[CW] Re: [KochMorse] Diminishing returns when learning morse

[Tony Martin W4FOA]

Well Hans,
The truth of the matter is that the military trained literally thousands of
men and women to copy code just as Joe stated.  While it may not make sense
to you, it works.  Many of these operators probably had never heard morse
code but showed an aptitude by taking the simple E I T test.  Many of these
folks wound up copying code in the high 30 and 40 wpm. I might add, copying
strange things around the world.  Maybe in the Navy it was different copying
USN broadcasts, etc..

I think a big problem with folks today is that they make learning the code
too complicated.  Its pretty elementary stuff.  While there are a few that
just cannot learn the code, the vast majority could do it if they just
applied themselves.

I learned the code in a very unique way.  At 13 years of age, I had my Boy
Scout's Handbook with the code written out and I used a Key on Board (hand
key with a sounder mounted on a piece of wood).  I had no code oscillator so
I made the sounds either with my voice as I pressed the key or imagined the
sound in my head.  I learned to write the code out on a piece of paper as I
was learning to copy.  Later I went to a "mill" and believe it or not, I
suffered not one bit.  I am a 50+ wpm CW operator today and must confess
after 50+ years of CW, sending and receiving code is no different to me than
carrying on a conversation on the telephone.

Just my 2 cents.

Tony, W4FOA



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "K0HB" <k-zero-hb at earthlink.net>
To: "Joe - aa4nn" <aa4nn at earthlink.net>; "W3GERry" <MrsScience at hotpop.com>;
"Fists" <Fists at qth.mailman.net>; "CW" <CW at mailman.qth.net>; "SolidCpyCW"
<SolidCpyCW at yahoogroups.com>; "QRS-CW" <QRS-CW at yahoogroups.com>;
<KochMorse at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 1:03 PM
Subject: Re: [CW] Re: [KochMorse] Diminishing returns when learning morse


> From: "Joe - aa4nn" <aa4nn at earthlink.net>
>
>> We copied with a pencil up to 18
>> wpm then went to the typewriter,
>> finishing the class copying 25+ wpm on the
>> mill.
>
> That seems like a disruptive sequence at best, and very limiting of the
> potential of the trainee.  Copying with a pencil and copying on a mill are
> two distinctly different skills.
>
> High speed morse copying is a reflex action done at the subconscious
> level,
> but this learning method would depend on thinking "that was a 'J'", then
> doing a mental conversion in transcribing the letter.
>
> A good 'mill operator' would never translate the 'didahdahdah' into 'J'
> but
> rather into pressing the right forefinger on the home key 'J'.  This
> should
> happen without the conscious brain thinking 'J'.
>
> Similarly, a good 'stick operator' would not think 'J', but would
> subconsciously print a 'J' on paper.  To move from that skill at 18WPM to
> mill-copy at 19WPM implies that the training method required the trainee
> to
> 'think' each letter and perform a different action depending on whether
> they
> had a pencil or a mill at their finger tips.
>
> 73, de Hans, K0HB
> Master Chief Radioman, US Navy
>
>
>
>
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