Learning CW

[KD8TZC]

I'd like to start to learn CW, but I am just not sure where to start. Can anyone recommend a good computer program/website/iphone app/etc that would help me.

What is the best way to learn this? Obvioulsy I would think I would need to memorize the entire CW alphabet and numbers (and other special characters), or do I just learn the sounds associated with each?

Thanks,

 

[zz0468]

Look up the Russ Farnsworth method and see if you can locate some tapes.

 

[LtDoc]

Learning 'code' by memorizing the dots/dashes is an unnecessary complication, and 'extra' step in the process that you'll have to 'unlearn' later to build speed. If you are going to listen to code then learn it by sound. You'll eliminate a 'step' in the process. After that, it's a matter of practice. Lots and lots of practice listening to the sounds and then writing it down. After you get the numbers/letters/prosigns learned, 'practice' sending code in your head. Signs, printed material, whatever you can think of.
That's part of it, just more practice.
I can't recommend any computer program for learning code. Not that there aren't some good ones, I just don't have any idea what they are.
Have fun.
- 'Doc

 

[biomedbob]

Just google "Just Learn Morse Code" by Sigurd Stenersen, LB3KB.

A great, free program.

kf4br

 

[captncarp]

When the US Navy taught us a hundred years ago they set us down in a room for several hours a day, half in the morning and half in the afternoon. We set there at a manual typewriter plugged in our earphones and when a letter or number came over the phones we looked for it on a big white card up in the front of the room and when we found it we hit the key on the typewriter. They gradually increased how fast the letter came over until after about three months we were copying at eighteen words a minutes without the card and graduated.
Update the equipment a century and you should have a simple way of learning CW.

 

[W2IBC]

Welcome to LCWO.net - Learn Morse Code (CW) Online! - Learn CW Online

dit dit

 

[w2xq]

Wirelessly posted (Moto Droid Bionic: Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 4.0.4; en-us; DROID BIONIC Build/6.7.2-223_DBN_M4-23) AppleWebKit/534.30 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/534.30)

Just an idea from someone who has been there. Most everyone can copy 5-8 wpm by keeping up with the sent code. I ran into the problem of learning to copy behind. It kicks in around 11-13 wpm. I broke the logjam by turning off the radio and just listening to an 18 wpm 5-letter cipher group tape for 1-2 weeks, about 15 minutes a day. For me, more than 15 min and I made mistakes.After getting 50-75% at 18, I tried 13 wpm plain text and was getting 95-98%. Two months later I passed the Extra code and theory test.

One more thing. Learn the characters at a high rate of speed, using a larger interval in the spacing. That way you don't have to relearn the characters as you build proficiency.

HTH.

 

[rapidcharger]

I used an online tutorial and it was a pretty effective method for me.
The way it worked is it associated the sound the each letter and number make in CW with an english phrase. For example "D" (Dah di di) would be "dog did it" and it would show an illustration of a dog pile.

The name of the site unfortunately didn't get retained as well as "Dog Did it"!! Maybe someone else knows. I had it down enough to pass the code test in like 2 weeks.

edit: On second thought I don't think it was a website but instead a software program. And it wasn't free.

 

[AK9R]

Look up the Russ Farnsworth method and see if you can locate some tapes.

I am a complete failure at learning Morse code, so take my comments with a grain of salt.

The Farnsworth method sends the individual characters at high speed, but spaces the characters out so that the over all word speed is relatively slow. The idea is that if you learn the sound of the characters at the target speed, getting your word speed up to that level will be easier. This avoids the mistake some folks make of learning the code at a slow character speed. If you are looking for code tapes or code practice software, make sure it uses the Farnsworth method or something like it.

Another method I've seen mentioned is the Koch method. It sends both the characters and the words at the target speed, but starts out with just two characters. After you learn those characters, then you add a character. That progression continues until you've learned the entire alphabet, numbers, and symbols.

 

[KD8TZC]

Thanks everyone... I'll look into these suggestions. I have a feeling I will be a complete failure at CW, but I want to give it a shot. I know the problem I will have is being able to keep up with what I am hearing (and not getting mixed up thinking was that a K or an M and then oh crud, what were those other sounds I just heard), and then being able to think fast enough when I want to transmit.

 

[k3cfc]

Morse code

I'd like to start to learn CW, but I am just not sure where to start. Can anyone recommend a good computer program/website/iphone app/etc that would help me.

What is the best way to learn this? Obvioulsy I would think I would need to memorize the entire CW alphabet and numbers (and other special characters), or do I just learn the sounds associated with each?

Thanks,

John look at your P/M

K3CFC

 

[k3cfc]

Thanks everyone... I'll look into these suggestions. I have a feeling I will be a complete failure at CW, but I want to give it a shot. I know the problem I will have is being able to keep up with what I am hearing (and not getting mixed up thinking was that a K or an M and then oh crud, what were those other sounds I just heard), and then being able to think fast enough when I want to transmit.

My friend if you think you will fail then you are doomed.

My way of thinking is this will not beat me, in anything i do and i do most anything.
I have a kenwood ts430s that quit working no tx or rx no display. i was told by many hams here in my area you can't fix this you have to send it to a kenwood repair center. well it is up and running and it did not go anywhere but my bench. i made up my mind i was going to fix this radio and i did.

LATER

K3CFC

 

[WB4CS]

There are some good suggestions here, but I'd like to throw in my $0.02 worth as well. Maybe you'll learn from my past mistakes.

First of all, congrats on wanting to learn code! Once you learn it, you will be opened up to a whole 'nother world of radio.

Many years ago, I used the casette tapes from Gordon West, WB6NOA, to learn code. I'm sure the set is still available, probably on CD now. West's code tapes were a blessing and a curse. I used his tapes to learn at 5 WPM, then the other set to build my speed up to 20 WPM (for the old Extra class exam.) I liked his teaching style, he made learning code fun and simple. However, he teaches the code at 5 WPM which made it more difficult to learn how to read code at faster speeds. Now I wish I had done as others suggested and learned Farnsworth style. Learning code at 20 WPM character speed with 5 WPM spacing would have been better in the long run.

Another bit of advice, if at all possible, learn to hear each character instead of depending on writing down what you copy. The Gordon West tapes encouraged you to write down what you copy, because on the old code tests even if you missed too many questions, as long as you had written down 1 minute of solid copy you passed the test. Once I started using CW on HF I realized that during an 18+ WPM QSO it's pretty difficult to write down everything the other station is saying. It took me several months to retrain my brain to hear code as a language and copy it in my head.

One other suggestion, once you start to learn some characters start copying on the air CW for practice. If you don't have access to an HF rig, try this website: Morse Resource It will allow you to convert any text to code, and has several practice audio files you can use.

Good luck!

 

[Jimru]

When you first get on the air, using CW (Morse Code), be sure to tell the other operators that you come into contact with that you are new at this, and they will, if they have any courtesy at all, slow down to your speed.

Most hams using code will welcome a newcomer into their midst.

73,
Jim KC2LMH

 

[KD8TZC]

Another bit of advice, if at all possible, learn to hear each character instead of depending on writing down what you copy.

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying.

 

[W2NJS]

I taught myself the code at 5WPM and passed the Novice exam easily. However, getting my speed up to 13WPM (which means you have to comfortably do 15WPM) was another story. A lucky break came along when I found out that one of the premier code teachers for the Army in WW2 was giving a code course at our local high school in the adult education program. The method used was audio recognition of E, I, S. H, T, M, and O, followed by letters that were reversals of each other, such as L, F, D, U, etc. It was amazing to see the copying ability of everyone attending grow rather quickly. I don't know if this method is still being taught, but it certainly worked for me.

 

[zz0468]

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying.

What he's saying is, learn the sound of the characters to the point that you don't have to translate dots and dashes to the alphabet. A good cw operator will hear the sounds, and it goes directly to the hand to write or type the received characters, and it seems like it bypasses the brain completely. It's absolutely as natural as any language.

Get really good, and you'll bypass the writing part, and copy in your head. At that point, you'll see your copy speeds get past 30 wpm, since translating to paper is a roadblock.

 

[w2xq]

Learning the code? Practice, practice, practice. Don't overdo the length of a session, but perhaps twice a day for 10-15-20 minutes. I also recommend the Farnsworth system described above. I used Wayne Green's 73 Magazine cassette tapes; I think I still have his 25 wpm cipher tape somewhere around here.

If you really learn the code you'll never forget it. It is akin to riding a bike. Away from it for a period of time and your copy speed may slow. The copy speed picks back up very quickly when you get back on air. (I had learned the code when in Scouting -- school, college, buying the first home got in the way -- but I passed the Novice code test at 8 wpm on the first go a decade later,)

HTH.

 

[nanZor]

.. The method used was audio recognition of E, I, S. H, T, M, and O, followed by letters that were reversals of each other, such as L, F, D, U, etc. It was amazing to see the copying ability of everyone attending grow rather quickly. I don't know if this method is still being taught, but it certainly worked for me.

That was the method that worked best for me back in '76. Just took it in little bites, and added a few characters every few days. The cassette tapes became a bore quickly, but necessary obviously to introduce the new characters as time passed.

The secret was just to practice, and only copy live off-air what I knew at the time, and let the unknowns pass, even if it didn't reveal much of the content of the communication. But lo and behold, eventually words started to take shape, and kept it fun. I just tuned around and copied as much as I could and threw reams of live practice copy away.

What cut my time down significantly was that even though i was only SWL, I purchased a QUALITY hand key, and practice oscillator and adopted the same method. Just picked up magazine, newspapers, etc, and as I read across the pages, just sent what I knew.

Some days I would just listen to the cassettes. Others were just live copy when I needed a break from the monotony. And others days I just sent pages of magazine text from the characters I knew from the oscillator - but as if someone was listening so that meant sending with a nice fist.

Having that tactile reinforcement of sending characters really helped a lot, even though I didn't know all of the characters at the time. Just do what you know, and keep on rolling until you get them all.

 

[fineshot1]

I'd like to start to learn CW, but I am just not sure where to start. Can anyone recommend a good computer program/website/iphone app/etc that would help me.

What is the best way to learn this? Obvioulsy I would think I would need to memorize the entire CW alphabet and numbers (and other special characters), or do I just learn the sounds associated with each?

Thanks,

When i first learned CW back in the mid 1970's i and a friend using a code practice oscillator
practiced the individual characters with the oscillator to be able to learn the characters and we
both started listening to the W1AW code practice sessions on the air with all of the static crashes
and on air noise and by listening to all the sessions from 5WPM to 20WPM over and over again
each day. In 3 weeks i was up to copying 18 WPM before I took the General test which only
required 13WPM max so i was more than ready when i went to the Philadelphia FCC building
which at that time was where you could take the test(or in NYC).

W1AW Operating Schedule

Good luck and don't let anything deter you.