[Elecraft] CW Progress

Mon Oct 13 10:09:00 2003

Hi, Martin--

Keep up the good work!

I got back on the shortwave bands in August 2002 (about 15 months ago).
Although I'd worked a fair amount of CW in my younger days (been a ham for
32 years now), when I got back on in summer 2002, I don't think I could
really hold a decent QSO at 13-15 wpm. Now, just slightly over a year later,
I'm comfortable ragchewing at 20 wpm, and during the contests this weekend,
was operating in the 25-30 wpm range. And I never copy to paper anymore.

What I did was set a goal for myself. My goal in August 2002 was to work one
of the CW stations at our club's 2003 Field Day site. I didn't set a
specific speed goal or QSO goal, but as I slogged through CW QSO after CW
QSO, I always kept in mind the goal of doing well at FD 2003.

One thing I did which I think really helped my code speed was to start
working contests. I got sucked in to contesting one Saturday when tuning
around on 20m, I came across the Oklahoma QSO Party. After listening to a
few QSOs, and looking up the rules on the Internet, I jumped in and started
working the OK stations. A couple hours later, I had worked about 20 OKs.
What fun!

I think working contests helps a lot. My theory is that it's the
concentration that helps burn the code into your brain. And you can operate
faster than normal because the exchange is prescribed, meaning you're
listening for fewer characters at any one time. (I hope that makes sense.)

Another thing I did was keep track of my progress in my log book. When I has
a solid copy QSO at 18 wpm, for example, I'd make a note of that in my
logbook.

The big thing, though, was practice, practice, practice. In the
approximately 15 months since I started, I've logged close to 2,000 QSOs (if
you count all the contest QSOs).

The best part is that I've gotten to know a lot of nice people, and it's
been a lot of fun.

73!

Dan KB6NU
=============================================
Potential K1 Builder
Treasurer, ARROW Comm. Assn. (www.w8pgw.org)
HF CW op (FISTS #9342)
Ham radio bookseller (www.QTB.Com/hamradio/)
Read my ham radio blog at www.blurty.com/~kb6nu .

----- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 5:08 AM
Subject: [Elecraft] CW Progress

> Eric/Wayne pse ditch this if you feel it is off subject, but maybe other
> readers who are trying hard with cw will be encouraged by it.
>
> Another major breakthrough for my cw. Head copy at 13 wpm coming along
> nicely. I find that if I just concentrate on recognising each character,
> words start popping up in my head, I just become aware of them (the short
> ones that is) without actually piecing them together. Now I've experienced
> this I know what I need to work at. Problem is when I think about the
> meaning too much (difficult not to) I loose characters and fall off the
> conveyor belt so to speak. So my rule therefore is "no conscious thinking"
> except for recognition of each character and the meaning takes shape in
the
> back of the mind. Wow this is a real step forward for me, and qso's are
> becoming easier all the time. I also listen a lot to qso's at 15-18wpm and
> start to hear lots of words so when I QRS to 13 I can almost relax, well
OK
> a bit maybe. The weeks and months of practise are starting to pay off. So
> if any of you guys are learning cw like me then stick at it, it will come,
> you just need to be patient and don't give up, eventually the brain gives
> in and says "OK you win" and starts to do automatically what you have been
> badgering it to do for weeks! I listen daily  to tapes of my own sending,
> on air listening (all speeds) and real qso's (the fun bit) and if I can't
> do any of those, I just do mental practise (silly head qso's), I even sing
> and hum cw if I feel like it, it all helps the reflex and developes the
> rhythms.
>
> Thanks for the bandwidth. K1 is going just great. I just look at it in
> disbelief sometimes!
>
> Martin
> M0KWV
> K1 #1534, K1-2, K1-4, Kat1, 40m dipole. minimal qrp ham radio and enjoying
> every minute of it.
>
>
>
>
> Why not take a look at our Web site?
> http://www.simoncarves.com
>
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