Practice is very important but so is having a good coach. To that end may I suggest you check out the CW Academy -- http://www.cwops.org/cwacademy.html
There is also a CWops HF On the Air Advisors program open to all: http://www.cwops.org/cwa-aota.html CWops also has a weekly one-hour sprint like contest called CWT that runs on every Wednesday at 13z, 19z and Thursday 03z. The exchange is easy -- name and state or country if you are not a member. Members send their name and membership number. Pete, W1RM -----Original Message----- From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Stephen Shearer Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2015 8:31 AM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Fwd: Re: [OT] increasing CW copy speed: practice slow -v- practice fast Sounds great. It should work. I know I need to practice... I have another problem.... How do I put this... Sloppy sending? I notice (particularly in contests) that many ops run the characters together. I can't copy and my KX3 can't copy. Good keyers add the proper spacing between characters and words. Bugs, straight keys, and simple keyers don't (can't) add the spacing automatically. I tried the zombie shuffle, all I or my KX3 got was cqtest, others were were copying fine. comments? steve WB3LGC On 06-Dec-15 3:00 AM, Robert Harmon wrote: > > Bill, > > We are not discussing entry level code learning. We are discussing > increasing your code speed on receive. And speed is vitally important ! > K7QQ is not the only one that can copy high speed CW, there are many > of us out here. Transitioning to higher speed copy can be done > through systematic and regular exercise. I have been a CW operator > for over > 40 years and it wasn't until fairly late in the game that I accepted > the advice from several high speed ops on how to progress past > mediocre copy speed. ( I will share this below) First we need to > realize there are two distinct types of training for CW. The first is > developing your rote memorization skills for learning the characters. > I recommend the Farnsworth method for this. With Farnsworth the > characters are sent faster than the words. For instance at 10 wpm > each character is sent at 20 wpm but enough time is added to slow down > the rate to 10 wpm. The ARRL adopted this method years ago for their > morse code training materials and the W1AW morse transmissions. For > example when W1AW is sending at 18 wpm the characters are sent at 20 > wpm. > > Now to increase your speed you need to approach your training > differently. (which is the subject of Roberts original post) There > are different variations of the training used to increase your speed > but they all have a common denominator. They all in some form or > another introduce copying at a faster speed (go figure) > > Here is what I found to be most effective method for me I learned from > other ops. > Its great to spend time in the saddle copying QSO's in which your > current copying speed will allow, but to really increase your copying > speed you need to spend some time exercising your copying abilities > each day by practice copying ONLY at speeds faster than you can > comfortably copy. You wont increase your copying speed by always > copying at the same comfortable speeds. Practice at a speed where you are only able to > copy one or two characters in each word. Concentrate !! Do this for > only 10 minutes each day. If you are really concentrating you will > find > 10 minutes is about when you are ready to throw in the towel for the > day anyway Later on after you find you are able to copy about half of > the overall text then increase the speed back to where you can only > copy one or two characters in each word. (This isn't supposed to be > easy this is a training exercise.) Try this only ten minutes a day and > see what happens ! Also this needs to be practiced regularly, every > day and if you miss a day, no worries, > jump back in. Many hams never improve their speed and are content when > they reach around 20 wpm max. In many chasing DX and contest > operating CW activities it gives you an big advantage to be able to > operate at higher speeds. We have all heard the high speed ops during > a contest and marvel at how fast their contacts go by. It is great to > be able to match their speed and grab a contact ! Its not that > difficult folks, just 10 minutes a day of concentrated practice. As > you are gaining your speed don't get frustrated over losing a word or > words when you are in a CW QSO and losing the intelligibility of the > conversation, that happens to all of us and will be remedied when you copying speed is increased. > Lastly, you will with practice, increase your "comfortable" copy speed > to upwards of 30 to 35 wpm and more. > You will be able to really enjoy morse as a language. You will sit > there and listen to sentences and paragraphs go by in your head with > complete understanding. It is very enjoyable ! > > > 73, > Bob > K6UJ > > > > > > > On 12/5/15 11:54 AM, Bill Rowlett wrote: >> The best way to learn CW is the same as learning any language, by the >> sound of the letters or charters. The speed you use to practice is >> not important, it is writing down the letter when heard, over and >> over again. K7QO has a CW program on his site which does just that. >> Also, it is finding the time and dedication to put in the time >> needed. K7QO by the way has won copy contest at over 100wpm, he knows what he speaks. >> >> Just my two cents. Now, back to the practice. >> >> 73 and good DX >> >> Bill KC4ATU >> >> >> On Dec 5, 2015, at 2:37 PM, Kevin Stover<kevin.sto...@mediacombb.net> >> wrote: >> >>> I've always thought the Farnsworth method was directly responsible >>> for the "10 wpm wall" newcomers were running into. Reading "The Art >>> and Skill of Radio Telegraphy" Pierpont says the same thing. By >>> stretching the time between words you give people more time to >>> translate. if your going to copy Morse faster than about 10wpm you >>> don't have time to translate. You have to know the character as soon >>> as you hear it without using the look up table in your head. The >>> Koch method has no exaggerated spacing between words or elements. >>> You want to be proficient at 35 wpm, you practice with dit/dah and >>> word speed set for 35 wpm. >>> >>> Building speed on the air is great as long as the code you are >>> copying is "good" code meaning close to properly spaced and timed >>> code. The nice thing about the computer programs is they send >>> perfect code. With G4FON you can make it more realistic by adding >>> QRM, QRN and QSB in varying levels. The only thing your missing is >>> an old timer on his bug sending with the "Lake Erie Swing". >>> >>> -- >>> R. Kevin Stover >>> AC0H >>> ARRL >>> FISTS #11993 >>> SKCC #215 >>> NAQCC #3441 >>> >>> >>> --- >>> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. >>> https://www.avast.com/antivirus >>> >>> ______________________________________________________________ >>> Elecraft mailing list >>> Home:http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >>> Help:http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >>> Post:mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net >>> >>> This list hosted by:http://www.qsl.net Please help support this >>> email list:http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >>> Message delivered tokc4...@hotmail.com >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home:http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help:http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post:mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net >> >> This list hosted by:http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email >> list:http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> Message delivered tok...@pacbell.net >> > > > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email > list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to > sm.shearer...@gmail.com > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to w...@comcast.net ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
