[Elecraft] Learning Morse Code

[Jim Danehy]

Everyone has an opinion on how to learn Morse Code. My skill with CW probably comes from longevity. Closing in on 70 years of using Morse Code. Certainly mostly hit and miss. I once wrote here that I could copy quite fast. Then the posts of bragging. That was not my intention. Credibility counts. You establish that with facts. 

We all start with a blank sheet. We learned to talk as babies. That takes a good year plus. There really is no difference between learning to decode speech and CW. They both are sounds. They both are methods of communication. Reflect on that for just a moment or two.

Converting sound ! When I hear 2 people conversing in a language that I do not know it is just sound. That also occurs when CW is heard by someone who does not know CW.

A baby does not learn to read for about 5 years after they learn to converse in a language. That is why I do not recommend using sight to learn CW. You may disagree. 

I can not recall how long ago it was but I do not write down CW. I do not write down my conversations in spoken language.

Most people learn CW at slow speeds. They need to write so that they can retain what the sender is attempting to communicate. At 5 wpm you would lose the flow of the attempted conversation unless you made notes. 

So writing is OK at slower speeds. The goal is to increase your speed to a point where you do not lose what the conversation is about. That occurs differently for all of us. I would opine that above 20 wpm you should wean yourself off of writing down what you are hearing. 

The ARRL  has archived their Code Practice files that have been sent over the air. They start at 5 wpm. The increase in 5 words per minute I recall. They go up to 40  wpm too. They are archived in MP3 format. They also have a companion text file. Check their website.

It took me a long time to reach where I find myself today. In the 1st paragraph I wrote 70 years. Yes I am going to be 82. All I use is CW. I have software that allows me to convert text to CW. I have a library of MP 3 files that start at 40 and go up to 60. I practice several times a month. At QRQ Speeds you learn to copy entire words.
Most can not copy QRQ but that is just a fact. It takes practice. I believe using the ARRL archives a normal Ham should be able to reach copying 20 wpm in a few months. Get rid of the pencil and paper at some point. You don’t converse with others writing down what you hear from someone. If a baby can learn to talk in a year you can do CW at 20 in a year.

Just do it

73
Jim W9VNE/VA3VNE 

Sent from my iPhone