[Elecraft] Farnsworth CW
Gil Stacy
[email protected]
Thu Oct 30 09:15:00 2003
>When we talk CW speeds, I'm always inclined to assume it's like describing the size of the fish we catch. <
Or someone's gas mileage. ;)
Listening to perfect code at speeds faster than my comfort level has made a big difference in helping me read faster. Using Ray Goff's G4FON's freeware, I cut and paste fresh text from any source and save it in Notepad to the Koch file and play it back on my lap top. Bill Pierpont's book (available for copy at MEGS site) contains the 100 most common English words, phrases, etc. I have cut and pasted these to G4FON's freeware. Pierpont's book is also highly instructional, motivational and inspirational. After reading a few chapters, one is left with the feeling "hey, I can do this!"
Our own Julian's (G4ILO's) Morsetest (freeware at his website) is a wonderful resource, not only for contest preparation, but in increasing overall read speed. It is fun, interactive and has been a big help. I doubt however, if an on air op would tolerate my repeated requests for fills that I sometimes use during Morsetest. :)
For me, sending and receiving still are very different skills. In January, my code buddy in the FISTS program brought me to reality by bluntly telling me: "you sound like you are sending nothing but "g's". A tape recorder verfied his observation. After the tape recorder, the biggest aid to my learning spacing in the beginning was GAFON's program. I set character spacing at first from 15 words per minute, 5 wpm overall and repeated the characters with my straight key between the spaces and continued moving the speed up to 10 wpm while still at 15 wpm character speed. I could not repeat characters fast enough in the spacing after 10 wpm, but this exercise enabled my Code Buddy to read my sending in his head. My having to recognize and send a letter immediately before the next one popped up helped me considerably in the beginning.
When it comes down to it, sending and receiving improvement is dependent on the old Carnegie Hall principle: "practice, practice, practice."
73/Gil KG4VCG
K2 #3104
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