From: on Wed, Jan 10 2007 7:24 pm

AaronJ wrote:
John Smith I wrote:

Minor, inconsequential and random errors are easily programmed into the
computer generated model, but will give the morse that "unique
signature" of the "imitated keyers style."

IMO the perfect fist sounds like computer generated CW. And it's the easiest to
copy. All those so called 'unique fists' can be copied but it's like trying to
understand someone from Brooklyn (or Texas)...

Well, there was some debate about this a few years back. It centered
around a couple of things; 1) being a lack of an actual definition of
Morse Code in Title 47, and 2) the desire of several of the Pro-Code
Test folks to claim that a method of TEACHING Morse Code should be used
as a Morse Code Exam, i.e., the Farnsworth Code.

"Bang on" as the Brits say, Brian.

BTW, it took the FCC years to finally update Part 97 from its
previously OBSOLETE CCITT document reference to the 'proper'
ITU-T document. Even then the proper document, like the old
CCITT one, describes a COMMERCIAL telegram protocol, not an
amateur one.

Morse Code had previously been defined with specific dot, dash, and
space interval ratios. Exams were then defined as Morse Code sent at
rates of 20, 13, and 5 WPM. Today, they use the Teaching Method of
Farnsworth Code, where the dot, dash, and interval can be anything
desired, and character speeds of 13 to 15 WPM for a 5 WPM exam. That's
fine for learning the code as Part 97 doesn't address any particular
method, nor does it advocate any particular vendor such as W5YI or
ARRL.

Yet Part 97 still, even to this day, requires a Morse Code Exam
(Farnsworth isn't mentioned) at a Morse Code Rate of 5 WPM.
Lengthening the space interval isn't addressed as a way to get 13 to 15
WPM character speeds down to 5 WPM word rate. But hey, Part 97 is only
a suggestion, right?

A DEFINITON of WORD RATE is NOT DIRECTLY STATED in Part 97!
Perhaps two sentences could have been included to SET or FIX
the word rate...but the FCC never included that. When that
was 'discussed' in here by the morse mavens, they all pointed
to Paris with an "everybody 'knows' that" kind of attitude.

And none of that matters now, anyway.

THANK GOD! Miracles can happen. :-)

Anyhow, the Pro-Code Exam folks were all over the notion that code was
an individual thing and that each person's code sounded like "speech"
to them because of all of the little and big imperfections, and
sometimes the big imperfections were deliberate. I was chided for
suggesting that manually sent code should be formed as precisely as one
could make it, which sparked another debate. Apparently, humans trying
to send perfect code shouldn't be a goal in amateur radio, even if
unachievable. Which took us full circle to the humans emulating modems
of the original invention of Sammy Morse, the code paper tape with
dashes and longer dashes scribed on them.

Sam's original "code" was all NUMBERS. That's what was used
in the first US telegram company (Washington DC to Baltimore
MD, 1844). Five-number code groups representing "common"
phrases of the 1800s. And, it was done with paper tape with
an ink pen driven by an electromagnet.

Sam's financial angel, Al Vail, came up with the first true
telegraphic code to represent letters and punctuation as well
as just numbers. Sam was running out of numbers in his "code
dictionary" and didn't have enough (or maybe patience) and the
original morse code was NOT speedy...although it really, really
outpaced the common rider-horse courier system for "overnight
delivery" of that time. :-)

Oh, well, it was a nice walk in the park. The PCTA folks arguments
were as imperfect as the code they send.

Tsk, tsk, Brian. By their own admission, *all* PCTA send
Perfect Code! Much, much faster than 'we' can realize. :-)

But, in retrospect, all the PCTA had for "reasons" of
retention of the code test amounted to mental conditioning
(brainwashing) over years and years of League emphasis on
that mode. They were subconsciously parroting all of it.

PCTA will NEVER, ever admit to ANY mental conditioning.
To them amateur radio was all about radiotelegraphy.
Before the turn of the new millennium, every other radio
service had DROPPED OOK CW or never considered it when
that radio service was created. Morsemanship is alive
(and on life support) ONLY in amateur radio today. I say
"only" because a few olde-tymers in other radio services
MIGHT be still using morsemanship but that is NOT what is
the MAJOR MODE of communications.

Miccolis will jump in here and say I am "wrong" or
"mistaken" (as is his usual ranting) but it is TRUE.
Except for the die-hard (Bruce Willis wannabes?)
morsemen in ham radio, morse code is DYING if not
dead. THEY are the zombies, the "walking dead" who
strut around pretending to be "champion ops in radio."
Yes, "champion" in the time-frame of the 1930s. This
is 2007, not 70 years ago.