[CW] Copy speed (Was: Straight key vs paddle)

[James Zuelow]

On Monday 19 April 2010, Ron Zond wrote:
> Mike
> 
> You can copy 25 wpm  in three weeks, with just 15 min a day practice.
> Start at 35 and work down.
> 
> Ron
> K3MIY
> 

LOL.  (Or I guess HI HI HI here.)  How do you copy at 35 WPM?

I'm still learning code, and my block is copy speed.  I can recognize a 
character faster, but I can't physically write them down faster than about 
5-7wpm.  I can push 10 for short periods.

The characters that get me are "e" and "t" -- especially that darn e.  I wait 
for more and then the next character starts and I'm hurredly writing an "e" 
(which takes a *long* time) while listening to the next character at the same 
time.

Then the next time I hear an e I start to write it down too quickly so I don't 
get behind, meaning I have to scratch it out when it suddenly morphs into an i 
or an s, which puts me behind on that character.

I'm still not familiar enough with the sounds to do well once I get behind, so 
I have to skip some and start copying again.

Makes me wish I had picked up shorthand when I was younger.

James
KL2ZZ