[K6BW] K1AR's CW article

[David Mueller]

K1AR forwarded me his monthly column article for the
December 2006 issue of CQ Magazine.  This is the one
regarding CW.  Hopefully those who were interested
before are still interested now that it's not a
requirement for licensing.  My gut feeling is that CW
will remain a very active, well used mode.  Those who
catch the bug will continue to do so regardless of
whether they were forced to learn it for a license.

73, Dave N2NL

Please don't forward this - John has requested that it
doesn't end up in print anywhere by CQ Magazine.



Improving your CW Contesting Skills
Last month, we tackled methods to improve your phone
skills in contesting. Now it’s time for CW. My
experience over the years has taught me that there is
a basic truth in ham radio operating: while many
operators excel at CW operating there is just as many
or more that need quite a bit of work. I can think of
at least a hundred theories why this is the case. Many
feel that it's "just in your genes." Others believe
that it's a question of operating preference. Still
others believe it’s related to musical ability, age at
which Morse Code is learned, motivation, equipment,
etc. The list goes on.
My personal experience is that CW always came easy to
me. I know I’m one of the fortunate ones. I grew up
with music around me (piano, french horn, choir,
etc.), so perhaps I’m an example of how some musical
ability affected my CW skill. Like many of my
contesting peers, I entered the ranks of ham radio at
a relatively young age of 13 years old. In sharp
contrast to the training tools of today, I had to
learn the code the old fashioned way. Maybe you
remember that old red-covered ARRL Morse code training
book? I lived on Long Island, NY, at the time and was
in relatively close proximity to the ARRL's W1AW
transmitting station. It was ideal for copying their
Morse code practice sessions. What provided further
challenge to my learning curve, however, was the fact
that the shortwave receiver I was using did not have a
BFO. Imagine the demands of copying CW from pulsating
bursts of "white noise" through a 3-inch speaker! I'm
convinced that these early trials were the precursor
to the contesting spirit I have today—a desire we all
have to push the limitations of our operating
environment to new heights.
There's serious debate in our hobby about the merits
of Morse code, especially from a license requirement
standpoint. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the world
licensing community has made its position clear.
Indeed, I feel confident in predicting that, while CW
will eventually disappear altogether as a requirement
for obtaining a ham license on the world stage, it
will continue to exist as a popular form of
communication used by hams. And, as you might expect,
this will particularly be the case with contesters.
Can you imagine only one CQ WW each year? What would
we then do on Thanksgiving weekends? Watch tediously
boring college football games? Sort through our QSL
card collections generated from SSB contacts (Let’s
see—half the QSL load. Maybe this idea of one mode
does have some merit!)?
Well, enough of the history lesson. Becoming a good CW
contester begins with being a good CW operator and
knowing the code. Unlike phone where we already know
how to talk, we need to learn a new language on CW.
There is really only one element to becoming better at
CW operating: practice. What is the best, most
efficient way to achieve acceptable operating ability?
What is the most efficient use of your available
practice time? The following is some ideas for you to
consider. 
Experience on the Air -- Making QSOs
Making lots of CW QSOs outside of contests works
wonders and is the best place to start. Put the
microphone away for several weeks and eliminate SSB,
SSTV, digital mode operating for the same time period.
Instead, focus this time on 100% CW skill improvement.
Find QSOs in progress at a speed you can comfortably
copy with a pencil/pen. Now, put the pen/pencil down,
and just start listening. Try to recognize the letters
as they come along, and group them into words on your
mind's "blackboard." It’s going to take some time,
maybe even three or four weeks before you can follow
those higher speed QSOs in your head without writing
everything down! Jot down the call, the ops name, QTH
and report, while just listening to the rest.
Remember, when using high speed CW, you'll be
receiving letters/word spaces at 3-per-second for 36
WPM CW rates or greater. This is a typical speed for
QRQ DX and contest operating. 
Using the Computer for Practice
If you have one of the popular CW programs available
today, here is how to use it to become QRQ qualified.
Remember that we're focusing on methods to read CW
mentally, not writing or typing anything down as you
receive it. That comes later.
With lots of CW text stored in your computer program,
you are ready to begin. Once you have determined your
present 100% comfortable hand copying speed using
pencil or pen, set your computer program to send clear
text at about 5 WPM faster than your hand copying
speed. Begin sending text at this speed, sit back, and
just listen for 30 minutes, twice per day. First you
will only be catching a letter every now and then.
While this happens, you will miss the next several
letters! But keep at it. Soon you will get all the
letters of a single word, again congratulations as you
say the word to yourself, and again a lot of
letters/words go on by, unrecognized! But you are
making progress. As soon as you are at this new level,
increase your speed by another 5 WPM. Keep it up, and
in 3 or 4 months, you may be up to 40 or more wpm!
Remember, computer generated CW such as that from many
of the popular CW practice programs produce top scores
that originate from over 450 letters/numbers/spaces
per minute! Try it, it works!
CW Sending Practice Helps Loads
Don't practice sending by using your computer
keyboard! Use your electronic keyer and paddle to send
"perfect" CW characters, spacing and rhythm. It’s a
big help in your mental training activity. Adjust the
paddle to operate with very light action. You don't
want to be slapping the key all about the table top! 
Good paddle keys are heavy for this reason.
Now begin practice by attempting to send fast. This
sending practice also works wonders as you begin your
progress to becoming a QRQ operator. Why? It forces
you to form words to express ideas in your mind, while
simultaneously sending the thoughts as CW. This
inverts what has been going on in your mental
processes to receive CW. As you increase your speed
ability, you will not even be thinking "letter to CW"
translation, but will be mentally and automatically
sending CW as if it were another language with which
you have become quite comfortable. Your mind will be
training in CW in such a way that, when sending fast,
the same subconscious patterns to also receive fast
will be used. 
There is more to encourage you to practice. Once you
are able to mentally send at QRQ speeds and accurately
enter calls/exchanges into a contest logging program,
you may want to also practice clear text copying to
the keyboard, and copying behind many, many words.
Your QRQ mental rate will increase even more, and you
well on your way to being a competent, competitive CW
contest op!
Contest Applications
Whether you are an expert CW operator or a pending
prodigy, being able to send/copy CW is only half the
battle when trying to excel in contests. Here are a
few tips that you may want to consider that are
independent of your speed level.
Sending Speed
By definition, selecting one’s sending speed is a
subjective decision. Am I sending too fast? Should I
send faster to improve my rate? Here are some
guidelines that I use:
•	I tend to send faster at the beginning of a contest
when the rates are at their highest.
•	When the rate starts to slow, so do I. My sending
speed tends to mirror my operating environment.
•	I always try to match the sending speed of the other
station when calling someone.
•	When you suspect the other station is having
problems with receiving, slow down. There are no
penalties for ensuring QSO information is correct or
for making a QSO more efficient.
•	Never send faster than you can copy (e.g., such as
when using your logging program to send). The other
station may actually be able to copy/send at that
speed requiring unnecessary repeats on your end.
Use of the RIT/XIT
Let’s begin with the RIT (receiver incremental
tuning). More often than you would think, stations
call you off frequency after a “CQ Test.” Don’t miss
out on those QSOs by avaoiding the use of your RIT
after a CQ. And, more importantly, don’t start logging
QSOs that are being made with other stations. A
wandering RIT can be a useful tool. It’s also a way to
create “not in log” penalty QSOs if abused.
The XIT (transmitter incremental tuning) is a great
way to work stations faster in pileups. Just like with
DXing, one of the best methods to work someone in a
huge pileup, especially if you have a modest station,
is to “call them where they aren’t.” Think about it
logically; if you have a large number of guys calling
you, you’re more inclined to listen to the edges of
the pileup and pick up what you can hear. That reality
works to your advantage. Try calling stations a bit
off frequency by using your XIT and you’ll be amazed
at how effective that technique can be in a contest.
It works for large stations and small alike.
Choosing a Frequency
One of the enjoyable aspects of CW contesting is that
there is much more flexibility to the choice of
operating frequency. With the exception of 40 meters,
I don’t necessarily believe that a low-end frequency
choice (e.g., less than 21005) is a requirement for
maximizing your QSO rate. In fact, for some domestic
contests, it’s actually preferable that you stay out
of the Extra Class band to maximize your ability to
work all participants. What prevails over any
frequency choice is obtaining a clear spot. You’ll
always do better on a clear frequency high in the band
than one that is crowded but down low.
And Finally...
CW is hardly a dead mode. As amazing as it sounds, a
large number within our midst actually prefer it. I’m
one of them! Some, like my long-time friend, K1GQ,
designed their stations over the years exclusively for
CW. Bill may own a microphone, but I doubt he knows
where it is off the top of his head! I firmly believe
that contesters and DXers together will be the group
that ultimately drives the preservation of CW in our
hobby. Only time will tell.
Final Comments
The past two months, I’ve focused on helping you
improve your SSB and CW skills. Now the burden is on
you. There is one guarantee; if you don’t get on the
air, you won’t get better. That applies to newcomers
and experienced contesters alike. I’d like to offer a
special thank you to Jim, AH6NB, and others who
provided invaluable input to this month’s column.
The contest season is in full swing. Amazingly, so are
the holidays. I wish you and yours the best for this
coming season. Take a minute or two to remember what’s
really important this time around!
73, John, K1AR
December’s Contest Tip
Be aware of receiving conditions on “the other end.”
For example, 20 meters always sounds better on the
Western side of early morning high band openings. In
reality, the band is flooded with QRM on the Eastern
side and giving you the impression that there are
clear frequencies everywhere. The same is true for
late afternoon openings on 80 and 40 meters. In
addition, there are a number of man-made noise
sources. What sounds like a quiet band on one side may
be a QRM nightmare on the other side of the world due
to over-the-horizon radars and other systems. Keep
this in mind as you make your strategic operating
decisions. What you hear may not be what “they” hear! 


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