[Elecraft] Learning Morse Code is Like Learning to Dance

[drewko]

There are plenty of free resources out there to learn code.  I don't
think profit is the reason why people learn to copy before learning to
send.

Not that doing it the other way around wouldn't work, as long as you
make sure you are not sending so slowly as to start counting "dots"
and "dashes". That is the the single biggest mistake you can make with
the code. 

I did learn from records though: Army Signal Corps 78 RPMs. Using them
I could copy at a pretty good clip before realizing that I should
start practicing sending. (The recordings are available at archive.org
for free download,  just search my callsign there.)

I'm not necessarilly recommending these records. If I was learning the
Code today I'd most llikely be using one or several of the computer
software programs now available. I don't see how they could be beat
for ease of learning.

73,
Drew
AF2Z




On Fri, 30 May 2014 14:08:22 -0400, you wrote:

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Slava Baytalskiy [mailto:slavka at nullserv.com] 
>Sent: Friday, May 30, 2014 1:50 PM
>To: Dick, K2ZR
>Cc: W0MU Mike Fatchett; <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
>Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Learning Morse Code is Like Learning to Dance
>
> 
>
>That's interesting...
>
>I'm currently in the process of learning CW and this is the first time I
>heard of "learn to send first" approach. 
>
>You rarely hear this because there are lots of folks out there who want to
>sell you CD's.
>
> 
>
>As I'm getting close to finishing the alphabet and can copy short
>3/4/5-letter words - I'm starting to wonder how am I going to learn to send.
>
>
>Perhaps I should incorporate a sending session in my daily CW routine?
>Slava, Make sure you engage an Elmer with a good fist so you start sending
>with the correct rhythm from the "gitgo". When I teach, my students "sing"
>the rhythm of the character as they send it on a key. They sound [ sing ] it
>out, they hear it, they feel it and they get it! 
>
>Dick, K2ZR
>
>