The activator is the master and is free to send PSE QRS
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I and I suspect many CW beginners like me struggle with fast CW and slow CW. I have completed the CW academy beginners course which familiarises you with the character sounds at 25wpm with increased character spacing. Until I complete the fundamentals course I can’t cope with much more than a Farnsworth speed of 8wpm and don’t recognise the sound of the characters when they are keyed at 14wpm or slower.
I call at 18wpm with a reduced Farnsworth speed and most chasers have been very kind and supportive, responding in a similar manner, suggesting that they understand my ability.
I don’t need chasers to slow down their keyer, just a leave a little gap between the letters if it sounds like I’m struggling. My worst nightmare was a QSO with a friendly and helpful operator who was using a bug and slowed his dahs right down to try to help.
I have been really struck by the patience and support that I have been shown. Thank you.
73, Kevin
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I agree Kevin. I can probably read the individual characters at around 20wpm, but I need thinking time in between them.
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Or the chasers who blast you at 30 wpm then suddenly send badly at 10-15 wpm once they get through and have to send something other than 599 
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Hi all,
Lets try hard to remember, really remember, what it felt like when we were CW newbies, trying to hold up our end of a QSO. “Sweating bullets”, comes close. Add to that, temperature, wind, bugs, and writing or keying in a call as it comes in, and you have the picture. So, at least, slow down to the activator’s speed, or slower, if he’s not one of the regular “pros”. My call is somewhat difficult for some; typically, I chase at about 20 WPM, Farnsworthed down to half that, by large spaces.
All Best, Ken
Dit Dit
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I heard a few examples of “expert fast senders” this morning.
A DL calling Heinz DL @OE5EEP with machine sent Morse about 5 WPM faster than Heinz was sending. Heinz could easily copy at that speed anyway. However, when the DL op went back to Heinz he sent his exchange with a hand key at the appropriate speed. So he was obviously using his memory keyer to call stations at a preset speed as suggested by Pete @MW0PJE.
The I heard a CT station calling Roberto @IN3NJB/P sounded iambic keying but erratic and with errors at around 10 WPM faster than Roberto was sending. After a few repeats that were asked for by Roberto, the CT station failed to go back to Roberto with a report so the CT showed himself up!
73 Phil
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This is a really interesting post. I’m still very much learning CW and have been for… quite a long time, as it definitely does not come easily. That said, and as others have noted, I can recognise letters at 15-18wpm but need quite a bit of thinking time, so the overall speed is about 10-12wpm.
A couple of months back I very nearly threw in the towel with CW after one operator just didn’t slow down, despite me asking QRS. That totally ruined any confidence I had built up and was the final straw for me.
Fortunately, the guys at my radio club got me back on track and I’m now back at it. Why tell you all this? Because I’m quite keen to do another activation specifically for us CW newbies, or (as we have in the club) those operators who have had a stroke, or just struggle, and need longer gaps. I think my next SOTA might be a QRS one…
All the best,
David.
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Hello,
I’m very happy to do my cw contacts around 15 wpm.
I thank all the operators for their patience, because the vast majority respect the speed, they are benevolent.
The hardest thing for me is therefore to hunt insects, ants, flies, spiders, horseflies … at the same time as listening or coding or writing 
All the best
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If someone calls me a lot faster than my op speed, I just ask for fills until I get the call. This gives the other side a choice:
-Increase Farnsworth spacing (Best option)
-Slow down to my speed (2nd Best and common)
-Keep sending at the fast speed and get frustrated that I keep asking for fills (Happens often)
-Move along and give up (Sometimes happens)
There is no ego in CW. Sometimes hams have an ego.
Matt
K9EI
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Interesting read. I agree with a lot of the sentiments here. I’m a newer CW op myself and learned character speed at 20 to 25wpm. I feel I’m pretty solid at hearing calls at that speed if I recognize the call and especially if there is a little Farnsworth tossed in there (preferred). However, if it’s a DX call, a U.S. call I’ve never heard, especially one blazing in at 25-30wpm, or one deep in the noise or throttled by QSB, then it’s going to take me one or two more tries. @K6HPX nailed it on the head when you factor in environmental conditions like crazy wind, being in an awkward operating position, having horseflies chomping on you, fire ants crawling on your neck, etc. I think some people forget about those things when they are chasing from the comfort of their BarcaLounger. I get it. I’m not blaming them. I just hope they’d more often than not recognize that they should maybe slow down a smidge to help out the struggling operator on the summit. Are some doing it to make it sound like they are the tip of the spear of CW operators? Perhaps. Although, I’m guessing it’s more than likely just second nature to them and it’s just a result of them maybe being a little too comfortable, oblivious or indifferent. But, I still absolutely appreciate the fact that they are chasing me. Can’t activate the summit without chasers. That being said, I’m glad I learned/am learning CW. It’s a different world in terms of the amount of activity when compared to SSB. Not bashing SSB, just trying to get very comfortable with CW. It’s a never ending education.
Thanks to all the chasers! - Mike
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As a new CW operator (just started learning CW at the beginning of this year I send at 14 WPM. I can pick up the calls at that speed, even at 20 WPM but with bigger spacing. People who insist to call at speeds I am not able to copy, despite asking to QRS, just won’t get in the log. Fortunately, those are a minority. Most chasers do change their speed to a workable speed for me.
73
ON4MGY / OO4M
Nicolas
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Thanks Declan for highlighting the topic, I enjoyed reading the replies and issues raised, all and some have either hit the nail on the head or been very very close to it.
The memory keyers or transceivers with the facility to ‘send’ CW from a keyboard is probably adding oxygen to the fire for fast keying.
The ops who use the keyboard method to chase just seem to be keen to get the chaser success and don’t really aim to help the novice activator on their learning process, a pity that attitude 
There are however loads of QRS chasers who make the learning so enjoyable and build confidence in the use of CW on an activation.
Declan you are a great supporter of chasers and activators below the 25wpm level 
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It works the other way round sometimes .
I can read CW much faster than I can send it on a straight key. This means that unless the chaser or activator knows I can read much faster than I send he/she invariably slows down unnecessarily.
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Like others, I’ve enjoyed following this topic. I certainly have experienced and observed the scenario that Declan mentioned in his initial post.
My experiences when I activate using cw are overwhelmingly positive. I’ve found the majority of chasers to be patient and considerate when I’ve had a brain freeze on the summit.
Perhaps the takeaway message from a chasing point of view is: if it seems like the activator is struggling to copy your call sign, then take a moment to consider whether there might be something you can do to help!
Thanks as ever for all of the CW qsos over the years!
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I agree.
If I see any RBN, it reports the speed and I adjust.
If not, I transmit around 16-18, always listening and adjusting to the Activator’s speed.
73
carlos
PY2VM
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I am an inexperienced CW op.
BTW, I’m not SOTA but POTA, having just got my SOTA account re-activated today. I recently had a number of POTA->SOTA QSOs and I want to check my hunter points.
I’ve been doing POTA only since May this year. Initially all my activations were SSB, but once I had done 10 or more parks, after activating the park (needs 10 QSOs) in SSB, I tried CW “just for fun”. Calling CQ is a mix of fear and excitement. It was difficult at first. I have now progressed to CW only activations. My copy rate probably averages 50%, but as long as I get the callsign and RST, it goes in the log. Sometimes only when I get home and review my notes, I can see what was being sent, e.g. “GL WIDEGOTA” (EG->P). Usually thanks to repeats I can often get the name and QTH (when sent). Some of my regular hunters do slow down, only occasionally do I have QSOs where they sent way too fast. I did send “PLS QRS” and heard a pip-pip what I thought was an acknowledgement, but they continued to send too fast. As a previous poster said, I don’t really mind, as the faster CW does stretch me.
I thought that I was sending quite slow, but on the POTA spot feature, I noted Reverse Beacon spots, which was clockiing my CQ calling at 14-16 WPM.
I wanted to mention that I too like fast characters, with nice gaps for thinking. While I copy “F” immediately, some other characters such as “X” and “Z” cause my brain to spin the busy symbol. I then can get out of sync. E’s and characters with lots of dots also cause me to get out of sync too. I also get confused on callsigns when they are repeated with no obvious gap. Yesterday OH5SY was a challenge, as previously was EC5CSW (I easily miss the initial E’s from Spanish calls!).
Sorry, but unlikely for me to join you at the top of a mountain, since I live in Cambridgeshire, which is as flat as a pancake!
Best 73 and 44s…
–Gary (M1GRY)
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Welcome to the Reflector Gary. We’ve just had a nice break in St Neots and I confess it’s the first time in a while I haven’t managed to combine a holiday with SOTA! Still enjoyed the break though
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They aren’t enthusiastic about CW - the majority are using keyboards to send and the set to decode - and just doing it for the chaser points. They don’t know one end of a key from another. Lazy operators.
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Just about every commercial ship/shore band was duplex / split working once you’d called on the calling frequency. Although QSS and QSX was used some times mostly it was shortened to ;- …… GGLQ de GKP 464/510 up K.
(Meaning I’ll listen on 464 I’ll transmit on 510 - and the reply given was almost always. “ R UP “)
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My second comment on this topic.
As always there are two sides to a story. We should also consider the position of the chaser. As an Activator I have an “on Summit” time budget. In the summer this can be 2 hr, during which time I will discharg a 10Ah battery. Some activators stay in the AZ for a short period of time, some even grab 4 Qs and QRT. From the Chaser’s perspective it is therefor imperative to get in and get the points ASAP. I try hard to never leave a band with Chasers present, some do.
Therein lies a good reason to apply a get in fast (and furious) modus operando.
Is there a remedy for this dilemma, probably not, but keeping the Activator power down so fewer stations can hear you may help. Length of QSO is within our control, I tend towards 1min per Q, a bit shorter if there are many calling. A balance between speed, accuracy and manners. As a Chaser it is very frustrating to hear a desirable Activator rag chewing.
Hope this balanced opinion helps.
David
G0EVV
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