[CW] "THE SECRETS OF CW" by Frank Merritt, VE7FPM

[Danny Douglas]

The only secret to cw is called PRACTICE.  Having taught it to hundreds of boys, I always had to hold back the horror in my face when an adult said he COULDNT learn.  I wanted to tell him the word was WOULDNT.  I send characters at 20 wpm to learners, with 5 wpm spacing between characters.  As they gain confidence, I shorten the spacing, and viola, I soon am able to tell them they just passed the code test, at 20 wpm.  The military used tapes, or records if you are an old guy, and it

N7DC at ARRL.NET
Ex WN5QMX,WA5UKR,ET2US,ET3USA,SV0WPP,VS6DD,N7DC/YV5/G5CTB
QSL Bureau, DIRECT, LOTW Preferred, eQSL used but upload at a courtesy only, as do not use the system for awards.

> On January 30, 2017 at 9:30 PM "D.J.J. Ring, Jr." <n1ea at arrl.net> wrote:
> 
>     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 be 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 afterthe 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:
>     http://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.
> 
>     =30=
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>     =30=
> 
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