Copying on Paper - Best Practice?

M6GYU · Aug 17, 2016

Everyone I've worked with in the RN, Military and Civilian, can and did use capitals up to speeds of 25 wpm. Some of the capitals can be made shorter/easier by abbreviating them. E can be achieved by writing C and adding a single stroke through the middle. My J's have always been just one stroke down and curled at the ends. A an upturned U with a horizontal added.

Practice, Practice, Practice,Practice and bits more practice.

We also used typewriters when needed for faster stuff or if your' handwriting was so bad no one else could read it. But this takes......errrr? More practice, practice etc.,

K7KBN · Aug 17, 2016

UR 569 NR SEATTLE OP PAT HW?

If the other guy wants to know exactly where I am, he can ask. "Bremerton" takes longer and invites repeats.

AA7EJ · Aug 18, 2016

M6GYU said: ↑

Everyone I've worked with in the RN, Military and Civilian, can and did use capitals up to speeds of 25 wpm. Some of the capitals can be made shorter/easier by abbreviating them. E can be achieved by writing C and adding a single stroke through the middle. My J's have always been just one stroke down and curled at the ends. A an upturned U with a horizontal added.

Practice, Practice, Practice,Practice and bits more practice.

We also used typewriters when needed for faster stuff or if your' handwriting was so bad no one else could read it. But this takes......errrr? More practice, practice etc.,
Click to expand...

To extend on your post.

The best practice to write on paper is when EVERYBODY else can decipher your writing.
When I CANNOT decipher my own writing it is time for more practice or to take-up basket weaving as a hobby.

73 Shirley

AA7EJ · Aug 18, 2016

K7KBN said: ↑

UR 569 NR SEATTLE OP PAT HW?

If the other guy wants to know exactly where I am, he can ask. "Bremerton" takes longer and invites repeats.
Click to expand...

QSL QSL QSL UR RST 599 599 599 = PSE UR NAME? = PSE UR NAME? = PSE UR QTH? = WHAT SEA? = QSL?...

HI HI HI SHIRLEY
EX QTH S N O H O M I S H ....NR MONROE....

SNO? WHAT?

M6GYU · Aug 19, 2016

AA7EJ said: ↑

To extend on your post.

The best practice to write on paper is when EVERYBODY else can decipher your writing.
When I CANNOT decipher my own writing it is time for more practice or to take-up basket weaving as a hobby.

73 Shirley
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. During my RN years I had to get used to everyone's handwriting and of course by necessity you wrote as clearly as needed and I'm know that lots of plain language texts were written in long hand as they were read. Coded ones were always recorded using capitals for clarity and for accurate decoding using a KL7 (which some of you may have used).

But as an amateur you generally only need to be able to read your own writing - which means you can be a bit more untidy perhaps??

KB0TT · Aug 19, 2016

WB5YUZ said: ↑

This seems to be based on the assumption block printing came first, or was coeval with cursive script. But this was obviously not the case.

Remember, cursive script was developed over a very long period of time, beginning with the Greek language being written on papyri, and reached its more-or-less modern form in the seventeenth century with the rise of Europe's postal systems. Block printing as we know it today was a product of the industrial school system of the nineteenth/early twentieth century (and was developed overnight by comparison!).

This means, of course, that cursive is faster/more legible for most of us when using a quill/fountain pen, and block printing is faster/more legible for most of us when using a pencil/ball point pen. But there are always exceptions and personal preferences.

One thing is indisputable: in the old days, professional high-speed ops overwhelmingly used pencils and block printing if they could not use a typewriter. There were many reasons why, but it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that if cursive was markedly faster and/or more legible for solid copy, more of them would have used it.

Incidentally, when I took my FCC exam for General in 1977 the FCC office had already switched from solid copy to the "questions based on copy" approach. I still did solid copy with a pencil and paper (and block lettering) because it was how I had trained. I didn't get one hundred percent solid copy but got enough that I would have qualified under the old system, which was something like three minutes solid copy out of five IIRC (help?).

When I took the 20 WPM from a VE years later, my solid copy was one hundred percent. The examiner was amused.
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When I copied the 13 & 20 wpm @ the Kansas City ( MO ) office , the

old HAG was not amused .... She looked @ my CURSIVE copy and answer sheets ... Ho Hum .....

She had me send for ~ 20 seconds @ 20 wpm speed , then , gave me my Advanced test .....

Same with the Extra test .....

Obviously , she was the ' highlight ' of my 425 mile round trip testing session / excursion .....

Boo Hoo ! ! !

JB

KB0TT · Aug 19, 2016

M6GYU said: ↑

I couldn't agree more. During my RN years I had to get used to everyone's handwriting and of course by necessity you wrote as clearly as needed and I'm know that lots of plain language texts were written in long hand as they were read. Coded ones were always recorded using capitals for clarity and for accurate decoding using a KL7 (which some of you may have used).

But as an amateur you generally only need to be able to read your own writing - which means you can be a bit more untidy perhaps??
Click to expand...

I just HAD to respond ......

When I physically cursive copy >25 wpm , it turns into ' chicken scratch ' ......

I am glad that I am not the only one .....

JB

KD2RON · Aug 20, 2016

This is silly and snide comments are welcome but it has helped me to spell the letters in the air to help me visuallize the word.

KB0TT · Sep 6, 2016

N2EY said: ↑

I agree 100%. A little common sense like that effectively doubles the communication speed. Even better, it makes the QSO more fun!

HERE'S THE ANSWER TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION:

WHATEVER WORKS BEST FOR YOU IS THE BEST PRACTICE!

IOW, if block printing with a #2 pencil on lined paper works best for YOU, that's what you should do. If cursive writing on unlined paper with a ballpoint pen works best for YOU, that's what you should do. If a mill works best for YOU, have at it. If "head copy" with occasional notes works best for YOU, that's the way to go.

Each of us is an experiment of one, and it's up to each of us to determine what's the best practice for each of us.

Sure, the military and commercial ops had their standard practices - but that's because they were dealing with written messages, and several operators using the same station. They had to have standard ways of copying code, because of those factors.

73 de Jim, N2EY
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I TOLD Everyone that you would show up ........

This thread is like waving a flag in front of a bull .... Right , Jim ? ?

JB

N8AFT · Sep 16, 2016

Best Practice; Blank paper, Sharp pencil.
Signal Corps HS-16 head set with rubber cushions for weak signal work.

Copying on Paper - Best Practice?

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