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Morse Code
- Thread starter novakor
- Start date
I am going to make some comments about code and getting your HF privileges. Don't want to start one of those worthless 'code/no code' wars like on some popular ham forums.
I got my general license recently. I took the general theory test back in November '05 after reading and studying the ARRL General License Examination Manual and taking the practice tests online. Not a big deal.
Then I had to learn morse code so I could pass the code test within the year that the credit for the written test was valid.
I have tried to learn morse code since the mid 1970's. For some reason, I was unable to get it all these years. Now I had a real motivating factor, not wanting to lose the credit for the written exam.
I started by downloading Morse Academy and going through the letters one at a time. I would only practice for about 20 minutes a night, as my brain would get fuzzy after a while.
I would go through the letters that I learned in my head throughout the day...dit dah = A, dah dit dit dit =B, dah dit dah dit = C, blah blah blah...
I got to a point in about a month where I got to know all of the letters. I then started to practice copying 2 and 3 characters in a sequence, using Morse Academy, trying to get more comfortable copying this stuff.
After that, I started on the numbers, doing the same things I did with the letters. When I got that down pretty well, I moved on the the prosigns.
To this point, I could do a pretty good job of copying individual characters, but still hadn't put the whole thing together in my head. Then I found AA9PW's website.
AA9PW has downloadable audio files of practice CW QSOs that you listen to and copy. There are several levels that let you copy just letters, numbers or prosigns, and then add them as you get better.
As I got comfortable with that, then I started doing the practice FCC code tests, where you copy the code sent, then answer a 10 question test on what you copied.
I would even monitor slow code QSOs on the HF bands and try to copy them.
I got to a point where I was passing with an 80-90% grade everytime, and I was ready to take the test.
An important note...
I thought I was ready to take the test, and I contacted some local VEs that I knew from my tech session in '02. I spoke to them about my level of confidence, and they ran a few practice sessions with me, sending me messages that would be similar to the test. I found one thing that I was not ready for was the '/' character. The tests cover every character and the '/' slash in a callsign was throwing me. Be prepared to copy a callsign with a '/' in it, as if the operator would be operating in a different area, such as KA3ABC/7.
Also, expect less commonly used letters to appear in the callsigns. Since the test must cover all the letters, numbers and prosigns, expect letters like X and Z to be in the call signs since they don't appear commonly in words.
I passed with 9 out of 10 answers correct, and almost perfect copy. If I can do it, so can you. You don't have to wait for the FCC to drop code to get on HF and you will get to enjoy the DXing you like on 11 meters, all the time on 20, 40 and 75 meters. And the benefit to me is, I would get to talk to you forum members without waiting for the next solar cycle to peak
I wrote all this to encourage you Techs to try to get your general by passing the code test. There are some benefits to being able to copy code. There are beacons out there that id in code, and I have been able to copy them and send off QSL cards to the beacon operators.
If anyone has any questions or wants to discuss this more, give me a shout. I am looking for people to practice code with so I can increase my skills too.
73
I got my general license recently. I took the general theory test back in November '05 after reading and studying the ARRL General License Examination Manual and taking the practice tests online. Not a big deal.
Then I had to learn morse code so I could pass the code test within the year that the credit for the written test was valid.
I have tried to learn morse code since the mid 1970's. For some reason, I was unable to get it all these years. Now I had a real motivating factor, not wanting to lose the credit for the written exam.
I started by downloading Morse Academy and going through the letters one at a time. I would only practice for about 20 minutes a night, as my brain would get fuzzy after a while.
I would go through the letters that I learned in my head throughout the day...dit dah = A, dah dit dit dit =B, dah dit dah dit = C, blah blah blah...
I got to a point in about a month where I got to know all of the letters. I then started to practice copying 2 and 3 characters in a sequence, using Morse Academy, trying to get more comfortable copying this stuff.
After that, I started on the numbers, doing the same things I did with the letters. When I got that down pretty well, I moved on the the prosigns.
To this point, I could do a pretty good job of copying individual characters, but still hadn't put the whole thing together in my head. Then I found AA9PW's website.
AA9PW has downloadable audio files of practice CW QSOs that you listen to and copy. There are several levels that let you copy just letters, numbers or prosigns, and then add them as you get better.
As I got comfortable with that, then I started doing the practice FCC code tests, where you copy the code sent, then answer a 10 question test on what you copied.
I would even monitor slow code QSOs on the HF bands and try to copy them.
I got to a point where I was passing with an 80-90% grade everytime, and I was ready to take the test.
An important note...
I thought I was ready to take the test, and I contacted some local VEs that I knew from my tech session in '02. I spoke to them about my level of confidence, and they ran a few practice sessions with me, sending me messages that would be similar to the test. I found one thing that I was not ready for was the '/' character. The tests cover every character and the '/' slash in a callsign was throwing me. Be prepared to copy a callsign with a '/' in it, as if the operator would be operating in a different area, such as KA3ABC/7.
Also, expect less commonly used letters to appear in the callsigns. Since the test must cover all the letters, numbers and prosigns, expect letters like X and Z to be in the call signs since they don't appear commonly in words.
I passed with 9 out of 10 answers correct, and almost perfect copy. If I can do it, so can you. You don't have to wait for the FCC to drop code to get on HF and you will get to enjoy the DXing you like on 11 meters, all the time on 20, 40 and 75 meters. And the benefit to me is, I would get to talk to you forum members without waiting for the next solar cycle to peak
I wrote all this to encourage you Techs to try to get your general by passing the code test. There are some benefits to being able to copy code. There are beacons out there that id in code, and I have been able to copy them and send off QSL cards to the beacon operators.
If anyone has any questions or wants to discuss this more, give me a shout. I am looking for people to practice code with so I can increase my skills too.
73
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