Question For Learning CW

One of the main reasons why I took a interest in Amateur Radio was learning and being able to use CW (Morse Code). I have been looking for an audible version to download into my MP3 player so I can listen to the code associated with the corresponding letters, numbers, punctuation, ect. All of the courses I have found so far have only the code and you would need to print out the text on paper and have to watch for each letter/number the code represents. Those courses would not work for me as I am a welder and paper tends to burn easily. I can listen to my MP3 player all day at work and would like to find an all audible course for downloading and listening. I want to learn receiving first before doing my practicing on transmitting.

Is there an all audible version for learning to receive CW?

Any help on a all audible would be greatly appreciated. 73's To Everyone! KM4CMK

Are you familiar with the K7QO CD? They give it to FISTS members on request, and it's also in ISO format here: K7QO's Home Page

I would have never found K7QO CD course. I am downloading it as I type and will give it a whirl. Thank You for the link and helping me out on finding a all audio version. I have been searching on my own for nearly 4 months on and off with no success. I can understand why most courses use audio and visual but when a person rarely has the time to sit and study for hours each day, it does make it nearly impossible. Between work, self reliant, weekends tied up with gold prospecting and spending as much time as I can with my parents before they pass on. I rarely have the time to sit at my computers and study.

Once Again. Thank You and 73. John KM4CMK

Try MorseCat. It's free and I think it will do exactly what you need. You can have it play certain letters over and over, then move up to words, etc.

I have MorseCat on my desktop and my MP3 player is not a smart device. It ignores/disables any APPs or programs. I have a real MP3 player, it is a 8gb Sansa Clip. The course K3DRQ linked in his reply to K7QO's Home Page is very workable with a little tweaking and reformat from iso to wma music file. The documents with the letters are ignored but I changed the title of each to the corresponding letter/number and it shows up on the MP3 screen for quick reference.

K7QO's course is perfect in my preference.

The ARRL regularly transmits code practice sessions via HF/VHF and also provides these sessions in the form of
Code Practice Files in MP3 format. Text files are also available so you can check your copy. Speeds are from 5 to 40 words per minute (WPM) in 5 WPM increments.

I have tried the ARRL in MP3 format but the practice does not have the corresponding letters and numbers pronounced in the recordings. I am looking for an all audio with the letters/numbers and the corresponding code so I can listen and study while working. I have very little time to sit down and study as needed and a all audio version would help get past the receiving so I can move on to practicing transmitting.

I learned on cassette tape...... I know scary.... I was a Novice. We had to receive 5 wds a min. No transmit. License was good for 5 yrs and then you renewed. I forgot and never retested..... That was in 1987.......We had to listen to records at home when I was in Spanish class in High School. That was 1969/70 .....You know Round, 33 1/3 Mono...Never mind.....KA8QGW IF I remember it correctly. Might still have it around here

I bought an Instructograph back in the 50s. Went to the FCC to take a test, only to find that they didn't give them any longer. Never went forward.

That thing is still hiding in my basement.

Amp

rcool101 said:

I learned on cassette tape...... I know scary.... I was a Novice. We had to receive 5 wds a min. No transmit. License was good for 5 yrs and then you renewed. I forgot and never retested..... That was in 1987.......We had to listen to records at home when I was in Spanish class in High School. That was 1969/70 .....You know Round, 33 1/3 Mono...Never mind.....KA8QGW IF I remember it correctly. Might still have it around here

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rcool101,

You are showing your age! LOL

I am somewhat surprised how difficult it is finding a recording or course where everything is on audio. You know, 'A" di dah "B" dah di di dit "C" dah di dah dit all of it in audio format for a MP3 player. I was born in 67'. I remember using cassette taps and the old 8 track tapes. Those were the good ol days. Kids these days would freak out if they had to rewind everything or switch sides.

ampulman,

WOW! I have only seen one of those back when I was 12 years old. A HAM operator lived next door and my younger brother and I would would go listen and watch all the cool stuff he had in his shack. Being a young kid in a HAM Shack back then was truly inspiring. Did you ever crank the speed of the tape up to 10? At that speed it seemed insane to listen too! LOL I'll bet your instructograph still works. The one I saw actually used a keyer.

If you're into DIY, there are some websites (Google it) that will translate text into morse code, and you could record it into MP3 format. Use text that interests you to make it more enjoyable. Murder mystery, text from Ducks Unlimited, Buisness Journal, whatever!

Good suggestions

Lots of good suggestions ahead of this post.

One additional suggestion to go along with the others is to start saying code to yourself as you see things throughout the day.
See a stop sign, say it out in code.
Street name for your exit on the freeway, say it in code.
Someone's phone number, say it in code.
You get the idea.

One additional suggestion to go along with the others is to start saying code to yourself as you see things throughout the day.

Click to expand...

Exactly the technique our instructor told us to do way back in the early 60's when I did my Marine Radio Officer course. You did get some strange looks at the bust stop when half a dozen scruffy students all started dit-dah-ing when a "London Transport" bus went past......