Monthly Archives: September 2011

Learn CW Online

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At LCWO.net you can learn Morse telegraphy (CW) online in your browser. You don’t need to install a program on your computer, and you always have your personal settings available, from any computer on the globe with an Internet connection. You can also easily track your progress by means of different statistical functions. For the learner a course is available using the Koch Method but it is also a good site for any Morse operator to advance his skills further and it is free to use. Continue reading →

We are Evolving

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When I started the Morse Crusade I knew I had to let it evolve because I was blinkered by being trained professionally using the Koch Method and wanted the opinion of others so that the website could evolve with an open mind.

I though that The Morse Crusade was going to be controversial like Darwin’s publication “The Natural Evolution of the Species” and it was going to be difficult to convince others about the pitfalls which can happen in learning Morse Code, however I have been proved wrong and very pleased with the positive comments I have had from everyone, so a big THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed to the Morse Crusade.

I received the message below today and thought that I need to put a “Guidance” section on this website. Before receiving this, I was going to point to other websites for information, but although there was good information out there, it was not complete.

I found difficulty in the Old Method. It’s good to know that you are going to put it right. And CW is gaining interest down here in Brisbane

73 Harry VK4DFG

So Harry you’re putting a lot of weight on my shoulders and making me put my head on the block, because I am going to write a guide on learning Morse with the good points and the bad points. I again would appreciate comments from others about their experiences so the guide can be as comprehensive as possible

Ian G4XFC

Fists CW Club

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Fists CW Club The International Morse Preservation Society

I am pleased to announce the the Fists CW Club, The International Morse Preservation Society, are helping the Morse Crusade by featuring the Morse Crusade on their Latest News bulletin on their website and have also added a link to the Morse Crusade in their Links section on their website. Thank you Fists for your help.

Don’t Read Morse Listen to It

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One of the biggest hazards of learning Morse is the Crib Sheet or Flash Card with the character and Morse equivalent written down for you to look at. You can learn Morse code with these aids, but you can’t use it and end up with the counting syndrome again which leads back to a previous post “Still Counting?“. Morse is a language and should be listened to. Continue reading →

Message From Barry G3JGO

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I was helped to learn Morse by G3GCU an ex Bomber Command RO
about 1952. I well remember him saying that slow, machine accurate
Morse is NOT the way, one has to learn letters at say 12-15 wpm from
day one, with big gaps to keep the WPM down to what you can handle.
Like the phrase “six teenagers” which gives three different meanings
if said too slowly, as the brain tries to interpret what it has
already got.

Regarding tried and tested methods, I once heard of someone who had
“always” taken the hot ashes out in a bucket. On day his son-in-law
bought him a polythene bucket !!!!! He blamed the son-in-law, not the
method.

73’s
Barry  G3JGO

Thanks Barry the more messages and comments we get the better for the Crusade.

Building Up The Crusade

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I am still building up the Crusade and thank Southgate ARC for putting it on their news, I would also like to that everyone who has posted comments on the website as everything helps to move the Crusade forward and although it’s still in it’s infancy I am optimistic that it will grow. If we even get one Morse Instructor or one student to change their views then we have succeeded.

The Morse Crusade can be followed now on the following sites, so join and add your voice to the Crusade;

Facebook, Twitter via @TheMorseCrusade  and Yahoo Grooups

Morse Readers

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I thought I might just write a little post on the subject of Morse Readers as although they are a good tool for Morse operators who can read at least 12wpm, because they can be used to practice your sending ability and the readability of the Morse you are sending, however as a learning tool for reading Morse they should never be used as it will cause problems with your learning.as you can’t receive Morse and look at the screen at the same time and also there is always some delay before the character is displayed on the screen which could throw your concentration.

Morse Aptitude

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Your Morse Aptitude is your personal ability to learn Morse Code and some find it easier than others to learn. Most armed forces professional Morse operators would have taken a Morse aptitude test before they started learning, this is because the government did not want to spend lots of money training someone who was going to find it very difficult to learn. If you failed the aptitude test you were redirected to another occupation. Continue reading →

Let the Crusade Begin

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This is not a revolution to take over and throw to one side other Morse Groups and take over the world of Morse, we would like to think it is more of a crusade to change the way of thinking in training Morse and work with other clubs, groups and societies. To promote Morse and to find a standard way of training that is not detrimental to the learner. Continue reading →

Still Counting?

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Are you one of the Morse operators still suffering from the 5wpm Morse Test and finding difficulty progressing forward with your Morse speeds? I have listened to many sad stories about this and you have my sympathy. But there could be hope at the end of the tunnel if you are willing to retrain and begin to learn Morse as a language. I would suggest you read “So You Would Like to Learn the Secret of Morse”  and start again from the beginning.

I would like to say at this point I have no experience of this situation and would be very pleased if anyone that has been in this situation and overcome it please comment on this post and give your advice.

So You Would Like to Learn the Secret of Morse

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Morse is a Language and not a Code and should not be learned as such and my views are held by other operators World Wide. Learning Morse Code by dits and dahs will haunt you for a long time and if you are counting dits and dahs I would recommend that you stop immediately and read my post on “Redefining Slow Morse in Amateur Radio”.

Learning Morse is not easy and you must be dedicated and willing to put aside at least half an hour a day every day for practice. You will find that sometimes you will struggle and get mental blocks on some characters, but remember that you would not be on your own as most operators have gone through that at some time or other. We have all persevered through the hurdles it can throw at you and now enjoy the music of Morse. Continue reading →

Why Morse?

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As a child I was always intrigued with the sound of Morse Code though I could not understand it, and now as a Morse Operator I am mystified why people watch me and I know they don’t understand anything I am sending. When my club opened the Radio Museum at East Kirkby Airfield it was decided to only use SSB on the amateur station GB2CWP that was located within the museum. Visitors to the Radio Room just walked round looking at the exhibits and left showing no interest in our active station till one day we changed mode to CW and Morse filled the air. It seems we don’t need a flute like the Pied Piper of Hamlin, we just have the volume of the radio loud enough for the Morse to be heard outside the Radio Room and the visitors come flooding in and surround the operator. Why?

So what’s good about Morse Code and is it worth the pain of learning? Continue reading →

Morse Grades?

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In a recent email from fellow Crusader Matt VK2ACL who is working really hard at being able to read 25wpm comfortably which he considers to be “The Black Belt” of Morse operating. This got me thinking about relating Morse to Martial Arts Grades as my son Rob is a Martial Artist. (Profile Here) He started learning Kung Fu when he was 15 to protect himself as he was too scared to go to our local market town where he was being picked on. Through Determination, Self Sacrifice and Pain he is now well respected in his field and still learning.

How does this relate to Morse? To learn Morse properly you have to be very determined, sacrificing time for daily practice and to go through the pain and frustration of overcoming mental blocks. Having a quick grade of our Crusaders, Matt VK2ACL would be graded as a Brown Belt striving hard for his Black Belt, I would consider myself as Black Belt First Dan and John N5DWI would be graded as Black Belt Fifth Dan (visit John’s site) Continue reading →

Slow Morse

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Let’s get the the truth out and see where we progress. Do I like slow morse? NO! I like to work about 18wpm which I am comfortable with on my straight key. Do I think that I am better than the slow Morse operator? NO! everyone is equal and we all had to start somewhere. Do I try to show off with my fast Morse? NO! I was trained at 30wpm but I like to have a relaxed QSO at 18wpm with my straight key and I would have to use my paddle key for faster speeds which I really don’t bother with. It is like driving a car at 60mph or 100mph, what speed would you be more relaxed driving at and not be tired at the end of the journey. Would I work a slow Morse station? YES! I would like to think that I am giving encouragement to a slow Morse station and help them progress in increasing their speed. Continue reading →

Redefining Slow Morse in Amateur Radio

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This is my Nemesis and I have upset people in the past airing my views on the subject so lets go WORLD WIDE. My problem is that people do not listen properly to what I am saying, especially learners who do not really understand the principles of my views.   I love using Morse and actively encourage others to learn so that they can get the same enjoyment as I do using this mode of communication. The worst part is the people that actively teach slow Morse who refuse to listen to the damage that can be caused by their activities and set a potentially good Morse Operator back years. Continue reading →

Readability

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This brings back memories when I moved from Glasgow, Scotland to Lincoln, England in 1963 the first English word I learnt was “Pardon” and seemed the standard reply to any question I asked. I soon learned that I needed to think and slow down when speaking to get any reasonable answers. I now speak Lincolnshire with a Scottish accent which most people seem to understand. Continue reading →