pretty cool when it happens.

Some years back a coach was helping me bust through a speed wall shooting steel. I'd been getting pretty quick but in a mechanical way, and kinda hit a plateau & stayed there. One day I was so melded to the front sight that I knew the plate was down when the shot broke and had already moved on to the next & the third... when I stopped and said, "Whoa!  WTH was that, what just happened????"

Turned around & dear-friend coach was laughing so hard he couldn't talk, patted me on the back and finally said, "Good, now try & remember what that felt like...."

Just keep pounding (or squeezing) brass; sometimes we gotta get out of our own way.

Cool beans!
:D

gil

It only took 4-1/2 months  :-[
Glad it finally paid off though.

Gil.

White Tiger

I think that's called an epiphany...excellent my friend...lets me know how much time I'll invest before becoming proficient!

I was taught that there are some achievements that only come with time, and that the time frame for mastery is about 2000 hours...most people stop because we're so attuned for instant gratification, if we don't "master" something quickly we simply stop trying.

Thanks for pressing through - till you got "there" - a reminder that something's require more...
If you're looking for me, you're probably looking in the wrong place.

gil

I'm not there yet! Just one plateau passed and there will be others. So far I am up to about 100 QSOs in Morse, in 2-1/2 months of being on the air (only 3 in SSB I think..). It is motivational though, when progress so far has been extremely slow. It does go to show that sticking with it pays off...

When I can head copy 20wpm, I will have achieved my goal..

Gil.

AC8JW

I agree.  When I can do 20wpm and just hear words, I know I will have arrived.

gil

Welcome aboard John!

QuoteI agree.  When I can do 20wpm and just hear words, I know I will have arrived.

Some days it seems like I'm going backwards..! Down to 10wpm... Other days, I can copy 15wpm for a short time...
Not yet copying in my head, but for short common words. More practice I guess...

Gil.

cockpitbob

Gil, that's great!  It is funny how these things go in steps and plateaus.  A little while ago I had the similar breakthrough.  I was copying a random QSO that was fast for me.  I had no idea what I was writing.  I was just writing characters I heard, but ocassionally I would glance back at what I had written and...words!

We should have done this when we were 10.  The brain works so much differently (better) for this kind of thing at that age. 

gil

QuoteWe should have done this when we were 10.  The brain works so much differently (better) for this kind of thing at that age.

Yep, there are a lot of things I wish I had started at that age... Tells you much about what parenting is about. I did learn a lot back then though, and was blessed with a great childhood.. Now if only I could remember most of it  ::)

Gil.

KC9TNH

Quote from: cockpitbob on January 25, 2013, 04:45:10 PMWe should have done this when we were 10.  The brain works so much differently (better) for this kind of thing at that age.
I agree. A short story, in which "the code" is pivotal and about paths taken. A wonderful gent who checks-in on a 40m net I run from time to time is a WW-II vet, a former submariner, fewer & fewer each year at the reunions. But he related to me his story one day after I folded the net & we just talked. His story was pretty much:

"Well, I learned the code very young, as a Boy Scout. Then of course they attacked Pearl Harbor and, bang, the second I was out of high-school I ran down & joined up, in the Navy, 'cause that's what we did back then.
"Well, they found out I knew the code, so they sent me to radio school and then on to submarines, alot of patrols, but we were young & having the time of our life."
(He did mention liberty in Australia was quite the thing.)

"Anyway, after the war, Uncle Sam sent me to college, just 'cause I'd been in the Navy. Imagine me! A kid from Iowa, in college! Wow.
"Then I went on to a career in broadcast engineering and got out of that & kinda settled down and then I came out of retirement to teach a bit here at the university in Ames, but I'm really retired now - I'd rather go up to the cabin in Canada & catch fish.
"But ya know, I've had a wonderful life & seen some amazing places. Imagine all that, me, the kid from Iowa, and all because I learned the code as a young Boy Scout."

:)

White Tiger

Quote from: cockpitbob on January 25, 2013, 04:45:10 PM
Gil, that's great!  It is funny how these things go in steps and plateaus.  A little while ago I had the similar breakthrough.  I was copying a random QSO that was fast for me.  I had no idea what I was writing.  I was just writing characters I heard, but ocassionally I would glance back at what I had written and...words!

We should have done this when we were 10.  The brain works so much differently (better) for this kind of thing at that age.

Hah!

Gotta watch that bob...sounds awfully close to a description of "automatic writing"...and if your German Shepherd starts answering your questions...

...well...I don't want to know about it...
If you're looking for me, you're probably looking in the wrong place.

cockpitbob

Quote from: White Tiger on January 26, 2013, 03:56:01 AM
Quote from: cockpitbob on January 25, 2013, 04:45:10 PM
Gil, that's great!  It is funny how these things go in steps and plateaus.  A little while ago I had the similar breakthrough.  I was copying a random QSO that was fast for me.  I had no idea what I was writing.  I was just writing characters I heard, but ocassionally I would glance back at what I had written and...words!

We should have done this when we were 10.  The brain works so much differently (better) for this kind of thing at that age.

Hah!

Gotta watch that bob...sounds awfully close to a description of "automatic writing"...and if your German Shepherd starts answering your questions...

...well...I don't want to know about it...
No problem.  The voices have been telling me to ignore the dog. ::)

White Tiger

Quote from: cockpitbob on January 28, 2013, 04:25:35 PM
Quote from: White Tiger on January 26, 2013, 03:56:01 AM
Quote from: cockpitbob on January 25, 2013, 04:45:10 PM
Gil, that's great!  It is funny how these things go in steps and plateaus.  A little while ago I had the similar breakthrough.  I was copying a random QSO that was fast for me.  I had no idea what I was writing.  I was just writing characters I heard, but ocassionally I would glance back at what I had written and...words!

We should have done this when we were 10.  The brain works so much differently (better) for this kind of thing at that age.

Hah!

Gotta watch that bob...sounds awfully close to a description of "automatic writing"...and if your German Shepherd starts answering your questions...

...well...I don't want to know about it...
No problem.  The voices have been telling me to ignore the dog. ::)

Hah, I have heard similar voices...
If you're looking for me, you're probably looking in the wrong place.

KC9TNH

Take heart. As I recall the gradual decline and lack of Morse in most of the military now (including Army SF, which was IIRC 18, then 14, then 12 then they dropped it), been reading through the book gil suggested, The Clandestine Radio Operators. After looking at all the vintage & specialized mini-radio porn, I've actually been reading it and apparently 14wpm was also good enough for the SOE to check one more box enroute to getting your derriere dropped into France. I happen to like 14, as a very relaxed conversational speed.

And remember, especially back in their day, it had to be error-free.  The mortality rate of resistance radio operators was pretty high back in those days. A little slower & error free meant much less time for the people hunting you. Send it, and scoot.

Hat tip to gil again for the mention of that book.  It's a gotta-have and has been worth every penny.
8)