OT: Learning the code
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OK.. maybe not too far off-topic... since Elecraft rigs are very much
CW oriented. But to those who get concerned or intimidated about learning the code... it's just not that hard. Different, but it can be done at -any- age. Youth only has an advantage in the respect that -everything- is new. Seniority has the benefit of knowing that you - can- do it, but it will take some practice. There are many on-line resources, but the key is to simply listen to the sounds of the characters. And start with a short list. Do the Dit letter characters... E I S H ... then the Dahs: T M O.. and you have the basis of a lot of common words: IT IS THE TIME TO TEST... for example, just with 7 characters. Maybe you can add 5 and 0 (zero).. Another school of thought is to do the lesser used characters first: Z, J, Q... but I don't think it matters. And then add one new character each day. If you have the ability to learn a new word in your spoken vocabulary, then you certainly have the ability to learn morse code. It's really not any more complex. Every spoken word has a beginning, and an end, and when you hear it spoken, you have to wait until the word is finished before you "understand" fully what the word is. Your brain "buffers" the incoming sound, and then when you "decode" the sounds, then instantly, you "know" the word. Sure, context and experience help you decode things more quickly. It is exactly the same with a morse character. And the more you use it (practice), the easier it becomes. 73 de Ray K2ULR ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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A little CW encouragement, history, and hardware to look at:
radiotelegraphy.net Bill W2BLC K-Line ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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In reply to this post by Raymond Sills
I would advise against ordering it this way. That's how I learned when
studying for the novice exam. It promotes counting dits and dahs, which you then have to unlearn to gain any proficiency. That was my experience, YMMV. 73, Josh W6XU On 5/28/2014 1:03 PM, Ray Sills wrote: > And start with a short list. Do the Dit letter characters... E I S H > ... then the Dahs: T M O.. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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I'd recommend starting at a character speed that doesn't sound slow enough
to easily count the dits and dahs. For me that was 25wpm or a bit faster. Then it sounds like a pattern rather than separate dits and dahs. Then space the characters far enough apart to give you a fighting chance at recognition but not so far as to be able to repeat the character mentally in your head. It is a bit frustrating at times but you will make progress faster this way. It's basically Farnsworth but made intentionally too fast to "count." Use the random characters rather than the "dit" characters. Practice often. 73 Jim ab3cv On Wed, May 28, 2014 at 4:30 PM, Josh Fiden <[hidden email]> wrote: > I would advise against ordering it this way. That's how I learned when > studying for the novice exam. It promotes counting dits and dahs, which you > then have to unlearn to gain any proficiency. > > That was my experience, YMMV. > > 73, > Josh W6XU > > On 5/28/2014 1:03 PM, Ray Sills wrote: > >> And start with a short list. Do the Dit letter characters... E I S H >> ... then the Dahs: T M O.. >> > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [hidden email] > > Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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In reply to this post by Raymond Sills
NO !
Start with the long characters FIRST. We (at Microlog) developed an automatic Morse Trainer for ( an unnamed guvmint agency ) where we simply automated their technique. The first four characters they taught, if my memory is correct, were L, P, Q & C. The last ones to learn on the list were E, I, T, & M The logic is such that when first learning the code, if you hear a figure 1, you will change your mind four times.....is it E, A, W, J, or finally the figure 1. This method teaches you to learn the sound of each character rather than what it looks like printed as dots & dashes. Proof of the pudding.....my son passed his Novice code test after just two weeks of 20 min per night starting from scratch (NO Morse ability at all to start.). And yes, the characters were send at 15 WPM rate with enough space to equal 5 WPM. Curiously, when asked to send, he would snap out the letters at around 12 to 15 WPM on a hand key because that's how he heard them. 73, Charlie k3ICH ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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In reply to this post by Raymond Sills
On 5/28/2014 3:03 PM, Ray Sills, K2ULR, wrote: <snip> > > If you have the ability to learn a new word in your spoken vocabulary, > then you certainly have the ability to learn morse code. It's really > not any more complex. Every spoken word has a beginning, and an end, > and when you hear it spoken, you have to wait until the word is > finished before you "understand" fully what the word is. Your brain > "buffers" the incoming sound, and then when you "decode" the sounds, > then instantly, you "know" the word. Sure, context and experience > help you decode things more quickly. > > It is exactly the same with a morse character. And the more you use > it (practice), the easier it becomes. > Ray has this exactly correct and this fits perfectly with my earlier comment about actually getting on the air and making some QSOs. Becoming proficient at Morse is very much like learning a second language. You can buy all of the learning aids like Rosetta Stone and you will learn the basics. But to become proficient in a second language nothing beats having an actual conversation. Morse is no different; having actual QSOs or conversations teaches you the nuances and you become comfortable with mistakes and errors in sending and receiving. Just like an actual conversation. I have a friend who is proficient in many languages. He actually spent a summer in Holland because he wanted to learn Dutch. He was able to become conversant in a couple of weeks. Once you have the basic letter sounds down, put away the microphone and for yourself to make a certain number of QSOs each day. Also, don't focus too much on what speed you send and receive. Speed will increase with proficiency. That's why the CW Ops Morse Academy is so successful. See K9YC's earlier post. -- 73, Gary K9GS Greater Milwaukee DX Association: http://www.gmdxa.org Society of Midwest Contesters: http://www.w9smc.com CW Ops #1032 http://www.cwops.org ************************************************ ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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