[Elecraft] Johnson SpeedX printed Morse

[Charlie T]

OH, yeah.....I can see it in front of me now, a little Johnson SpeedX Morse Code chart.
WORST thing I could possibly have used........YUGE plateau at 7 WPM !

Curiously, when working for Microlog ( the OLD one in Gaithersburg MD), we had a contract to make a video/keyboard automated Morse Code instruction machine for XXXXX gubmint agency.
They KNEW how to teach code and just wanted to automate it.
The key was that they STARTED with the hard letters FIRST, a four letter group with, if my memory serves me, PQXJ, or something like that with letters consisting of FOUR dit/dah combinations.
They did NOT start with E, T, I  & M.
Their logic was that it prevented the student from changing their perception as a "long" character is received. for example, if a "J"  is received, is it E, or A, or W, or J?

I can tell you, it WORKED. My son learned the whole Morse alphabet by sound (The machine sent at 15 WPM character rate too.) in under three hours total,  broken up into 10 to 15 minute sessions.
Today he is KB4WVI.

73, Charlie k3ICH






-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net <elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Wes
Sent: Thursday, December 26, 2019 2:57 PM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Reaching Across the Chronological Divide

Please don't let him learn code by sight.  I taught myself from the list in my Boy Scout Handbook (still have it)  and I've never overcome doing it the wrong way. Passed a 20 WPM Extra exam but it was a struggle.  Still my favorite mode though.

Wes  N7WS