Why can't I copy Morse code?

[AgentCOPP1]

So I've been trying to learn Morse code for quite a while now and I can actually send it easily at 30 wpm, but for some reason I just cannot understand code being sent to me. I'm guessing that I must have learned it wrong, but I'm not sure. Any suggestions?

 

[n9mxq]

When I was serious about getting into code the only system that helped me was Code Quick and the later version Code Quick 2000. Learn Morse Code | Morse Code Quick Centennial Software It was the only one that actually helped me start picking out letters.. I had tried tapes, records (GASP), and even live practice..

Although I long ago gave up and decided to be CW illiterate (Fire up the flame throwers boys I can take it) If I ever decided to try again, I'd break out the Code Quick materials..

 

[radiokatz]

I wonder if the MFJ-461 - Morse Code reader would be good for you? It might, although I can see it becoming a crutch and possibly hindering your ability to accurately copy code. I would like to hear some feedback from someone who has used a code reader.

 

[LtDoc]

You may be able to send at 30 wpm but at what speed are you comfortably receiving/understanding it? There's typically a big difference in the two abilities, sending and understanding. A comfortable receiving/copying speed is your 'cw speed', not what you can send it at. Like learning anything 'new' speed is related to practice, basically how fast your ears 'work'. The only way I know of 'speeding up' my ears is by getting them used to what they are supposed to be hearing, meaning -lots- of listening.
I'm not sure that answers your question...
- 'Doc

PS - And there's always the fact that some people have a problem hearing some tones, but that can be 'worked around'.

PPS - All code readers depend on the 'code' that's being received being at least 'almost perfect'. They do not have the variation range a typical human ear does. They are easy to 'spoof'.

 

[WB4CS]

You may be able to send at 30 wpm but at what speed are you comfortably receiving/understanding it? There's typically a big difference in the two abilities, sending and understanding. A comfortable receiving/copying speed is your 'cw speed', not what you can send it at. Like learning anything 'new' speed is related to practice, basically how fast your ears 'work'. The only way I know of 'speeding up' my ears is by getting them used to what they are supposed to be hearing, meaning -lots- of listening.
I'm not sure that answers your question...
- 'Doc

PS - And there's always the fact that some people have a problem hearing some tones, but that can be 'worked around'.

PPS - All code readers depend on the 'code' that's being received being at least 'almost perfect'. They do not have the variation range a typical human ear does. They are easy to 'spoof'.

Some very good advise right there. And he's correct, sending and receiving speeds are two different things. If you 're trying to learn to receive code, put the sending key away for a while and focus on receiving.

I learned code about 20 years ago, but took about 10 years off of the HF bands. During those 10 years my ability to receive code from 15-20 WPM dropped to no more than 5 WPM. Since it sounds like you already know code enough to send it, you now need to train your brain to receive it.

Here's what I did to bring my receive speed back up, maybe it will help you. Go to the W1AW Practice Files page and download several of the 5 WPM files. Burn those to a disc (or copy them to your music player) and for about 15 to 30 minutes a day just listen to them. Don't try to write down each letter you hear, just listen to the code. Try to pick out each letter than you can, even if it's only 1 or 2 letters at first. It could take days or weeks, but eventually your brain will start to pick up on code as if it were a language, and soon you'll be decoding entire words at once instead of each individual letter. Once you're comfortable hearing and copying 5 WPM, move up to the 7.5 WPM files and do it all over again. Continue until you get to the speed you want. I've been doing this for a few months now and I've gone from only being able to copy 5 WPM to now being able to copy 30 WPM. It just takes time and practice!

Good luck

 

[WB4CS]

Code Reader

I wonder if the MFJ-461 - Morse Code reader would be good for you? It might, although I can see it becoming a crutch and possibly hindering your ability to accurately copy code. I would like to hear some feedback from someone who has used a code reader.

Code reader? Forgettaboutit‎!
As Doc mentioned above, they are mostly reliant on the code being sent nearly perfect, with perfect spacing in order to decode. If the code isn't perfect, the reader will either display nothing or it's best guess. So in theory you could be learning the wrong thing if the reader messes up enough. At least that's been my experience, YMMV.

 

[RBMTS]

Another thumbs-up to what everyone has said here. Listen and take your time. Back in the day when I was learning code for my license (back in the early 70's when code was mandatory and you had to go to a FCC field office for testing), my ELMER loaned me a general coverage receiver and told me to just tune it to a CW frequency and keep it audible in the room even when I was not practicing. I was a teenager at the time and it drove my parents crazy - but it sure did help. The idea was for my brain to become comfortable with hearing CW. Unconsciously I was beginning to pick out letters from the code. Soon I was able to start recognizing or anticipating words. It eventually made real practice time easier and I wasn't so stressed about what letters I was missing. So maybe that would help you. Just create a loop or long stream of CW audio (from internet downloads or wherever) and just have the audio on in the background while you do something else.

 

[rfradioconsult]

Try copying code in your head rather than trying to write each letter down, listen to the cadence of the code and try to complete words in your head then write the words down. What you copy will be ahead of what you write down. Practice then practice some more, after a while you will start decoding CW in your brain then put it to paper.

 

[AgentCOPP1]

Some very good advise right there. And he's correct, sending and receiving speeds are two different things. If you 're trying to learn to receive code, put the sending key away for a while and focus on receiving.

I learned code about 20 years ago, but took about 10 years off of the HF bands. During those 10 years my ability to receive code from 15-20 WPM dropped to no more than 5 WPM. Since it sounds like you already know code enough to send it, you now need to train your brain to receive it.

Here's what I did to bring my receive speed back up, maybe it will help you. Go to the W1AW Practice Files page and download several of the 5 WPM files. Burn those to a disc (or copy them to your music player) and for about 15 to 30 minutes a day just listen to them. Don't try to write down each letter you hear, just listen to the code. Try to pick out each letter than you can, even if it's only 1 or 2 letters at first. It could take days or weeks, but eventually your brain will start to pick up on code as if it were a language, and soon you'll be decoding entire words at once instead of each individual letter. Once you're comfortable hearing and copying 5 WPM, move up to the 7.5 WPM files and do it all over again. Continue until you get to the speed you want. I've been doing this for a few months now and I've gone from only being able to copy 5 WPM to now being able to copy 30 WPM. It just takes time and practice!

Good luck

Thanks for responding everyone! I think this is a really good suggestion. I'll have to download those 5 wpm files and just listen to them until I've got it down and then move on to the next one. It's just the problem that I'm having is that I keep trying to visualize the characters and their respective dots and dits, so it's slowing me down. I've read elsewhere that you need to get to the point where you hear a character and then your brain automatically correlates the sound you hear with a letter (not trying to interpret the sequence of dots and dashes with a letter, just knowing the "feel" of the sound). I guess I just need to do what you said and just listen to it until I get to that point.

 

[nanZor]

Removing the visual correlation to what the character looks like, and relying on sound/feel is the best way to go, even if at first it means you slow way down. But of course I had to cheat at first with characters that seemed hard to me, but that was minimized since I knew that it would cost me later.

Don't get hung up on 100% copy. Most importantly, don't let characters become showstoppers and throw off your own mental rhythm and miss the rest. Along with learning the characters at first, I also seemed to train my brain to have a window in which to think about the character, and if it exceeded it, MOVE ON.

Learning how to move beyond showstopper characters is what really improved my speed. My brain wanted to sit and think about them for 100% copy but I had to actually work at ignoring them.

 

[AgentCOPP1]

Removing the visual correlation to what the character looks like, and relying on sound/feel is the best way to go, even if at first it means you slow way down. But of course I had to cheat at first with characters that seemed hard to me, but that was minimized since I knew that it would cost me later.

Don't get hung up on 100% copy. Most importantly, don't let characters become showstoppers and throw off your own mental rhythm and miss the rest. Along with learning the characters at first, I also seemed to train my brain to have a window in which to think about the character, and if it exceeded it, MOVE ON.

Learning how to move beyond showstopper characters is what really improved my speed. My brain wanted to sit and think about them for 100% copy but I had to actually work at ignoring them.

That's very interesting. I've never tried that but I think you're right. I'm always trying to copy it 100% which means that a lot of other characters are missed since I spend so much time thinking about a single one.

 

[richardbritt]

Like the other said, download the WIAW files, get code quick (you learn code as sounds and not dot dah (exampe A is "say ahhhh"). Keeps your mind from converting dot dah to say ahhh then trying to write it down, which slows you down to around 10 wpm - it did me anyway. Learn at 13 or 18 code speed with 5 wpm spacing too. I was more comfortable with 18 wpm characters as I not not have to learn "different speed code sounds" and I needed shorter spacing between characters as I got used to copy them down. I learned to copy code using a manual typewriter (yeah like in 1974) and it was faster than writing.

73 Richard W4MCD

 

[n5ims]

I agree with Richard. To me, there's a big difference between 5 WPM code sent at 5 WPM code speed and spacing vs. 5 WPM sent at 13 or 18 WPM code speed with 5 WPM spacing. While both send the same number of characters each minute, the faster speed seams more normal and gives you time to process the letter. With the slower speed, I often get lost and have issues telling that overly long dit from a dash and the even longer dash just sounds like somebody behind me honking when the light turns green. The faster code speed also makes it much easier to transition to 13 WPM code since only the character spacing changes.

 

[K3DRQ]

My advice is to send no faster than you can receive - just keep doing that, and you'll get better and faster over time. Also, you may have heard of FISTS, I'll remind you of one of our slogans: "Accuracy Transcends Speed!" Focus on sending and receiving good code - the speed will come.

 

[peterwo2e]

morse code

So I've been trying to learn Morse code for quite a while now and I can actually send it easily at 30 wpm, but for some reason I just cannot understand code being sent to me. I'm guessing that I must have learned it wrong, but I'm not sure. Any suggestions?

this is how i did it and what best work for me i use to record cw at diferent speed and play it back to myself. back then was the casette recorder. ill record each letter at 25 wpm and make a pause befeore the next letter at this speed i was traying to listen to the tone of the letter and how it sounded. i increased speed as i practice. each letter and numbers have a diferent sound. eventually with practice you could adjust to your favorite style, i have not done cw in over 10 years but i could still easily copy 20 wpm. the cold turkey system is the best. just get on the air don't send faster that what you could recive. practice practice practice. by the way if you thinking about a code reader forget it that stuff is just a learning tool. in the real world of qsb, qrm and whatever other noise outhere a code reader is useles.
good luck.

 

[scanmanmi]

It may be a brain thing. I've decided my inability to code is similar to dyslexia or something. I can't decipher code and I can't get spoken callsigns either. If someone says Kd8xxx I may get the KD8 but not the xxx. I need it phonetically. Have a hard time with names too. IF doing code you may as the sender to allow a little more space between letters.

 

[dksac2]

It may be a brain thing. I've decided my inability to code is similar to dyslexia or something. I can't decipher code and I can't get spoken callsigns either. If someone says Kd8xxx I may get the KD8 but not the xxx. I need it phonetically. Have a hard time with names too. IF doing code you may as the sender to allow a little more space between letters.

I also am dyslexic. I have no doubt that is one of the major reasons I just can't seem to learn code. I tried for quite a long time and finally gave up.

I'd like nothing better than to know code and to be able to use it at a reasonable speed.

Getting rid of the code requirement was not the best thing for amatuer radio, but it has allowed me to finally get my ticket. Something I'm very greatful for.

Even though I have a high IQ, reading makes me very tired and I can forget trig and other math except for the regular kind. Once I was tested, it explained a lot. I just thank God that mine is not as bad as some. I have a friend who can hardly read. As it is, I have to go back over everything I type and make several corrections. Working with my hands and figuring out mechanical things is my strong suit. I was a very successful Gunsmith for a number of years, fixing guns that no one could get to work while in Gunsmithing school for example. It carried on in my business, I managed to fix every gun that I got in the shop except for the one's that would have been or were unsafe. The only exception was if I didn't have the necessary tooling and could not figure out a way to get the job done without it.

My Best, John

 

[khooke]

I've been learning code recently, since getting my General license, and also found that I can send pretty well, but copying code I'm finding a lot harder. Thinking about what's involved, I wondered if sending involved more 'muscle memory' type of brain activity, where sending involves tapping out repetitive rhythms/patterns, whereas copying received code involves comprehending the patterns aurally, and therefore it involves different parts of your brain? That's how I reasoned my difficulties with myself. Either way, just means I need to spend more time practicing copying code until I can get up to speed.

I noticed a couple of the suggestions here make a lot of sense about not trying to get a 100% copy for every letter. I think this is my my trouble right now with copying - I pause too long on one particular letter to get it right then I'm already at least 1 or 2 characters behind, and at that point I struggle to keep up. I think I'd do better if I can just skip the letters I don't get instantly, copy what I can, and then fill in the blanks later to understand the message. That seems to make sense to me.

 

[msa]

So I've been trying to learn Morse code for quite a while now and I can actually send it easily at 30 wpm, but for some reason I just cannot understand code being sent to me. I'm guessing that I must have learned it wrong, but I'm not sure. Any suggestions?

Well, how'd you learn it?

(FWIW, I had a 15 year long fight with the code, until I learned that everything the ARRL, and many other organizations taught me, was wrong.)

 

[agillot]

sending is a lot easier , because you are thinking a character ahead . reading it , you dont have that choice except when you know whats coming ahead .you are in tune with the text sent . random characters / number is the hardest because you dont know what is next .the longer the spacing , the better . if you are reading characters only , i think 15 is about it , after that you have to be able to recognize entire words .i listen to w1aw at 7 pac time , the text is from qst , after a while you start picking up words .i would like to be a solid 20 , after that it is too fast to write down by hand . has anybody tried playing cw at night while you are sleeping , i wonder if your brain would adjust ??