From: John Smith I - on Tues, Jan 9 2007 8:20 pm

AaronJ wrote:
...
they are using a computer. I've even read posts here of hams that said if they
suspect someone is copying CW by computer they switch to excessive weight and
poor sending just to mess up the copy. Seems kind of snobbish to me.

...

...Those guys with the brass taps on, doing a tap dance here) truly
show their ignorance if that is their claim. They get away with that
chit because few have professional programming experience here, indeed,
2nd or 3rd year software engineering students would even be able to
"pull their covers."

If the ear can tell the difference between a di and a dah, the computer
sure as heck will not be fooled!

This would only require that polymorphic coding be used in the software
(self-adapting to such changes which can be deduced and "programmed
for") and adaptive timing (comparing lengths of key-ons (di to dah) and
constantly adapting for changes--only caring for the fact that a di is
consistently shorter than a dah.)

While this might be an interesting enough project for a 2nd to 3rd year
college student, most upper division students would be required to have
skills capable of solving much more complex problems involving
algorithms with magnitudes of greater complexity!

Any software engineer who possesses a bachelors degree will support
this, even if they know NOTHING about amateur radio and ONLY that there
will ALWAYS be a difference in length between a di and a dah and these
length differences are (or may be) of a constantly variable nature.

John, some years ago IN HERE I described what a Pro
Programmer did as an "intellectual exercise" for
himself. Perhaps 15 years ago or more; I let this
acquaintence borrow my then-new Icom R-70 receiver for
an "on-air test" using a simple audio filter and
detector and TTL interface (which I tossed together
at home) for a then-very-speedy 40 MHz clock PC. :-)

This acquaintence was intrigued by the problem of
deciphering variable-length anything and was vaguely
related to his day job in setting up human interfaces
for computers. It DID use "adaptive timing" although
I don't recall those exact buzzwords. It DID adapt to
both word rate, character spacing, and changes in
ratio of dits v. dahs. It DID work, even on the ham
bands (even then the primary source of morse code).

It was programmed in C, not the C++ common to today.
Assembler subroutines were short and the "housekeeping"
sort used in other programming tasks with an 80x86
processor. [the later derivatives culminating in the
now-common 'Pentium' instruction set) weren't around
yet] I am "not at home" with C and am stuck on Fortran
(77 variety as used in MS FORTRN 5.1 which MS dropped
some years ago...and will no longer work in Windows
XP at the DOS level). I don't pretend to be a whiz at
programming but am fairly proficient with Fortran as a
high-level language. [hey, I'm after number-crunching,
not "art" in programming...results quickly obtained
without going into arguments over how to do it with
whatever is the source code a la mode...:-)]

As far as I know, he never tried to market the
program, not even add the ruffles and flourishes
of some fancy interface screen, just a common
(DOS Level) instruction menu, nothing fancy. It
worked and he satisfied himself. I saw the source
code and wanted a copy (never got one) so that I
could experiment with it, write it in Fortran or
even convert it to the Apple ][+ that was used
once in a while. There just isn't any market (one
that makes lots of money) for it now, hardly one
back then.

If you doubt me, call up a college and ask to speak to a instructor in
software engineering ... don't take my word for it.

They will NOT do that, John. Trust me. Their
'arguments' center around some cheapie box from MFJ
or whatever, the kind using old, classic, FREE
routines adapted to a particular microprocessor.
I have yet to see ONE argument that bothers to take
on the GUTS of such a reader...the dynamic adaptation
to dit v. dah ratios, word rate, and (sure has hell)
what to do about transient impulses that make their
way into the incoming storage register.

But, take this bunch of ancient key tappers as any type of
software/algorithm experts? YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!!!

Tsk, John, the Morsemen will be mighty put-out by such
words. Their ability in morse and subsequent "extra"
status (as amateurs) make them Masters of Radio! They
cannot be argued with, only admired for the Mighty
Achievements (including much paper with certificates
suitable for framing).

Ned Lud would be proud of them and their fight on the
side of deus ex machina. :-)

LA