Long ago and far away I was the daughter of a science teacher who was a "ham" -- an amateur radio operator. Since he was a teacher, it was natural for him to guide his young students into the world of amateur radio. Since I was his daughter, it is not surprising that I was included among those students. I learned the Morse code and practiced it until I could send and receive it at 5 words per minute, memorized enough incomprehensible facts to pass a written exam, and received my call letters -- WN9DHQ. "N" for "novice". At the time, holders of a novice license were only allowed to communicate via Morse code, not by voice. For the same code speed but more memorized facts, I could earn a "technician" license and use voice but on frequencies with limited range. In order to talk around the world by voice, I would need a "general class" license, requiring a code speed of 13 wpm and an even more extensive written test.
The only way to increase my Morse code speed was to practice. The most interesting way to practice was to get on the radio and "talk" to people using Morse code. I would send out a CQ ("seek you") on an empty frequency or respond to someone else's CQ and we would exchange the usual information -- name, location, license level, etc. This is where I learned a lesson that is applicable to several areas of life.
It turns out that sending Morse code is easier than receiving and decoding it. I could always send it at a faster rate than I could receive it. With all the practice I had sending CQs, I could especially fly on that invitation to a stranger. There was the rub. People tended to respond at the same rate that I was sending. Whenever I sent code out faster than I could receive it, I'd end up missing half the letters of the response. Sometimes I could slow down and my partner in conversation would take the hint and follow suit. Other times, the attempt to comprehend what was being sent just became very frustrating and I'd have to sign off in embarrassment, knowing the other person probably despised me for starting a conversation at a speed I couldn't handle.
The other thing that I observed during this time was that it was often obvious when someone was sending code faster than they could receive it. It took on a telltale sloppiness. Although it's easy to send Morse code at a faster rate than one can receive it, it's not nearly so easy to do it well at the higher speed.
It has been years since I was a novice "ham" and it would take a lot of review and practice to regain my Morse code skills at this point in my life, but one lesson has stuck with me. When speaking, people can easily move beyond their grasp of a subject, but it shows when that happens.
I deal with computers more than radios these days. I hear various people "teaching" other people about computers. Sometimes they're "sending" at a higher rate than they can really handle, moving beyond what they clearly understand into areas where they have just enough knowledge to be dangerous. It starts to show.
The same phenomena can be observed in those teaching interpersonal skills or doing religious training. For example, sometimes I wonder whether those teaching about prayer have skills in keeping with their teaching. Are they sharing what they themselves have learned or are they repeating lessons they've heard from others but have yet to master? It reminds me to check to see if I too sometimes try to teach lessons I haven't quite learned.
Just some thoughts.
WB9DHQ, General class amateur radio operator.
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4 comments:
Good illustration Marsha -- I have often made both mistakes! However, I have had folks just quit trying to listen too -- they ask how to do something on the computer, and it is only two or three steps, but somewhere in the second step they just kind of zone out. One key to speeding up Morse capability is to work just a tad bit faster than one can handle comfortably. I assume the same thing is true in learning something on the computer or learning something in theology!
Hey, a comment! Thanks, Scott. You have won the prize for first person to post a response on my blog. You make a good point. Maybe there's a time to operate well within our capabilities and exercise patience with others who are still learning. Maybe at other times we need to push a little beyond what we have mastered even though it starts to show that we have moved outside our comfort zone and are still learning.
What's TTQL?
Oops! That's a typo. It was supposed to be TTYL.
-.--, --.- They're sorta the same, right?
I think my Morse code is more than a little rusty.
:-)
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