[Elecraft] OT Learning Morse anew

[Rick M0LEP]

I only allowed myself to buy my KX3 after I'd completed a number of CW 
QSOs. I stumbled through most of them, but I confidently expected the 
KX3 would provide me with an incentive to improve my Morse, and I'd get 
better at it quite quickly. It didn't quite work out that way, though. 
I've had my KX3 since February 2013, and I'm still mostly stumbling 
along at sub-12wpm.

I don't think there is any such thing as "The Perfect Method". I was 
sold on "Koch" (with a side order of "Farnsworth"), which some folk 
swear is the One True Way to learn Morse, but the Koch incremental 
approach turned out to be a complete waste of time for me.

I suspect good teaching in a face-to-face class would probably have 
worked a lot better, but that sort of thing is pretty much impossible to 
find these days. The CWOps courses seem to get quite a bit of praise, 
and while they're not quite face-to-face (as they rely on something like 
Skype) they are at least led by real people rather than machines. Their 
main drawback is that they seem to have a waiting list well over a year 
long.

At the end of the day, I expect improving your Morse mostly comes down 
to practice, practice, practice. Having that practice guided by an 
experienced teacher would probably help a lot. If you can, find some 
local experienced Morse mentors, listen to their advice, and then 
practice, practice, practice...

....and try to get out and operate at whatever speed you can manage.

On Sun 11 Jun Jim Sr Sturges wrote:
> I think I learned code all wrong. Can't ever seem to get my speed up.
> 
> Surely some of the astute among you _know_ The Perfect Method, and I hope
> you will share?

-- 
73, Rick, M0LEP   (KX3 #3281)
The Alchemist's Guild is opposite the Gambler's Guild. Usually.
Sometimes it's above it, or below it, or falling in bits around it.
	-- (Terry Pratchett, Men At Arms)