[Elecraft] CW Learning Techniques

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Like most Hams, I started out writing down each character. I quickly moved
to a typewriter (a.k.a. "mill" - particularly the ones with only capital
letters that were used in commercial/military service) where I learned to
automatically punch keys in response to hearing letters almost without
thinking about it.  

Except for the occasional test for a new/upgraded commercial or Ham CW
license in which I was required to write down at least one minute of solid
copy for an FCC examiner, I fairly quickly moved to "head copy". Doing that,
I'm quite aware that I 'see' each character in my head as I hear it, just as
if I were pounding on a mill. I am most aware of that when sometimes a long
word will require me to "look back" that the recent characters to read the
whole thing to understand what I "heard". 

Clearly, that ability to remember for a short while at least individual,
disconnected characters until they become a word is a learned ability. I've
been doing that for over half a century, so I can't begin to tell you how
long it takes, but it isn't an unusual ability nor should it take a terribly
long time. 

One thing that gets in the way of learning is stress. I suggest "reading the
mail" (copying random QSO's in which you are not involved or listening to
broadcasts like the ARRL code practice sessions) to practice copying in your
head. Sit back, close your eyes and just pound out those characters on your
mental "mill" or write them on your mental notepad, whichever is the "right"
thing for you.  

I often listen to CW while working around the shack, and it seems like I'm
just hearing a person slowly speaking - until he/she says something I don't
understand and I catch myself reviewing the last few letters sent to create
a printed "word". 

In a QSO, I still write down the op's name, QTH, etc., because that short
term memory isn't *that* good! I'll hear a name FB, but five minutes later
be completely unable to recall it if I didn't jot it down somewhere. Of
course, that goes double for calls. Similarly, in a rag-chew I'll jot down a
short note while listening about questions the other op asked or things I
want to comment on so I don't forget them when I'm transmitting. For
example, "HB rig?" might serve to remind me to ask more about the homebrew
rig he mentioned using.  

Now, I'm just a routine Ham/Commercial operator "graybeard". I haven't ever
worked at CW speeds above 35 wpm or so, and that only out of an interest to
get a 35 WPM certificate from the ARRL some years ago for the fun of it. I
always match the speed of the station I'm calling, so most of my operating
is in the 20-25 wpm range, frequently slower. There are Hams whose main
interest is in high-speed CW; working at 40 or 50 wpm or even faster. From
what I read, doing that takes learning special techniques in which you do
hear whole words as single entities; even big ones. People actually develop
vocabularies in which the assemblage of CW elements for a word becomes a
form of the word itself, just like hearing a foreign language. If that's
your ultimate goal, those ops may have some suggestions that will help you
get there most quickly. It seems that really high-speed CW usually involves
having to "unlearn" some techniques that most of us pick up naturally at low
speeds but which get in the way of really high-speed operating. One of those
things they tell me must be "unlearned" is the idea of hearing or
visualizing individual letters. 

Ron AC7AC



-----Original Message-----
Hi to all, sorry this is a bit off topic but I know there are a lot of good
CW ops on this list. I am currently working on CW head copy at around 20wpm.
I get most of the smaller words (say up to 5 letters) with no problem but
miss many of the longer ones, I forget the first few letters by the time I
get to the last few. However, the real question is should I "visualise" the
letters (like imagining a typewriter with my eyes shut) or just sort of
recognise the letters in an abstract sort of way leaving the brain to piece
them together in the background so to speak (hard to describe this bit). I
am aware of both methods happening but not sure whether to force the
"visualising" method in case it will slow me down later on. The
"visualising" does help me to get some of the longer words but maybe it's
not good in the long term. The  "art and skill of radio telegraphy" book
doesn't seem to offer any pointers here. Maybe it doesn't matter much either
way but your expert opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks
Martin
M0KWV
K1 #1534