Morse Code

 First the QRP Image of the Day:

Posted to Facebook by Peter OO7Z - who had a QSO with Reiner DL5YJN, who was using his homebrewed transceiver.

Every now and then I like to post about what it takes to learn Morse Code. After 45 years of being an Amateur Radio Op, I've learned that the journey is different for each one of us. What works for one may not work for another. What works for most may not work for someone else at all.

That all being said, I think the biggest "thing" about learning Morse Code is one's attitude. I know this from personal experience. I wanted to become a Ham while I was in High School. I was 16, bought myself an AMECO Morse Code LP and listened to it and failed, miserably. Not only did I fail miserably, but I convinced myself that I couldn't do it. It would never happen. I gave up. I didn't even bother taking the exam.

Fast forward a few years and a Novice license class became available at a neighboring town's High School as an Adult Education Program. This time, a little bit older and a little bit wiser (perhaps) I decided to grit my teeth, bare down and finally overcome this obstacle that had barred my entry a few years earlier. I wanted it bad enough, and that made all the difference.

I did it! But I did it the wrong way, in retrospect. I was given a set of ARRL Novice Morse Code cassette tapes (remember those?) and learned the code. But I learned it at the 5 WPM speed that was required at the time, but also at a slow, dragged out sending speed.

Why was this bad? It was bad because I counted on counting the dits and dahs, and then translating that into the letters. That may have been fine and dandy for the 5 WPM Novice Exam, but when I wanted to upgrade to General, I hit a plateau at 10 WPM, on my way to 13 WPM. And needless to say, that was a hard plateau to get over! It was then that I learned of the term "Farnsworth". This method of Morse Code learning is to hear the individual letters at a speed of about 18 WPM, but put enough spacing between the letters to bring down the effective receiving rate at say, 13 WPM for the General test.

It was tough! I had to effectively "unlearn" Morse Code and learn it all over again. But I hung with it and between those kind of code tapes and a lot of on the air QSOs, I was able to pass my General in the summer of 1979, less than a year after I was originally licensed.

Cassettes tapes and Morse Code LPs have gone the way of the Dodo. How is one to learn Morse Code today? Fortunately, there are a lot of Morse Code learning apps. Google and the Play Store or the iTunes store are your friends and I suggest trying out a bunch until you find the one you like the best. The one that I like the most and still use to this day is the "Morse Trainer" app by Wolphi on my Android phone. It costs about 4 bucks for the app, but I think is worth several times that. Not only will it teach you Morse Code, but even when you think you've become proficient, it will help you improve your speed.

In an on-the-air QSO, depending on the day, I can be comfortable with speeds between 18 and 30 WPM. When my head is clear and my mind is fresh, I can keep up with someone sending at 30 WPM. When I'm tired and my brain is nothing more than a bowl of tapioca pudding, I'll probably go with anywhere from 18 to 23 WPM. The great thing about Morse Trainer is that you can set is as high as 60 WPM. Currently, I have it set for 40 WPM and I try to play it in the background while I'm doing other things.

Yes, you read that right. I like to play Morse Code in the background while I'm doing other things. At this point, I'm just listening to rhythm and spacing. I'm not even consciously trying to decode, I'm just listening. No pressure, no tension, just listening and you'll be surprised how many words will just pop into your brain. I try and get at least ten or so minutes of this a day. It keeps me sharp and helps me increase my speed. I've noticed that during Field Day, I can even decode the speed demons that are sending at 40+ WPM rates. I'm not comfortable there, but I can keep up, even if it means having to listen a couple of times.

If you're attempting to learn Morse Code for the very first time, I would highly recommend limiting your sessions to no longer than 15 minutes at a time and at the very most, two sessions a day. You don't want to burn out and you don't want to let frustration set in. Frustration and worry are your two biggest enemies in learning Morse Code.

Listen and practice when you're not overly tired and most of all relax! Relax, relax and relax some more. I repeat, worrying about your speed, worrying that "you're not getting it" is the worst thing you can do. It will come, I promise! If I can do it, anyone can. And remember, I was convinced I couldn't learn Morse Code until I convinced myself that I could. I've gone from someone who absolutely hated it to being a Ham who only communicates via Morse Code, using phone only very unfrequently.

And knowing Morse Code can help you do other fun things. I received these images from Tim K0ETH, who included me on his team to decode the Morse Code sent by the Maritime Radio Historical Society last Summer, in a competition to decode an Enigma message. According to the letter, we were the first to successfully do it. Cool beans!

Good luck and may the Morse be with you!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!