[Elecraft] Getting Started With CW

[Ron van Doremalen]

Hi all,

Only read about sending CW via straight key or paddles.
To my opinion the work starts with a good reading ability.

Some tips from personal experience:
- don't start with low speed CW. It makes you think in dits and dahs instead 
of sound.
- so stay away from the 10WPM wall - start at 12 WPM or even higher.
- don't touch a key until you are able to solid copy 12-15WPM and are 
familiar with the sound.
- stay away from plain text until you are able to copy random almost 100%. 
It prevents ahead reading of what is yet to come.

Spacing between letters/words....unless needed stay away from this all it 
might enable you to start thinking.

My CW learning cycle was starting with 8WPM which i managed quite quickly, 
but trying to get at higher speeds hit the 10WPM wall.
With help of some great HAMS with weekly execercises (tapes) and at home 
drinking too stong coffee i managed to get over the 10WPM wall, passed the 
12WPM CW exam for the A (now F) license. The great Hams fooled me as i was 
already trained at 15 WPM. Exam was easy.

Didn't use CW after passing. Stupid but too late.

Always had issues with 0-9 characters as i still didn't achieve to unprogram 
my dits/dahs decyphering.
Tried many times to get back to the old skills but my brain wants to 
decypher still.

Try the software of G4FON which lets you learn the characters per character 
and other real life situations if needed.

Ron - PA3FAT
-----Original Message----- 
From: Bob
Sent: Monday, December 1, 2014 8:14 PM
To: elecraft
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Getting Started With CW

Well we all have our CW learning stories.   So here is mine and can be taken 
as
a tip-suggestion-opinion.

At 13 in 1956 I signed up for a Novice class at the local radio club, Nutley
Amateur Radio Society (Nutley, NJ).  When it came time to learn the basics 
of
sending the instructor, W2TJD (SK) made us try to send with the "wrong" hand
since we were learning anyway. I'm a lefty so tried right handed.  At that 
point
it was equally poor with either hand.  But I learned it and over time it was 
a
great advantage as the better hand was free.  I could send with one hand and 
log
or do other things with the other.   Back in the old days when logs were in 
the
carbon stick and dead tree format it was always interesting to watch at FD 
etc
OPS that only used one hand as they chased the pencil that rolled away when 
they
put it down. Sending CW is not a high dexterity thing like writing or other 
fine
work.

Whether you start with a straight key or paddle this is appropriate. 
Sending CW
is a finesse rather than a force mode of doing it.  If your chasing the key 
or
paddle around that is excessive force and adding more weight is not the
solution.   Same goes for it being tiresome or generating pain and 
discomfort.
To much tension and force being used.  Think about it, you need movement of 
only
thousands of an inch not the key to move across the desk.  Learn to relax 
and
the movement is only slight with the fingers or wrist or combination of the 
two.

Confession time...  I hated CW.  When my novice expired I got a 5 WPM tech 
and
held it until the mid 60's.  I lived in an apartment with an indoor antenna 
and
wanted to get on 10 to participate in the clubs 10 meter net.  I struggled
through and got to 13 WPM to get a General ticket.  I made the net and 
called CQ
on phone until I was blue in the face and never made a contact.   1st CQ on 
CW
was replied to instantly by an SP station. That set the hook and I'd guess 
I'm
75% CW since.

73,
Bob
K2TK   ex KN2TKR & K2TKR
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