[CW] Secrets of CW

[Pedro J. Santa]

Thanks, Dave. Those are fascinating observations indeed.  I am comforted to
confirm that others also translate mentally (albeit from time to time, in my
case) road signs, billboards or license plates while fighting the boredom of
highway driving.  I now confess I have also heard Morse Code characters
being emitted distinctly from cash registers when a charge card slip is
being printed!!!  Mind you fellows, that only happens occasionally, lest
some readers who might be less enthused with Morse Code than I am conclude I
am claiming an ability to understand, in human terms, the chants of
"coqu�s" or birds (in the case of  birds there are myriads of
interpretations; in the case of "coqu�s" the translation is quite simple for
me: it's either an "A" or "ET"-- and I'm firmly convinced the correct
translation is the latter...  = ;-)..

73 Pedro KP3X..


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David J. Ring, Jr." <n1ea@arrl.net>
To: <cw@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2004 5:38 PM
Subject: [CW] Secrets of CW


> From a paper written by Frank Merritt, VE7FPM which appeared in the FISTS
> Keynotes issue 8/9 2003
>
> In the paper, Frank has some wonderful observations about teaching a
method
> of sending on a straight key that are very worthwhile - in fact they are
> probably the best collected observations that I've seen in one place in 40
> years of CW.
>
> The secret in sending with a hand key is to learn how to use the long
> muscles of the arm rather than the shorter muscles of the wrist.  If this
> method is adapted to sending with a speed key, you will notice the
> advantages also.  With a semi-automatic speed key, the dashes if sent with
a
> rolling of the arm will be much less tiresome, likewise, the dots are sent
> by a roll of the arm.  Experience has taught many that using the muscles
> that are further up the arm create a sort of easy to sustain rhythm which
> produces beautiful code.
>
> 73
>
> David Ring, N1EA
>
> THE SECRETS OF CW
> Frank Merritt, VE7FPM
>
> Many CW Amateur Radio operators never get beyond the very elementary mode
of
> operation. One of the reasons for this is they never open themselves up to
> the true potential of CW. Another reason for this is that often times they
> just don't try very hard.
>
> In dealing with this fascinating situation it is necessary to go right
back
> to the beginning with operating CW. In the beginning many operators just
> don't like CW. It seems to be "so hard". It is a requirement that they
feel
> has been forced down their throats. With a predisposition such as this one
> cannot wonder they find everything about CW to be difficult and
unpleasant.
>
> We humans are individually programmed. This can be likened to a computer.
> Without an operating system program a computer is nothing more that a
bunch
> of electronics. However, with the operating system the computer becomes a
> tool that can be used. We individuals can also see the results in other
> areas of our lives of this programming. This can be considered as natural
> abilities. Actually, it goes much deeper than this.
>
> For the most part most people just "live" with these mind-sets. We feel
that
> they are "built in" and therefore are not changeable. Of course, this is
not
> the case but this is the "easy" way to deal with the matter of these
> predispositions. Sometimes we can see the sources of some of these
> individual ways in terms of family conditionings, societal conditionings
and
> even pre-natal preconditionings. This is nothing more than a studied
> consideration of the human condition.
>
> Many of these conditionings and pre-conditionings are very subtle and seem
> to evade most considerations. However, in the case of CW something can be
> done about it. Many years ago the was attending a signal school in the
army.
> Immediately outside a room that was used as a laboratory, a punching bag
was
> attached to the wall. The CW operators in-training used the punching bag
to
> relieve the tensions of learning CW all day. Experimentally it was found
> that if a radio receiver was tuned to an RTTY signal the CW trainees would
> be gone in less than two minutes. The CW trainees were used to the random
> rhythm of CW and found the repetitive nature of RTTY to be very
disturbing.
> The very nature of the CW signal was incompatible with the RTTY signal. As
> soon as this relationship was discovered it was used to clear the punching
> bag area when operations in the lab were desired.
>
> The very interesting feature of this tale of subliminal conflict is that
the
> sound of RTTY was familiar and acceptable to me but not those students of
> CW. Years later when I was studying CW to prepare for my Amateur Radio
> examination I found that as I accepted the rhythm of CW I no longer had
any
> difficulty in learning CW. What was going on was something way down deep
in
> the mind. Those trying to learn CW virtually always have a mental block or
> pre-conditioning that causes a conflict when learning it.
>
> This would almost seem to be something that is so deep and strong that it
is
> impossible to learn CW. How many times have we heard prospective Hams say
> that "learning CW is just too hard". Their approach had not adequately
dealt
> with some preconditioning. This statement seems to indicate that there is
a
> way for the individual to soften this preconditioning and even reverse it.
> That is exactly correct!
> The manner of dealing with this deep-seated emotional feeling is amazingly
> easy. When learning CW is necessary to condition the mind to accept the
> rhythm of CW. It is fascinating to see how easy it is to accomplish this.
> The technique of doing this is simple and without stress. A source of
random
> CW is required that can be varied in both speed and volume. It is best to
> have a unit that has a provision for an external headset or speaker(*).
>
> What is new is the way that the CW practice unit is used. A time should be
> selected that does not require the full attention of the student. This can

> be during a time of activity that does not require concentration. By
playing
> the random CW at a low audio level it is just barely perceived by the
brain.
> Periodically change the selection of the random CW text. Make no attempt
to
> recognize the CW characters. What is happening is that the brain is being
> conditioned to, at first, accept the CW and eventually be a ease with it.
> Sleep teaching? Yes, close to it. If using the unit for sleep teaching be
> sure that if you use a pillow speaker the level is very low.
>
> Years ago I jammed an old record player to continuously repeat a record
and
> then used a record with random CW characters. I used this device at night
as
> sleep teaching. The first morning after trying this I found that my wife
was
> not happy with all that noise going on all night. Be sure that your wife,
or
> whatever, is compatible with this procedure. The second problem was found
to
> be1~t that eventually the brain has the capability of memorizing an
amazing
> length of random CW. Hence it is desirable to be able to select one of a
> number of random CW offerings.
>
> It hardly seems necessary to make the point that the results will probably
> not be instantaneous. It will take time and perseverance. Little by little
> you will be able to notice an improvement with the ease that you hear and
> remember CW.
>
> Along with this practice it is wise to use a newspaper as a source and
gain
> practice sending CW. At first this will be tiring but again with time you
> will find that it gets easier and easier. In sending code the greatest
> emphasis should be placed on sending PERFECT code. Use a straight key for
> this practice. Learn to send perfect characters and words using the proper
> spacing of one space between characters and three spaces between words. At
> first keep the speed slow enough to make it enjoyable while a challenge.
In
> a week or so it should be possible to send 30-minutes of newspaper text at
a
> time. While you are at it, try sending just "e" as many times as you can
on
> your straight key.
>
> At first this will be for a short period of time but with practice this
time
> should move up to as much as 30-minutes. That sounds really hard. It is
not
> difficult with practice. The usage of the straight key should be such that
> the wrist muscles ARE NOT used. They are short and tire quickly resulting
in
> a "glass fist". The arm should be used as a long lever using the muscles
of
> the lower and upper arm. At first these muscles get tired quickly but,
they
> are long and can be trained to function without any effect of the "glass
> fist". This term goes back to the early years of CW sending in which the
> short muscles of the wrist get tired and the operator just has to stop
> sending. Just keep the wrist muscles taut without strain and do no pivot
at
> the wrist.
>
> Remember that you have been receiving perfect code from the machine. In a
> matter of time borrow a Ham receiver and tune in to the CW portion of the
> band that seems to work the best for you. The reason for this is that very
> few people send perfect code all the time.
>
> As the practicing continues you should begin to pick out small words such
as
> "an", "or" and "as". When this begins to happen you will notice that words
> such as "the", "and", "good" and "this" just pop out of the CW stream. Now
> you are making real progress.
>
> Not everyone progresses at the same rate. Above all be patient with
> yourself. You will be surprised how the code begins to just "come".
Whatever
> you do keep with a straight key for sending. A Semi-automatic key or Bug
> will be for later. Much after the Bug, the Iambic keyer will be a boon to
> sending. FIRST LEARN TO SEND PERFECT CW WITH THE HAND KEY.
>
> Sometimes when I am driving I talk with myself in CW about the view of the
> road etc. No, this is not a sign that I have slipped off the deep end! It
is
> a good training for learning to converse in CW with other noises within
and
> without the car. By this point I am sure that you will be using CW at the
> bottom of your favorite HF band. Good luck.
>
> (*) One such commercial CW practice unit is the MFJ Model 418 which is
sold
> by Durham Radio Sales and Service for $1 19 plus taxes and shipping. This
> unit will be found on page 29 of their latest catalog. The unit can be
> purchased online at: www.durhamradio.com
>
> ADVANCED SECRETS OF CW
> Frank Merritt, VE7FPM
>
> Yes, there is still more to the mystery of operating CW. We now delve into
> the innermost byways of this interesting facet of Amateur Radio. The
> earliest forms of communicating intelligence by radio was by CW. The CW
that
> we now use is a derivative of the land-line Morse communications. This is
a
> fascinating study, but we will focus on radio operations. The most basic
> concept is that the characters from which words are made are communicated
by
> a series of dits and dahs. This, in itself, does not seem to be too
complex.
> But, this is just the beginning of a story and a development that is
> involved in the most recent information regarding the brain and its use.
>
> From CW the state-of-the-art progressed (?) to voice as with Amplitude
> Modulation (AM). This was a way for anyone with some competence in voice
> communication to take part in the exploding field of radio communications.
> Also, this involves music transmission.
>
> However, CW did NOT just fade away. There remained many operators who did
> not abandon CW in preference to voice communications. The reasoning for
this
> is nothing less than arcane. There was a difference that was, and is,
> difficult to comprehend. That does not mean to say that it is an
impossible
> enigma. This is not the case.
>
> Many CW operators realized that there was something more to the
> International Morse Code than just memorizing the representations of the
> letters, numbers and punctuation. This is where we really delve into the
> advanced mysteries of code.
>
> We will momentarily discuss another facet of the overall situation.
Typists
> find that there are different levels of typing. At first it is a great
> challenge to just type the text. As proficiency increases it is found that
> the typist can read a bit faster than the actual typing. This is as if the
> brain is storing the information to be typed and then it is typed at the
> speed of the typist. As time goes by the typist notices that there is a
> mental translation that permits the eyes to provide the input to the brain
> resulting in typing without any conscious action. Again, as time goes by
the
> typist finds that he/she is able to read the typed text and edit it for
> typing errors. A part of this mental editing proceeds the typist becomes
> aware of the text so as to read it for errors that are more than just
> spelling errors.
>
> In this progression it is not unusual for the typist to divert his/her
eyes
> from the screen and type the original text entirely from the formulation
in
> the brain. We can see from this discussion that it is possible for the
brain
> to do more than just convert words/letters to actuated keys. There is much
> more to it. This diversion has nothing directly to do with our premise of
CW
> operation but indicates the power of the brain.
>
> As time goes by in the practice of CW the operator becomes aware of small
> words at first that just "pop out" of the audio. Words such as "as", "or",
> "an" and "if" just appear out of the seeming jumble of the International
> Morse characters. This is when the operator BEGINS to really be an
operator.
> For some this happens quickly and for some it takes much more experience.
> The eventuality of this characteristic is that in a matter of time the
> operator finds that he/she is copying two to three words behind and that
the
> word/words are mentally checked and corrected for errors. Now this is
> something!
>
> Each operator has what is called a FIST. That means that his/her sending
> exhibits characteristics which are unique to that person. In WWII this
meant
> that radio intercept operators knew the fists of many of the enemy
operators
> which provided a clue when the enemy moved units to a new location. It was
> quite common for the intercept operators to provide names for the enemy
> operators which sometimes were quite humorous.
>
> Today the individual fist is not as obvious as it once was due to the fact
> that it is common today to use an electronic keyer. It is a correct
> observation that the keyer drives the sending of the operator. However, in
> time there always are slight variations in sending characteristics or even
> words that indicate a particular operator. Also, it must be observed that
> the way different operators express themselves says a great deal fur their
> personalities. That is something to think about!
>
> Perfect hand key sending is beautiful to hear. Also, it is easy to copy!
> This leads us into the problems that arise in copying CW. It is not
uncommon
> that under some conditions a relatively good code operator may not be able
> to copy well if at all. What is involved here is that running characters
> together results in an almost impenetrable jumble of characters.
>
> Especially when there is QRM of QRN the result is absolutely impossible to
> deal with. It is obvious that the goal of every operator should be to send
> perfect code. In reality this does not always happen but it certainly is a
> reasonable goal for every operator to aspire to.
>
> One of the charms that is easy to recognize with CW is that as it is a
> language within itself and it is based on the English language. To be sure
> there are countries that have developed somewhat unusual forms of CW but
for
> the most part Amateur Radio CW operation is in English. What is common
with
> a foreign operator is that he/she begins their operating career with a
> prompt sheet providing the basic information to be communicated. As a
matter
> of fact, the prompt sheet is very common with beginning operators whose
> basic language is English. The first contact of any operator is very
> challenging to deal with this new language of CW.
>
> The other side of the coin of CW operations is that for most operators
WORK
> is required to master the art of CW. There are those operators who just
seem
> to immediately develop the ability to send code but for most of the rest
of
> us it was (or is) an uphill battle until proficiency is gained. In our
> present world this does not satisfy the increasing demand for instant
> gratification and so it is a barrier for some. The citizens band is an
> excellent example of what happens when this instant gratification is taken
> to a logical extreme.
>
> In all CW operations there is a desire for brevity. This is why a number
of
> codes have been developed to express more complicated statements or
> questions in the form of three letters of the code in question. One
example
> of this is the Q-code. The Q-code designation of QTH stands for the
> geographical location of the sender or QTH? represents a question for the
> sender to communicate his/her location to the receiver. Some of the Q-code
> items are rather amusing, such as QLF which means "send with your left
> foot". While originating with commercial circuits the designation QLF is
> never heard on the Ham bands, and for good reason.
>
> Efficiency of transmission is a consideration of CW operators. CW may be
> sent and received with a bandwidth of 500 Hz or less! What this means is
> that a number of CW operators can use the same spectrum that would
otherwise
> be used for one AM or SSB signal. Of course, the other side of this
equation
> is that a good stable and selective receiver is a great advantage in
> operating with CW. This is not to say that these qualities are an absolute
> necessity but rather and advantage in the practical world.
> Operating with CW with a narrow bandpass receiver means that much
undesired
> noise and the effects of other signals is just lost. This is a very great
> enhancement and makes CW operating much more pleasurable.
>
> Operating CW is an art as much as anything else. It certainly is not
> something that a neophyte operator can expect to do easily or quickly. As
> much as anything else this fact tends to make it somewhat exclusive. The
> removal of the proficiency in CW requirement has opened the door for many
> who never otherwise would have become Hams because now they can just get a
> licence, buy a radio and operate. On the other hand (and there is another
> hand) there has been no infringement of CW operations on any band by any
> country (to the best of my knowledge). Some think that CW will just fade
> away. I don't believe that is true. It is somewhat unfortunate that effort
> is required to become a CW operator. But really, is that true? I doubt it.
> As operators in general realize that there is something more than voice or
> digital communications they become candidates for the art of CW. The game
> has changed a bit but in the long run this may be an advantage. Time will
> tell.
>
>
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