[Elecraft] Learning Code by Farnsworth Method

[WILLIS COOKE]

--- "Tom Childers, N5GE" <n5ge at n5ge.com> wrote:

> On Sun, 23 Mar 2008 09:19:26 -0400, Dave wrote:
> 
> [snip]
>  
> >Once you know what the code is _supposed_ to sound
> like, picking up a 
> >straight key is a useful skill, and you will be
> better for it.
> 
> The best place to find out what good CW sounds like
> is the W1AW code practice
> transmissions.  Don't just listen to one speed
> though, and pay attention of the
> flow of the code at different speeds.  There is a
> rhythm to it no matter what
> the speed.  The length of character and word spacing
> changes at each speed which
> keeps the rhythm the same at all speeds. 
> 
> Don't get pulled in by someone who suggests learning
> code with the Farnsworth
> method. 

Tom I agree with you up to a point.  Certainly, the
W1AW Code Practice Broadcasts are a great training
method and a chance for all of us to hear near
perfectly timed code.  I copy the broadcasts from time
to time to try to keep my timing.  Where we part is
with your comments about Farnsworth Keying.  W1AW does
use Farnsworth Keying for speeds 10 WPM and below.  I
offer the following evidence: 

ARRLWeb: Learn Morse Code (CW)!
Morse Code Made Mild
for the New Millennium!

http://www2.arrl.org/FandES/ead/learncw/

The Farnsworth Method is recommended. With the
Farnsworth Method, you learn each character at 15
words per minute with large spacing in between
characters. This has been proven to be the best method
for long-range development. Once the characters are
learned, copying speed is easily increased by
decreasing the spacing between each character.

I would recommend that all beginners and all of us who
want to help beginners as well as all of us who just
want to be better CW operators read the information at
the above URL.  Since I consider myself in all three
categories, I plan to go back to the URL and read it
again when I finish writing this diatribe.  Those of
you who operate only voice and digital are beyond hope
anyway, so you are excused from this assignment.

I did have one exchange on this forum with a ham who
thought it would be a good idea to have separate
controls on a keyer, specifically the one in the K3
for the speed of the character and the spacing so that
beginners could send better Farnsworth method code.  I
do not agree with that, but I think that Farnsworth is
useful for building code speed from nothing to 10 or
so WPM

Cookie, K5EWJ, 52 years a licensed ham and 55 years of
Morse, but still learning.



Willis 'Cookie' Cooke 
K5EWJ

Willis 'Cookie' Cooke 
K5EWJ