CW Mistakes

[AC7AC]

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[N2EY]

In a message dated 4/26/08 11:43:23 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[hidden email] writes:
>
> Learning to translate dits and dahs into letters and other characters.
>   Slow code encourages translation!

I think what you mean is "counting" - hearing "H" as "four dits" rather than
a single sound-group. That's why Farnsworth-spacing is a good idea.
>
> Learning code from a book or other visual source.  (Not including learning
> about code from a book such as Pierpont: The Art & Skill of Radio Telegraphy).

Agreed!
>
> Starting after age 50.  <Grin>.
>

Actually, research has shown that one of the ways to slow the aging process
is to learn new things throughout life. Particularly things that are *very*
different than what you've done before, not just extensions of existing stuff.

73 de Jim, N2EY


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[N4OI - Ken]

I began to learn code at 50 (now 56) and got my ticket about 5 years ago.  It has been a LOT OF FUN!  The longest transition was from writing everything down to copying in my head, but it was certainly worth the effort.  I am typically operating at about 25 wpm but try to slow down to match a calling station's speed, primarily using Farnsworth spacing so I do not have to keep fiddling with the keyer speed control.  This approach usually results in the other party sending comments like "FB CPY ALL".  But back to biggest mistake for a newbie:  not sending "PLS QRS" if I am sending too fast!  This may be because they are embarassed or whatever.  Like Ron, I have no problem slowing down as much as necessary (below 10 wpm gets a little tedious though!) But I would sure appreciate being told to cool it rather than just having the rag chew cut short.  Regardless -- PLS GET ON THE CW SUBBANDS AND CALL CQ -- I will be looking for you!  73 es God Bless de Ken - N4OI - K1

Ron D'Eau Claire wrote

[...snip...]

I made transition to "head copy" slowly from copying letter-by-letter on
paper, as we used to do to pass our FCC tests and when receiving messages.


For me, the ability to send and receive very slow CW is an important skill;
one I use far more than sending or receiving over 30 WPM. As more and more
Hams explore the CW bands, I find it very common to run into operators
running at 10 WPM or even less. I want to reply to them at whatever speed
they are sending, as long as it's within my range.  

Ron AC7AC

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[David Cutter]

An old friend, G4AYP, now SK used to listen to 40m cw just before going to
sleep using his Norcal 40.  He tried to follow French and Spanish stations
and said it kept his brain alive and stimulated.  He was UK Director of
Forensic Science, so I don't think it was an idle statement.

David
G3UNA

>> Starting after age 50.  <Grin>.
>>
>
> Actually, research has shown that one of the ways to slow the aging
> process
> is to learn new things throughout life. Particularly things that are
> *very*
> different than what you've done before, not just extensions of existing
> stuff.
>
> 73 de Jim, N2EY
>
>

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[Dave Van Wallaghen]

Ron, as usual, you have succinctly put into words a real life experience
that I can see, may parallel some of my limited experience. I have followed
this thread closely as well as the comments about using the Farnsworth
method and based on some of the comments, thought "OMG - I've been doing it
wrong"!

I've only been doing this ham thing for a couple of years, so I am certainly
in the "learning" group as it pertains to cw. After writing everything down
for the first few months, I quickly realized that in order to become
proficient at rag chewing, I needed to learn code like regular vocal
conversation. I began to head copy and just make notes of important info -
and I did it at very slow speeds at the beginning and have now ramped up to
about 10-13 wpm comfortably. I have also noticed that as I am starting to
hear words, head copy is a little easier at faster speeds - I begin to lose
track of the "visual string" of characters at slower speeds. It is like the
buffer in my head is time constrained not character constrained.

I think the Farnsworth method has worked for me in that I am able to
recognize the characters at a faster speed, but I still need the longer
inter-character spacing to form the word comprehension in my head. With that
said, I can see how many who now have the rhythm down at higher speeds would
hear that as a distraction based on a time constrained head buffer. I have
found many who use the Farnsworth method on the air and I tend to work them
more often than not. When I hear code where there is little inter-character
spacing, it just sound like a long run on of code goop at this point. I'm
hoping that will change as I become more proficient.

I also realize that I should get on the air more often (at least once a
day), but at this point it is just not doable with my current life schedule.
When I only have a few minutes of "down" time, I do try to sit at the radio
and just listen. This does keep my head into it and so far, I don't seem to
lose any speed I've gained by not engaging in a QSO. Sometimes I've gone a
month without a contact, but at least I've listened almost everyday. I am
going to make a concentrated effort to get on the air more often this
summer.

So, with my limited experience and based on some of the comments I've read
here, I think the "method" I'm using is slowly working. I can't wait until
it all "clicks" and I hear regular word conversation that many of you have
described. It was frustrating at first, but I can now see (I should say
"hear") that it can happen.

Anyway, thanks Ron, for your words have acted as encouragement for me to
continue down this path. It should also allow me to work others at any speed
and help out someone in the future who is starting out like me. It is the
least I could do after all of those who have done it for me.

73,
Dave W8FGU

>
> Learning to translate dits and dahs into letters and other characters.
>   Slow code encourages translation!
> ...
>
> Rich
> NU6T
>
> -----------------------------------------------
>
> Is that a mistake for most Hams?
>
> It wasn't for me.
>
> I am aware of many ops who want to QRQ at 30 wpm, 40 wpm and up. I have no
> argument with them when they say that they must learn to hear words, not
> characters. That certainly sounds plausible, as does the idea of learning
> code as words from the very beginning.
>
> Such extreme QRQ is surely an interesting challenge for those who pursue
> it,
> but it's certainly not "mainstream" in Amateur CW operations from my
> experience on the bands. (Sometimes contest exchanges approach those
> speeds,
> but that's a different story. Every contact is very brief and
> predictable.)
>
>
> Learning to copy individual characters at very slow speed sure did not
> bother me. After over 50 years "pounding brass" my fastest comfortable
> copying speed is about 35 wpm. I can copy 40 but it wears me out pretty
> quickly. I don't try to send faster than 30 WPM but then I use a
> mechanical
> key, either a hand pump for QRS or a bug for QRQ.
>
> Across the range from less that 5 wpm up, I copy code "in my head"
> visualizing a string of letters scrolling by in my head as I hear it sent.
> It's kind of funny when I hear an odd fist on the air - someone who drags
> out their dashes way too long and then uses very short dits, or who varies
> their inter-character spaces a lot (like that link to maritime spark
> transmissions I sent earlier). At first such code is gibberish. I "see"
> nothing. Then, usually, after listening for a bit, suddenly my brain
> "locks
> on" and the letters start scrolling by in my head. Then it's fine copy.
> It's
> kinda of fun to sit back, let the code flow into my hearing and have that
> suddenly happen.
>
> I made transition to "head copy" slowly from copying letter-by-letter on
> paper, as we used to do to pass our FCC tests and when receiving messages.
>
>
> For me, the ability to send and receive very slow CW is an important
> skill;
> one I use far more than sending or receiving over 30 WPM. As more and more
> Hams explore the CW bands, I find it very common to run into operators
> running at 10 WPM or even less. I want to reply to them at whatever speed
> they are sending, as long as it's within my range.
>
> Ron AC7AC

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[AC7AC]

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[Rick Dettinger-3]

I am glad to be born after CW was invented.  Barely after.  I would  
hate to have to listen to spark watch after watch.
73
Rick Dettinger   K7MW

   On Apr 26, 2008, at 7:43 AM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

>
>
> And there's a sample of what the 600 meter marine band sounded like  
> on a
> typical receiver of the time. Talk about QRM, but it wasn't a serious
> problem for those ops most of the time.
>
> It's a audio file created by W5JN of the OOTC (the really OLD, old  
> timer's
> club).
>
> http://www.ootc.us/W5JN%20QCWA%20Ch41.mp3
>
> He provides some narration and a few hints about what you're hearing  
> during
> the ten minute program.
>
> Ron AC7AC
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>

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[WA6L]

I think the biggest mistake is to worry about making mistakes.  Just get out there and do it!  

Get on between 14.050 and 14.058 (or 7.050 - 7.058) and call CQ or answer a call.  There are many slow-speed ops out there who are happy to talk to you and who will probably be making some mistakes themselves.

Good luck and 73,

John, WA6L

Frank MacDonell wrote

Before I get on the air. What are some of the most common errors for
beginning CW Operators. Thanks

--
Frank KD8FIP
_______________________________________________

[Darwin, Keith]

-----Original Message-----

I think the biggest mistake is to worry about making mistakes.  Just get
out there and do it!  

Get on between 14.050 and 14.058 (or 7.050 - 7.058) and call CQ or
answer a call.  There are many slow-speed ops out there who are happy to
talk to you and who will probably be making some mistakes themselves.
---------------------------

Yep, I'm one of them.  I've been QRT for a few months.  Got the K3 and
got back on the air.  For my first QSO I answered on the bug.  Boy, did
I mess it up.  My brain got all twisted around.  I got the dots & dashes
reversed and was thinking it would auto complete dashes.  I quickly
switched to the straight key for that QSO (paddles weren't hooked up).

And I've been doing morse off and on for 30+ years. LOL!

So, the biggest mistake is not getting on the air.

I'm going to say the 2nd biggest mistake would be poor spacing.  I hear
some OPs who don't leave enough space between words or letters.
Insufficient spacing between words is not that big of a deal, but not
enough spacing between letters leads to random dot-dash patterns.


- Keith N1AS -
- K3 711.500 -
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[AC7AC]

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[Kevin Cozens-2]

Greetings, Frank.

> Before I get on the air. What are some of the most common
> errors for beginning CW Operators. Thanks

When starting down the road to learn morse, I would toss any sheet that shows
the characters as a bunch of dots and dashes. You would be better off with a
sheet that shows the characters as a bunch of dits and dahs. It will help you
to learn the sound of characters rather than how many dots and dashes are in a
character (ie. you won't be building a translation table in your head from
sound to dots/dashes to the character.

An A isn't .- it is didah. A C isn't -.-. but dahdidahdit.

I learned about morse code long before I was interested in becoming a ham and
still find I "count" the dots and dashes at times. At least I can copy code
during contests in the 20 to 25 range (and 30 if I hear the exchange a few
times). I'm more comfortable around 15wpm but I wish I could learn to get rid
of the translation table in my head which still comes in to play at times.

Getting on the air helps but I found that even casual listening to CW on air
is useful. Tune around to find some code at a speed that you feel you can copy
and just listen to it even if you aren't in a position to write it down.
Casual copying of code (and head copy) can still improve ones speed. In my
early ham days, at a time when I wasn't on the air for a while it had brought
my code speed up from about 5wpm to around the 10wpm mark. Now, I have found
working contests has once again helped me to copy code at higher speeds.

There is some other useful information on CW operating at:
http://www.ac6v.com/morseaids.htm

--
Cheers!

Kevin.

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[AC7AC]

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