1968 RM school in San Diego (USN), we would copy at a speed we were comfortable with most times, and then have high speed test twice a day; our instructor said, don’t worry about errors this is to raise your speed. It really worked!
George N0̸GM

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 5, 2022, at 6:44 PM, Chris R. NW6V <[email protected]> wrote:



Hi Danny.

 

I'm inclined to agree. It is not that the plans as laid out in the military system were wrong, or harmful, but they were designed in an era when modern ergonomics and sports training were virtually unknown. It is "a" system that will work. Not “the” system.

 

One aspect is that modern training is "focused" - that is, not just "sit and do 5-character groups all day" - but sets goals and breaks performance down into its components, so the components can all be polished individually. It is much more effective. 

 

In sports training, we find three different neuro-muscular systems which are trained individually: endurance, strength, and power. A cyclist will, for example, spend many miles and hours just pedaling along at an easy (for them) high-rpm pace. But several days a week, will do "interval training" - sustained efforts of 2-3 minutes duration at a power level that cannot be continued longer than that – and then spend an equal number of minutes. recovering at an easy pace. Then do it again. And again. For a number of sets. It hurts. It will tear you down. But it makes you strong - repeats that test the limits build strength. The final system trained is raw power – by doing all-out sprints – defined as work efforts that can only be done for 10 seconds – they leave you spent, unable to continue. But it will make you fast.

 

The actual time spent in various training drill will vary with the drill. A sprint is just ten seconds. But that is not the session.

 

Thus, saying “only practice for 15 minutes twice a day” very clearly doesn’t make sense – practice what? Do what? Before and after what?  

 

We are a volunteer army today, with differing goals and needs and more personalized learning plans are practical.

 

I had the great good fortune to learn from a master – my dad - who had taught many in the Navy before and after WW2, and started me early. At 12 I could copy 5-character groups at 18wpm. When I started in, Morse was added to life the same way the ABCs were added to life in the first grade. They were up on the wall in plain view, so to speak – a subject of constant interest and speculation. And discussion. Morse was made a part of my everyday life.

 

How much time was spent practicing? The only time it felt like a “session” was later, when I sat in front of an Instruct-o-graph copying 5-character groups off punched tapes. We already “talked” code at the dinner table – but those sessions were intense – always pushing the speed – pushing - doing a tape - resting – doing another – and writing everything down perfectly, of course - very much like the cyclist’s interval training.  

 

So, suggested time limits need to be understood in the larger context of a complete training program.

 

73 Chris NW6V

 


On Sat, Feb 5, 2022 at 3:48 PM Chris R. NW6V <[email protected]> wrote:
Hi Danny.

I'm inclined to agree. It is not that the plans as laid out in th emilitar system were wrong, or harmful, but they were designs in an era when modern ergonomics and sports training were virtually unknown. It is "a" system that will work. 

One aspect is that modern training is "focused" - that is not just "sit and do 5-character groups all day" - but sets goals and breaks performance down into its components, so the components can all be polished individually.It is much more effective. 

In sports training, we find three different neuro-muscular systems which are trained individuals: endurance, strength, and power. A cyclist willfor example spend many miles and ours just pedaling along at an easy high rpm pace. But will then do "interval training" - sustained efforts of 2-3 minutes at a power level that cannot be continued longer than that. You then spend an eq

On Sat, Feb 5, 2022 at 3:19 PM n7dc <[email protected]> wrote:
Not sure about that.  We had initially 4 hours a day learning, then increasing speed.   An additional 4 hours spent getting typing speed up to 25 or so wpm.  That was all with 5 letter and then number groups.  Since I went in, having dome code knowledge, and was a high school  champion typist (120 wpm) I had also asked in a question period " what happens is you do not pass the required 5 wpm in the first two weeks "  the answer was "We will give you a different job ---- cook, security guard, poleman."  I went  back in and passed t wpm in the next 15 minutes minutes.
I also passed typing on that afternoon's session.  I no longer had to take typing. So wound up in CW all day long.  Consequently passed one speed after another in a month till they ran out of speed tapes. (1960).  Left me a lot of free time studying frequency, antennas, formats, etc.  And came out as number 2 in a class of about 125.  The guy who was first had been a ham since about age 12.  Soooo I taught CW to kids and adults for many years, using hand key and sessions of about an hour weekly.



Sent from my Galaxy


-------- Original message --------
From: Richard Knoppow <[email protected]>
Date: 2/5/22 3:15 PM (GMT-05:00)
Subject: Re: [CW] Learning Morse Code - Thanks to Bob, K4RLC

    Thank you for the definite information. I had read the
recommendation not to practice much longer than 15 minutes at a
time and my personal experience is that fatigue sets in after that.

On 2/5/2022 11:48 AM, D.J.J. Ring, Jr. wrote:
> -Based on the American research of training CW ops in the
> military, at least 5 days a week of practice is needed.
>
> -And, at least two sessions of practice, usually one in the AM
> and another in the PM.
>
> -Length of time should be at least 15-20 minutes. Some say to
> practice til you get tired.
>
> The American research showed that prolonged practice (like an
> hour or more at a time) did not help with learning.
>
> -Reward yourself for practice. And record your efforts, time and
> date, as this will reinforce you and let you see your progress.
>
> -Go to for further info and the neuroscience implications:
>
> https://groups.io/g/LongIslandCWClub/files/INTERMEDIATE%20CLASS%20BOB%20K4RLC
> <https://groups.io/g/LongIslandCWClub/files/INTERMEDIATE%20CLASS%20BOB%20K4RLC>
>
> 73
>
> DR
>
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--
Richard Knoppow
[email protected]
WB6KBL
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