It is almost a year ago I started learn CW seriously. I knew it would take a long time.
It's a fun slow journey. I will try to take another way after I finished the 28/12 wpm lessons. I'm already at lesson 40 and my guess is that it will take another few days before I reach a 100% score. However I'm not on the right path learning to decode daily QSOs on the bands. An old wise man told me that I better learn same speeds like 12/12 wpm and so on. So I already adopted that for the "plain text training" part of the course. He also gave me the advice to learn and train abbreviations like they use in QSOs, I do that in the "word training". I also continue with the call training and figures (number, both normal as shortened) training for use in contests.
Close!
Morning Bas, you are doing SO VERY WELL!! On the other hand, I have been pathetic in my resolve to learn CW and compared to you, I have put no REAL effort in.
ReplyDeleteI was with my wife in a delicatessen last weekend and out of the blue, she said “Why don’t we learn a new language together”? I jokingly suggested that we learn CW together and to my surprise she said yes! So I’m guessing that it’s going to be a lot easier to stick to a learning-schedule when you’ve got a learning partner in the house. We’ll see LOL.
I continue to watch your journey with interest - I find it motivational.
Thanks,
Tom, M7MCQ.
Hello Tom, well it looks like I make progress. But today I still struggle to key my callsign :-).
DeleteWell good to hear your XYL wants to learn it as wel. In that case it will be easier I guess. You can make a little conversation in morse which will make the progress faster. I've been trying to make a QSO on 10m CW but till now I've not found a station who send code slow enough to copy.
Good luck with learning and I hope to read some update on your blog.
73, Bas
Good morning Bas, that is a tall order to learn CW QSO and contesting at the same time. As I move along in my CW journey it does slow, frustrating and a few steps back and then one forward. My wife quilts and sews as a hobby and sometimes I catch her getting frustrated. I tell her "relax and enjoy its a hobby". The other day I was talking to her about me being stuck with the code and going backwards...I must of sounded frustrated...she told me with a smile..."relax and enjoy it's a hobby". It's natural to get in a pickle when working hard at something. But I want to continue to see it as a hobby, a great exercise for my mind to keep me sharp and as Tom said a language.
ReplyDelete73,
Mike
VE9KK
Hello Mike, yes it is still a hobby and I should relax. But if possible I will practice code every day. I try to enjoy it and so far most of it learning it is very enjoyable. The only frustrating thing is that I really like to make some QSOs with CW. I've been listening on 10m CW today but cannot find a station that sends slow morse so I would be able to make anything out of it. So I still decode with computer and try to "recognize" some letters before the computer decodes it. But complete QSOs is not yet possible. 73, Bas
DeleteLet's make a deal. If we make a CW QSO, the Belgian beer is on me. Or other drink if you want.
ReplyDeleteI'm serious. I've sent off CW multiplier compensation to Oregon USA :o)
PS if someone calls me slow(er), I just throttle back to accommodate the speed. Only fair and normal.
NEVER GIVE UP!
Would be great to make a CW QSO with you Frankie, so far I only did one QSO which went not that good with AE5X when he was visiting Iceland. Tnx for the belgian beer offer ;-).
DeleteI'm always afraid someone is not slowing down when I reply to a CQ. But I can always send QRS or ? of course. I have to stop worrying and get on the air.
73, Bas