[Elecraft] O.T. Learning Morse Code

[Walter Underwood]

Should be able to find a typewriter in fine working condition here:

http://www.losaltosbusinessmachines.com/

My all time favorite typewriter is an IBM Correcting Selectric II. An APL golfball would be icing on the cake.

wunder
K6WRU

On May 31, 2014, at 8:26 PM, WILLIS COOKE via Elecraft <elecraft at mailman.qth.net> wrote:

> I had to learn to copy at least three times.  First, I memorized the code from the Boy Scout Handbook with dots and dashes.  That was good for about 5 wpm.  Then I learned to copy with block printing and that worked well to almost 20, but I could not get there.  I had to learn to copy with cursive to get the extra back when you had to get a minute perfect copy for the examiner.  I am still working on head copy but for some reason I have to hold a pencil and make marks that even I can't read most of the words to copy.  Finding a mill that works well is a challenge these days.  The ships that I have worked on have several mills sitting around frozen up, but none that work well.  I don't think there are any typewriter repairmen left around to rework a mill.
>  
> Willis 'Cookie' Cooke, TDXS DX Chairman
> K5EWJ & Trustee N5BPS, USS Cavalla, USS Stewart
> 
> 
> On Saturday, May 31, 2014 7:25 PM, Fred Jensen <k6dgw at foothill.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> You are right Chuck, this is true, many will verify it.  If I'm writing 
> it down, the translation path is <hear sound><know letter/number [or 
> maybe word]><recall shape of written character[s]><write character[s]>. 
>   With a mill, it's <hear sounds><move fingers>.
> 
> I think it's that <recall ...> step that breaks the continuous copying 
> process, it requires thinking, and if you learned on a mill, or have 
> used a mill a lot, you're not used to doing any thinking.  When I was at 
> the coastal marine station so many years ago, my mind would wander while 
> in traffic with a ship ... OK, I was 16, 16-yr old minds wander a lot. 
> :-)  But, it's just evidence that I wasn't thinking about what I was copying
> 
> Copying on a mill, and to a large extent on a keyboard, I have no idea 
> what I copied when I'm done, without reading it, it's muscle-memory and 
> it did not go through my alleged brain.  I'm not a musician, but my 
> brother is [however, he makes his living writing software :-)] and he 
> tells me playing the piano is basically muscle memory ... <see 
> notes><move fingers>.
> 
> It goes a bit beyond that however, there is a distinct difference 
> between a mill and a computer keyboard for most.  I can type faster 
> [from hard copy text] on a desktop keyboard than I can on a mill. 
> However, I can copy Morse [groups or text] faster on a mill than than 
> that same keyboard.  On a mill, I'm good for 30-35 WPM.  On a standard 
> sized desktop keyboard, 30 is tops and will have typos.  On a laptop or 
> other smaller keyboard, I sort of top out at 20-25 ... or less depending 
> on the keyboard.
> 
> I really don't *know* why, but I suspect that the longer key travel 
> forces a rhythm that syncs with the Morse.  The worst of all keyboards 
> to touch type on are the flat-panel ones with no key travel.
> 
> Just in case there are any out there looking for a CW Elmer, the CWOps 
> group runs an international CW Academy.  They use a well proved 
> methodology, a free video-conferencing program with competent 
> instructors, flexible schedules, and there's lots of on-air support from 
> the members on the 3 CWT's each Wednesday.  cwops.org  There is usually 
> a waiting list but it goes fast.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Fred K6DGW
> - Northern California Contest Club
> - CU in the 2014 Cal QSO Party 4-5 Oct 2014
> - www.cqp.org
> 
> 
> On 5/31/2014 4:08 PM, Chuck Smallhouse wrote:
> 
>> I was tasked teaching much older(>17) and lower ranked Radiomen, Morse
>> code, via using a typewriter for copying.  It was a learning experience
>> for me, as I found this method much easier to learn, than by writing
>> down the words and messages by hand.  It seemed as if the code
>> characters went directly from the ears to the typing fingers, totally
>> bypassing any pondering in the brain.
> 
> 
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--
Walter Underwood
wunder at wunderwood.org