High Speed Telegraphy
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amateur radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency radio spectrum, spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emer ...
, high-speed telegraphy (HST) is a form of
radiosport Radiosport (or radio sport) is formal competition among amateur radio operators in any of three amateur radio activities: ARDF, DXing, and contesting. The Friendship Radiosport Games is an international multi-sport event that includes all t ...
that challenges
amateur radio operator An amateur radio operator is someone who uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other amateur operators on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators ...
s to accurately receive and copy, and in some competitions to send,
Morse code Morse code is a telecommunications method which Character encoding, encodes Written language, text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called ''dots'' and ''dashes'', or ''dits'' and ''dahs''. Morse code i ...
transmissions sent at very high speeds. This event is most popular in
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...
. The
International Amateur Radio Union The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) is an international confederation of national organisations that allows a forum for common matters of concern to amateur radio operators worldwide, and collectively represents matters to the Internatio ...
(IARU) sponsors most of the international competitions.


History

The first international high-speed telegraphy competition was the HST European Championship held in
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, Russia, in 1983. Two more HST European Championships were held; one in 1989 in
Hannover, Germany Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest in northern Germany after Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen ...
, and another in 1991 in
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, Belgium. The first HST World Championship was held in
Siófok Siófok (; ; ) is a town in Somogy County, Hungary on the southern bank of Lake Balaton. It is the Somogy County#Municipalities, second largest municipality in Somogy County and the seat of Siófok District. It covers an area of about between Lak ...
, Hungary, in 1995. A world championship has been held in every odd-numbered year since then. Most international, national, and local HST competitions are held in the countries of the former
Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...
. Every world championship has been held in Europe. While many competitors are licensed
amateur radio operator An amateur radio operator is someone who uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other amateur operators on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators ...
s, there is no requirement that competitors have an amateur radio license, and many pursue the sport without one.


Competition events

There are three main competitive events at HST meets. One standard event is the copying or sending of five-character groups of text. Two of the events are based on simulations of amateur radio activity and are referred to as the Radioamateur Practicing Tests (RPT). The RPT includes the copying of
amateur radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency radio spectrum, spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emer ...
call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...
s and a "pileup" competitions, where competitors must distinguish between call signs sent during several simultaneous transmissions. Not all competitors are required to enter every competition, and some competitors specialize in just one competitive event.High Speed Telegraphy World Championships
''ARRL''. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
In the five character groups event, random letters and numbers are sent in Morse code, five characters at a time, at a high speed. Separate competitions are held for the reception of just the twenty-six letters of the
Latin alphabet The Latin alphabet, also known as the Roman alphabet, is the collection of letters originally used by the Ancient Rome, ancient Romans to write the Latin language. Largely unaltered except several letters splitting—i.e. from , and from ...
, just the ten
Arabic numerals The ten Arabic numerals (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) are the most commonly used symbols for writing numbers. The term often also implies a positional notation number with a decimal base, in particular when contrasted with Roman numera ...
, or a mixed content of letters, numbers, and some
punctuation Punctuation marks are marks indicating how a piece of writing, written text should be read (silently or aloud) and, consequently, understood. The oldest known examples of punctuation marks were found in the Mesha Stele from the 9th century BC, c ...
symbols. Competitors may choose to record the text by hand on paper or by typing on a
computer keyboard A computer keyboard is a built-in or peripheral input device modeled after the typewriter keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or Push-button, keys to act as Mechanical keyboard, mechanical levers or Electronic switching system, electro ...
. The competition starts with one minute of transmission sent at an initial speed defined for the entry category (usually 50 letters per minute for juniors and 80 letters per minute for the other age categories). After each test, the copy of the competitors is judged for errors. Subsequent tests are each conducted at an increased speed until no competitor remains who can copy the text without excessive error. In addition to reception tests, some competitions feature transmission tests where competitors must try to send five character groups in Morse code as fast as possible. Competitors send a printed message of five character groups at a specific speed, which is judged for its accuracy by a panel of referees. Like the receiving tests, there are separate competitions for sending five character groups of just the twenty-six letter of the Latin alphabet, just the ten Arabic numerals, or a mixed content of letters, numbers, and some punctuation symbols. Most transmission tests restrict the type of equipment that may be used to send the Morse code message. The Amateur Radio Call Sign Receiving Test use a
software program A computer program is a sequence or set of instructions in a programming language for a computer to execute. It is one component of software, which also includes documentation and other intangible components. A ''computer program'' in its h ...
called RufzXP that generates a score for each competitor. Rufz is the abbreviation of the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
word "Rufzeichen-Hören" which means "Listening to Call Signs". In the RufzXP program, competitors listen to an amateur radio call sign sent in Morse code and must enter that call sign with the computer keyboard. If the competitor types in the call sign correctly, their score improves and the speed at which the program sends subsequent call signs increases. If the competitor types in the call sign incorrectly, the score is penalized and the speed decreases. Only one call sign is sent at a time and the event continues for a fixed number of call signs (usually 50). Competitors can choose the initial speed at which the program sends the Morse code, and the winner is the competitor with the highest generated score. The Pileup Trainer Test simulates a "pileup" situation in on-air amateur radio operating where numerous stations are attempting to establish two-way contact with one particular station at the same time. This competition uses a software program called MorseRunner. In the MorseRunner software, more than one amateur radio call sign is sent at a time. Each call sign is sent in Morse code generated at different
audio frequencies An audio frequency or audible frequency (AF) is a periodic function, periodic vibration whose frequency is human hearing range, audible to the average human. The SI unit of frequency is the hertz (Hz). It is the property of sound that most deter ...
and speeds, timed to overlap each other. Competitors must record as many of the call signs as they can during a fixed period of time. They may choose to do this either by recording the call signs by hand on paper, or by typing them in with a computer keyboard. The winner is the competitor with the most correctly recorded call signs. The rules of international and European championships are defined in the document '
IARU Region 1 Rules for High Speed Telegraphy Championships
''.


Entry categories

HST competitions generally separate the competitors into different categories based on age and gender. The following are the entry categories specified in the IARU rules used for European and World Championships: * Women aged 16 years and younger (A). * Men aged 16 years and younger (B). * Women aged 17 to 21 years old (C). * Men aged 17 to 21 years old (D). * Women, regardless of their age (E). * Men, regardless of their age (F). * Women aged 40 years and older (G). * Men aged 40 to 49 years old (H). * Men aged 50 years and older (I). Note that there is an additional male category, which is justified by the high number of participants in the corresponding age group. A maximum of 18 competitors from those 9 categories can take part as a national team.


Past IARU Championships

IARU World Championships take place in odd year, starting 1995. Since 2004, an IARU Region 1 Championship takes place each even year. * 2016
Herceg-Novi Herceg Novi (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Херцег Нови, ) is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro located at the Western entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of ...
, Montenegro * 2014
Bar, Montenegro Bar (Montenegrin language, Montenegrin: Bar, Бар, , ) is a town and seaport in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It is the capital of the Bar Municipality and a center for tourism. According to the 2023 census, the city proper ...
* 2012
Beatenberg Beatenberg is a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Interlaken (district), Interlaken district of the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Bern (canton), Bern in Switzerland. History Beatenberg is first mentioned in 1275 as ''sup ...
, Switzerland * 2009 Obzor, Bulgaria * 2008
Pordenone Pordenone (; Venetian language, Venetian and ) is a city and (municipality) in the Italy, Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the capital of the Province of Pordenone, Regional decentralization entity of Pordenone. The name comes from Lati ...
, Italy * 2007
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
, Republic of Serbia * 2006
Primorsko Primorsko ( ) is a town and seaside resort in southeastern Bulgaria, the capital of the municipality of the same name, and part of Burgas Province. A well-known resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, it is located 52 km south of Burgas and ...
, Bulgaria * 2005
Ohrid Ohrid ( ) is a city in North Macedonia and is the seat of the Ohrid Municipality. It is the largest city on Lake Ohrid and the eighth-largest city in the country, with the municipality recording a population of over 42,000 inhabitants as of ...
, Republic of Macedonia * 2004
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...
, Republic of Serbia * 2003
Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...
, Belarus * 2001 Constanţa, Romania * 1999
Pordenone Pordenone (; Venetian language, Venetian and ) is a city and (municipality) in the Italy, Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the capital of the Province of Pordenone, Regional decentralization entity of Pordenone. The name comes from Lati ...
, Italy * 1997
Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...
, Bulgaria * 1995
Siófok Siófok (; ; ) is a town in Somogy County, Hungary on the southern bank of Lake Balaton. It is the Somogy County#Municipalities, second largest municipality in Somogy County and the seat of Siófok District. It covers an area of about between Lak ...
, Hungary


Regional Championships

* 2013
1st Balkan High Speed Telegraphy Championship, 31 May - 2 June, 2013. Lovech, Bulgaria
* 2014 2nd Balkan High Speed Telegraphy Championship, 13–15 June 2014. Piatra Neamţ, România * 2015
3rd Balkan High Speed Telegraphy Championship, 15-17 May, 2015. Svilajnac, Serbia


13th IARU World HST Championship

13th IARU World HST Championship was held in Herceg-Novi, Montenegro from 21 till 25 September 2016. Competing in 9 categories with 8 types of tests, there was more than 120 competitors from 21 countries around the world.


IARU world records

The IARU Region 1 HST working group maintains a list of HST world records, set at official IARU HST competitions. Top speeds vary strongly between the different events of the competition and categories. While reception and transmission of letter groups are limited to approximately 300 characters per minute, mainly due to physiologic difficulties in sending or writing at high speeds respectively, the maximum speeds in the RufzXP competition are more than twice as fast. Note that the system to measure the telegraphy speed at IARU HST events has changed. Before 2004, the
PARIS Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
standard was used, which has since been changed to real characters. Old records have been recalculated accordingly.


Successful teams

The sum of all team scores of the top ten nations from all HST events since 1999 are tabulated below. Note that some teams did not take part in all competitions. Last updated in September 2009 after the World Championships in Obzor, Bulgaria.


See also

*
Friendship Radiosport Games The Friendship Radiosport Games (FRG) is an international multi-sport event that includes competitions in the various sports collectively referred to as radiosport. The Friendship Radiosport Games began in 1989 as a result of a sister city agreeme ...
* Theodore Roosevelt McElroy *
Morse code Morse code is a telecommunications method which Character encoding, encodes Written language, text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called ''dots'' and ''dashes'', or ''dits'' and ''dahs''. Morse code i ...
*
Prosigns for Morse code Procedural signs or prosigns are shorthand signals used in Morse code telegraphy, for the purpose of simplifying and standardizing procedural protocols for landline and radio communication. The procedural signs are distinct from conventional Morse ...
*
Telegraph key A telegraph key, clacker, tapper or morse key is a specialized electrical switch used by a trained operator to transmit text messages in Morse code in a telegraphy system. Keys are used in all forms of electrical telegraph systems, includ ...
*
Telegraphy Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas pi ...
*
Telegraphist A telegraphist (British English), telegrapher (American English), or telegraph operator is a person who uses a telegraph key to send and receive Morse code messages in a telegraphy system. These messages, also called telegrams, can be transmitte ...


Notes


External links


IARU Region 1 HST Working Group

RufzXP Software by DL4MM and IV3XYM

NØHR.com: RufzXP and stats
Using statistics to track CW speed improvement in RufzXP
MorseRunner Software by VE3NEA


(PED was used in official competitions until 2005, now replaced by MorseRunner) * Hollemans, Wilko PA3BWK (1999)

Retrieved Dec. 6, 2005.
High Speed telegraphy and speed-writing
German Telegraphy-page of Ludwig Szopinski, DK5KE


References

* Battey, E.L. W1UE. "Flash! W9ERU Wins Code Speed Contest". '' QST''. Oct., 1936. p. 39. * IARU Region I High Speed Telegraphy Working Group (2004)
"Rules for High Speed Telegraphy Championships"
Retrieved Dec. 6, 2005. * Kolpe, Mathias DL4MM (2004).

Retrieved Dec. 6, 2005. * Kutner, Barry W2UP. "High Speed Telegraphy Competition in Macedonia". '' QST''. 2005. * Lindquist, Rick N1RL. "World Championship in High Speed Telegraphy Set." '' QST''. Apr. 1997, p. 75. * Lindquist, Rick N1RL, ed.
"Guinness World Records recognizes high-speed telegraphy achievement"
''ARRL Letter''. Vol. 23, No. 48. Dec. 10, 2004. * Novak, Adolf OK1AO (1997).
"HST"
Retrieved Dec. 6, 2005. {{Amateur radio topics Radiosport