The supposed "showdown" on Jay Leno was a highly unscientific and inaccurate test which pitted the world's fasted morse coder using very expensive morse equipment against a teenager using a cheap cell phone with a membrane keypad.
The two hams who won are certainly not the fastest morse operators. They were sending at less than 40 WpM / 200 LpM, whereas most good operators can send around 50 to 60 WpM. Probably they kept it so slow because the audience wouldn't have believed it was morse code if they went to their full speed.
Furthermore good morse equipment doesn't have to be expensive; I am using this homebrew sensor keyer for the last 7 years now and I am able to send over 50 WpM with it. Estimated cost less than $20...
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The two hams who won are certainly not the fastest morse operators. They were sending at less than 40 WpM / 200 LpM, whereas most good operators can send around 50 to 60 WpM. Probably they kept it so slow because the audience wouldn't have believed it was morse code if they went to their full speed.
As an example, this is a sample of 60 WpM: click.
Furthermore good morse equipment doesn't have to be expensive; I am using this homebrew sensor keyer for the last 7 years now and I am able to send over 50 WpM with it. Estimated cost less than $20...