What is QRQ?
What is 'high speed' code? Generally, speeds of greater than 25 wpm are considered high speed. However, this definition is flexible and subject to individual interpretation. Many may consider 25 wpm to be super fast, while others may see it as just loafing. Perhaps the best way to get speed into perspective is to look at some of the lowest acceptable, average and world-record figures for code reception.
Low:
Five words per minute is probably the lowest acceptable figure, since this is the
minimum allowable speed for passing the initial radio licence exam (many novice licence
exams).
Average:
The average speed of amateur radio operators, the largest group of code users in
the world, is perhaps 15 wpm. This is an estimate, since speeds of individual operators
may vary from 3 to 65 wpm, while some may be unable to receive code at all after years of
disuse.
High:
The world’s record for code reception was set on July 2, 1939 by Ted R.
McElroy. His amazing record of 75.2 wpm has stood ever since. McElroy earned the title of
Official Champion Radio Operator at the Asheville Code Tournament in Asheville, North
Carolina.
Levels of speed are referred to as those received rather than sending. With recent developments in code sending devices, the upper limit of man’s ability to hard copy code is actually the upper limit of man’s ability to type, however this limit may be surpassed by head copying.
Discovering the morse code language
One of the most important transformations in the ability to copy code occurs when one stops listening to individual letters and begins to hear ‘word sounds’.
When this happens, an operator becomes oblivious to complete words and parts of words. He begins to recognise portions of words like ING, ED, EY, ONS, ION, CON which begin to sound like independent entities. For example when receiving the word KEYING - he copies only K, E, Y and then the ING sound rythm. The same thing happens with many smaller words such as THE, AND, ON, OF, WHEN, WAS, INTO, BEEN and many more.
The ability to recognise whole words and sections of words is the secret of high speed operating. When it begins to happen, you will appreciate the morse code for what it really is – another language.