Morse key: new vs vintage

[russell_w_b]

Originally Posted by Herald1360

_... . ... _ _... . _. _ .__ .. ._. .

Arrrghh!

That's your ear-worm for today.

[David G4EBT]

Here's a thread I posted back in 2010 about the last Morse key I used, which I made from junk which cost me £2.00 at a rally.

Lovely key to use:

http://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/s...ight=Morse+key

[Richard - F4VPR]

I applaud Ottavio for the enthusiasm to learn Morse code, it is a very efficient mode that may use quite simple equipment.

There is some good advice in this thread, indeed, you really do not need a key until the receiving is mastered at a reasonable speed. (I too have one of those rather nice, old AM type D keys)

I would also recommend the Koch method which you can find on the website of G4FON mentioned earlier and definitely set the speed around 15wpm and use a big thinking gap which you can reduce as the speed increases.

There was none of this in 1969/70 when I did my G3 license but I had a very good friend, keen CW op and classical guitarist who could send excellent CW.

However, some things have not been mentioned as far as I can see which I feel are quite important.

Do not start out by printing the letters!

Use long-hand because you cannot print capitals beyond some 5WPM! Doesn't matter if you have a wholly joined-up line, the words are obvious and the spaces will come in time. I also found a not too sharp pencil was better than a ball-point or similar, but your preference may vary.

Don't dwell on a missed letter, move on; otherwise you'll miss the next five or more! Best to just make a short line or underscore to denote the missed character.

It's demoralising perhaps, but if you are copying 50% or more, then you are not learning much, if anything, it should always be a struggle. This is the advantage of a good human tutor who pushes the pace when progress is becoming obvious, something which the computer cannot do.

And certainly, expect to "stick" at two speed points for a while, it's a function of our own bio-chemical computers between the ears. . . . . . . .

I wish you well in your endeavors!

R.

[russell_w_b]

Originally Posted by Richard - F4VPR

Do not start out by printing the letters!

I tried something today. I had me ten minutes on 'CW Player' (F6DQM) set to 25WPM speed with a longer gap. There was no way I could print, or even write the letters down, but I got better at holding a few in my head (I was on random groups).

Then I turned to a computer keyboard and, using two fingers and 'Word', I managed to hit the appropriate keys more times than not! Far quicker than writing (I found). The very action of writing took longer than a peck at a key. I'm not a touch-typist by any means, but years of a vague familiarity of where the keys are meant I had a sporting chance of getting there.

First of all, thank you all for your contributions!

I just started with the Chuch Adams' course yesterday. Only the first two letters, A and B. I'm talking it easy. We'll see how it goes. All other courses are not tablet friendly.

It's too early now, but projecting it a bit forward, Chuck Adams suggests ditching the straight key altogether and start with dual lever paddles. There's no course structure for sending. I think it'll all come together when one reaches fluency with copying code.

The Sending.pdf file is here (I think it's public domain so there should be no problems with sharing it):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx5...w?usp=drivesdk

Originally Posted by Barraman

When I was learning morse , it was impressed on me to go nowhere near a key until I could receive to a reasonable standard. That way the brain knows what cw should sound like and it makes it much easier to send good morse.
Good advice?

I was just reflecting on Barraman's advice, which I take fully.

However ...

I've started with the Chuck Adams' method. I've already learned letters from A to J. I want to take easy and slow so I'm not bothered. I've also installed the app "Amateur Ham Radio Straight Key"

You tap on the screen and it prints both the symbol and the morse code.

My question is: if I manage to connect a straight key to the tablet and generate Morse code, would that help me in speeding up my learning process?

No, don't send at all until you can read well at a fair speed. I would also say don't send anything until you need to. Your ear/brain will soon tell you if your sending is wrong if you know what it should sound like, the adjustment takes minutes.

[majoconz]

What I most often use is my ex RAF 'TypeD' ground station key.

I have one of those too - also from our web auction site. Deceased estate, quite a nice conversation with the widow, she was quite impressed with how well it turned out after a good clean and rebuild. The bakelite cover comes up very nicely with a bit of brown boot polish - my cover is very nearly intact, just a small crack at the right rear. I didn't particularly like the "click-thud" of the action and apparantly other operators didn't - hence the mod of a halfpenny under the 'make' contact to stiffen it up a bit.

[russell_w_b]

One of my 'D'-keys (ex-RAF 'somewhere in Scotland') has an extended knob on it so it protrudes upwards another half-inch. There's a spacer fitted beneath the disc. Must've suited someone's elbow or wrist position better.

[Radio Wrangler]

My type D key (currently plugged into the Icom) has a spacer under the disc. It needs it. The cover is high enough that without the spacer your fingers foul on the sharp edge of the hole in the cover around the sides and the back.

I wonder if there were two different heights of covers?

David

[russell_w_b]

The covers are identical. The one I use is on the left and the one with the raised knob is on the right. I seem to have managed a modest 16 - 18WPM without any blood shed on sharp edges thus far...

[majoconz]

Perhaps that's the reason why so many covers are missing - I tend to hook my third finger under the disc rather than under the knob - perhaps others do the same. Quite a few ships I worked on had the Marconi 365B key with the cover taken off and stowed in a drawer - the cover does make a bit of a 'clang'!

[Radio Wrangler]

Agreement all round!

My D has the same height cover. The disc is bigger in diameter than the key on the left, and the stem of the knob is a lot slimmer and parallel-sided up to a much flatter knob. Without the spacer, the disc sits lower then the cover hole at the front, and a lot lower at the back. What makes me think there might have been two covers is that the cover screw on mine is clearly too long, and that the shank bottoms on the key base leaving 1/4 inch of clearance between the bottom of the screw's knob and the boss on the cover... so my cover is still loose with the screw fully home.

I find the 'clang' from the metal cover on the NATO5805-99-580-8558 to be very intrusive. That's the blue-grey naval key. I keep intending to put some absorber aterial inside the can.

David

[Barraman]

Originally Posted by majoconz

Perhaps that's the reason why so many covers are missing - I tend to hook my third finger under the disc rather than under the knob - perhaps others do the same. Quite a few ships I worked on had the Marconi 365B key with the cover taken off and stowed in a drawer - the cover does make a bit of a 'clang'!

I seem to remember the brass cover of the 365B was often stripped, polished up and made into a rather smart ashtray......................in the days when people smoked!

Richard