Deeps wrote:Morse speed is very prone to 'skill fade' without practice, its not something you tend to dabble with, you either do it or don't
Ain't that the truth! Learnt it for my ham radio licence about 10 years ago then never used it and now...I can't even remember it other than my call sign! However, learning was quite fun - I also used Morse Mania for listening practice and then I used to "translate" all the signs I saw on my journey into work for sending practice. I ought to see if I can relearn it. I figure it's always handy to have.
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التَكْرَارُ يُعَلِّمُ الحِمارَ "Repetition teaches the donkey" Arabic proverb
"A year from now you may wish you had started today" Karen Lamb
Good grief! I don't think I'll start learning, in that case I've got more chance of remembering semaphore from when I learned it at Brownies! In fact, I can still remember the first half dozen
Funnily enough I saw on the Android play store the other day an app for a Morse code flashlight - it effectively uses the camera on your mobile phone as a torch, you type in the message and the phone turns it into morse code and flashes it using the camera/torch. I thought this was quite clever.
Zunzuncito wrote:Funnily enough I saw on the Android play store the other day an app for a Morse code flashlight - it effectively uses the camera on your mobile phone as a torch, you type in the message and the phone turns it into morse code and flashes it using the camera/torch. I thought this was quite clever.
Now that is a cool idea.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain~anon
Computer translation of morse tends to work on machine generated code, how ever it is very unreliable on hand sent morse. Humans tend to slur their code especially after a few drams Lol
“A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.” ― Edward R. Murrow
"Remember Politicians are like babies diapers they both need changing often for the very same reason" - Mark Twain
If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal.
Ive just this minute joined for the pure reason to give a few words of advice in regards to Morse . ( I will then log-out and go ) .. but I’ve been in the same boat as ALL OF YOU , when I started.
Now 3 Years on I’m CWing at 25 / 28 WPM
When I started I was told by an old gentleman if I ever wanted to CW at 25+ WPM there’s only ONE way to learn and thats the Koch method
Now sadly the way 95% of people learn Morse is to start with 4-5 WPM and work there way up , THIS guarantees failure, Trust me I wore that badge for 2 years and gave up.
Let me try and explain . When you start slow you hear EACH *Dot n Dash* which intail spells the letter, the problem occurs when you get to around 15 WPM, you don’t hear each Dot n Dash anymore you hear a *Single Sound* made up of Dots & Dash’s, now people make the mistake of presuming they can keep on improving on there WPM each day with practice this is when beginners who have investing a lot of time and money realise there stuck and can’t get over the mound, due to they can’t hear the dots and dashes anymore.
So if you are still reading and fancy learning Morse you will nead to start the Koch method the best Free software I found was at g4fon.net just search “Koch Morse trainer”
You start with two letter W B the reasons been they sound quite different ! and as you get more competent making the distinction between the two sounds you add a third letter then a fourth and so on ...
Now in regards to WPM I used to practice at 20-25 WPM the reason been I was told any slower I would fall into the habit of trying to listen for DOTS n DASH .. rather that the whole SOUND of the letter .
And in the early stages don’t try and copy to paper , just speak out loud WEBWBBBW
The first time you listen to letters at 20-25 there is a chance you will burst into tears and give up but seriously stick with it .. the first few days you will struggle but after a week of 20 mins each day , it all start slowing down and sounding less and less frightening also at 20-25 WPM you will have the confidence on that straight key.
One observation on Morse speeds. I am ready to be corrected by those who know more but as I understand it there are certain levels for speed.
Beginners at 5 WPM this level simply relies on hearing each individual dot and ash and the mentally converting it to a letter.
12 WPM this speed you don't hear the individual dot and dash you hear the whole letter and recognise it for the letter it represents. This is why Koch training sends the letter at a 12 WPM equivalent but spaces the individual letters out to an overall slower rate. End result you don't hear Dah Dah you hear "M".
At 25 WPM you hear groups of letters and words.
And so on.
The LCWO site allows you to adjust but the defaults are set with some logic. It is also worth keeping in mind it is no use being able to send at 50 WPM if your contact can only receive at 12.
However, learning was quite fun - I also used Morse Mania for listening practice and then I used to "translate" all the signs I saw on my journey into work for sending practice. I ought to see if I can relearn it. I figure it's always handy to have.
I've got more chance of remembering semaphore from when I learned it at Brownies! In fact, I can still remember the first half dozen 
