Morse code (cw)

Why use morse code? .. .Today when there's so much technology about why would anyone want to use this mode of communication?.Simple answer ( from someone who is biast), its simply great fun and a very efficient mode of communication. You will find many amateur ops who like to work qrp will also enjoy using cw. The mode can be worked even when the bands seem flat on the ssb portions and very rare is it i hear a quiet band on the cw portions. Morse code once mastered is a great way to communicate and for many people that first qso has them hooked on cw.. Would i go back to using a mic? simple answer ,No. There are many sites on the web regarding morse code and just as many giving opinions of how to get into it . This page is not meant to teach anybody anything but more an insite as to how i became interested and how i learnt morse code.

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Why did i decide to use cw?

I have liked qrp operating for a while now and although i have always had pretty good success on the ssb portions of the bands i found i wanted something more from radio. I had gone down the homebrew route and still enjoy doing this and it seemed a natural progression from making simple homebrew cw rigs to actually try and learn how to use the mode. I will give MY method of learning morse later which i found worked for me. I found once i started using morse code that i couldn't not make contacts even on 2 watts and never feel the need to up the power level,in fact im more tempted to go lower and have infact made contacts at lower levels down to 250mw. Even now i am amazed that i can go on the bands with a couple of watts and work at least into EU on a resonant antenna. There seems to be on the whole a mutual respect amoungst cw ops,maybe this is due to the fact that we all know everyone we speak to on cw has made that extra effort to learn the code wether it be compulsary as was in the UK at one time or simply voluntary.Whichever way you get into it you can't help but get hooked.. Yes it does take a bit of time and effort to learn and sometimes it feels your just not making progress but its all worth it .. trust me..

Learning the code

Learning the code is simple .Half hour a day should see you recognising all the alphabet and numbers within a week ,if it takes you longer don't worry but it shouldn't take too long.. What is more difficult is to understand these characters when strung together as words and abbreviations . This can be made easier by listening to random words sent on a morse tutor AFTER you are familiar with the individual characters. For example ,once i had learnt the alphabet and numbers i then started to listen to common abbreviations that are common place in a "rubber stamp" qso. For example TNX/FER/RST/RPT/YAESU/KENWOOD/ANT/DIPOLE/RIG etc etc.. Once you can indentify these key abbreviations as a whole word and not individual characters its suprising just how fast you can pick them out even at quite fast speeds. I then progressed to listening to random qso's on the pc .Don't be tempted to have the qso sent too slow stick at around 12wpm no less but increase spacing between characters if need be. Keeping the speed you learn morse at is important.Too slow and you will find yourself counting dits and dahs,you don't want this ,you want to try and listen to the tune each character makes,it's much easier this way. Too slow a speed will only hold you back. Now some people will say DON'T attempt sending on a key untill you can read morse .. This didn't add up to me . Surely sending is as important as listening.I regularly practiced sending the alphabet,numbers and random abbreviations but i only did 15 minutes out of my 1 hour set aside each day for practice. If you were to learn a new language (which is all morse is really) you would be encouraged to use it as much as you can both listening and speaking so surely learning morse is the same .

IMPORTANT

the minute you feel you could blag your way through a qso get on air. Some people would have you sat practicing till you could copy 25wpm at 100% copy before letting you on air. RUBBISH. The best way to learn the code is to use it ,simple as that. Go on and call cq, have ( as i did) a sheet of paper with key info on it like qth etc. Put them down in order they may be needed and pin them up in front of you in the shack. Have a "get out" plan . I often lost my bottle and used bad qrm to finish a qso i thought i was messing up on.. Tell the other station your new and almost certainly in all cases they will be patient and work you through your qso.. PLEASE DONT BE AFRAID TO LET THE OTHER STATION KNOW YOUR NEW. They really don't mind or they wouldn't of answered your call.. SENDING SLOW AND CLEAR IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN TRYING TO GET YOUR SPEED UP and will clock up more qso's than sending faster but with unreadable clumps of dits and dahs..FACT.. If it's possible a "code buddy", someone that can sit with you over a table and send morse from a buzzer or another similar device is very good practice, again concentrate on sending slower and clearer rather than faster and dodgy.YOU MUST BE DEDICATED TO LEARNING MORSE OF YOU WANT TO CRACK IT.Time set aside EVERY DAY even if its only 15 minutes.

Just learn morse code

GO ON ,YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO ..