[Elecraft] On CW

[Alan]

I learned Morse code the "wrong" way.  I had built a Knight-Kit Star 
Roamer, a very simple tube-type shortwave receiver that was mainly for 
AM reception but could "kind-of" receive CW.  In the back of the manual 
they had the Morse code written out in dots and dashes.

So I memorized a couple of letters (E and T since they were the 
simplest) and started listening.  Every once in awhile I could hear a 
letter that sounded like a single dot or dash, so I was pretty sure 
those were E and T.

Then I added a few more letters hoping to hear a complete word.  I think 
the first complete word I copied was "THE".  Then I added more and more 
characters (starting with the most common ones) until I had the complete 
alphabet, numbers and symbols.

One advantage of this method is you never get caught on a speed 
"plateau" because you are listening at full speed from the beginning.

Alan N1AL



On 10/31/2017 11:26 AM, rkruse at johngalt.biz wrote:
> 
> On 10/31/2017 2:02 PM, engineercm wrote:
>> Thank you so much for articulating the magic about CW.
> 
> As a teen I tried to learn Morse Code and never was able to get very 
> far.  With Morse as a condition for getting a license, I never thought 
> about getting a Ham License although I was very heavy into electronics 
> and got my First Class Radiotelephone License.  (To show my age, the 
> testing only had one transistor question; all the rest were tubes.)
> 
> When I discovered that Morse Code had been removed as a requirement 
> (2014 or so) I began studying for my tests and made Extra within a few 
> months.
> 
> I have  K3S that I am about to put on the air, on SSB to begin because 
> that is what I currently understand.
> 
> I have had CW recommended, but am unwilling to repeat the head banging 
> experience I went through 50+ years ago.
> 
> Now that I've given the history, my question to those of you who are 
> gung-ho on CW is; how did you begin the learning process?  Is there some 
> secret that I missed?
> 
> 73
> 
> Ray
> KK4WPB
> 
>