[Elecraft] Learning CW

[Ron D' Eau Claire]

Jerry, K7YVZ, asked:

> I am looking for tips to learn how to copy in ones head. I am to the point
> that my hand will not keep up, not to say I get tired of having piles of
> paper laying around.(I already know answer: practice practice)

Yes... and it doesn't seem to me that it need to take any major change in
what you are doing... just a sort of "weaning" process from the paper.

When I learned CW it was all about perfect copy on paper, either using a
pencil or a Mill (special typewriter with all cap keys). That's the way we
learned for Ham licenses and that's what was required in commercial work.

The ability to "copy in one's head" was not even "on the map". If it wasn't
on paper, it didn't exist. Still, the ability developed as, like you, I got
tired of writing everything down. First, one had to learn to "copy behind".
It was not possible to copy letter-by-letter reliably. One had to hear the
words, then let the fingers make the word on paper. So there was an ability
developed of storing the English translation of the CW briefly in the mind
before it went to paper.

Next with the "standard" QSO format I'd quit writing "NAME HR IS DON DON
DON" and started just waiting for the name and writing that down. That made
it easier at higher speeds. The whole sentence only required that I write
"DON". Pretty soon I discovered that I didn't need to write the name down -
I could remember it! Wild concept <G>.

My notes now contain a time, call, name, QTH and a few other tidbits jotted
down during a QSO (I do not use a computer logging program, which would
obviate even those sparse notes) along with one or two words about things I
want to comment on. Yeah, I write names down again after referring to "Fred"
as "George" a few times. But I'm taking notes, not "copying on paper".

My point is that it seemed a very natural process, starting with not writing
down every single word and pretty soon not needing to write down almost
anything. It was not a process of re-learning to copy code... just a natural
progression beginning with not writing down EVERY letter or word.

Ron AC7AC
K2 # 1289