From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

How can one practice sending without having a key? Why would one want
to? Never mind that. Is it possible? Can a mockup practice key be
easily home-made? How so? Okay, obviously I'm pretty clueless about
the whole thing, I've never touched, seen or been within 10 miles of
the real thing, as far as I know, so bear with me here. I'm poor, a
shut-in, and it's a real sad story - anyways... If I tap on a table
with my finger, attempting to imitate the sound bites, timing and
rythmes one knows well from lots of copying practice (online practice
sound files, etc) is it wasted time, possibly even counter-productive
in the long run?

In a nutshell: no key = no learn/practice sending in any way, shape or
form?

73
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

In a nutshell: no key = no learn/practice sending in any way, shape or
form?

Practice copying.

Practice sending in your head. Like, say you're driving and you pass an
EXIT sign-- say to yourself
dit dah-di-di-dah di-dit dah

Actual sending on an actual key/keyer will come quickly when you get an
actual key/keyer.

73 de W3GERry


--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

Nqb wrote:

How can one practice sending without having a key? Why would one want
to? Never mind that. Is it possible? Can a mockup practice key be
easily home-made? How so? Okay, obviously I'm pretty clueless about
the whole thing, I've never touched, seen or been within 10 miles of
the real thing, as far as I know, so bear with me here. I'm poor, a
shut-in, and it's a real sad story - anyways... If I tap on a table
with my finger, attempting to imitate the sound bites, timing and
rythmes one knows well from lots of copying practice (online practice
sound files, etc) is it wasted time, possibly even counter-productive
in the long run?

In a nutshell: no key = no learn/practice sending in any way, shape or
form?

When I started learning CW, I also didn't have a keyer, so my
brother wrote a little DOS-program which would decode CW, sent
with the space-bar of the keyboard. I just dug out the file from
my archives and tested it with DOSBox [1] under Linux and it
worked pretty well.
The speed is not independent of the processor's speed, so you might
have to start it with a parameter, for example "MORSEN 20" to get
a comfortable speed for your machine.
I also guess it won't work under WinXP and Win2k (only under DOS,
Win95 and 98), but DOSBox can be used to make it run on any
platform that DOSBox supports.

http://dl0tud.tu-dresden.de/~dj1yfk/morsen.exe

[1] DOSBox: http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/

good luck with learning CW and 73,
--
Fabian Kurz, DJ1YFK * Dresden, Germany * http://fkurz.net/
Online Log: http://dl0tud.tu-dresden.de/~dj1yfk/log.html
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

My first morse key, back when I was about
12 years old, was made by cutting out a
metal strip from a used coffee can.

The metal strip was 3-4 inches long, and
about 1/4 -1/2 inch wide.

The metal strip was mounted on a block
of wood with a wood screw on one end of
the strip, and a wooden knob from a
drawer on the other end.

There was an additional screw, round head,
in the wood block under the metal strip such
that it made contact when the strip was
depressed.

Two wires, one from each screw, were
connected to my code practice oscillator, and
later to my first transmitter.

The metal strip did such a good job, I didn't
replace it (with a J-38) until much later.

Instead of a coffee can strip, you might
substitute one of the strips from the back of
a computer, the kind that close up the back
when a card is removed.

But if you do want to spend a little money, you
can Google a fairly decent key for around $10.

However, all that said, I'd advise just practice
receiving until you can copy around 90% of the
speed you are shooting for. Then, only, start
practicing sending.

Hope this helps, and vy 73,
john, N5DWI

Nqb wrote:

How can one practice sending without having a key? Why would one want
to? Never mind that. Is it possible? Can a mockup practice key be
easily home-made? How so? Okay, obviously I'm pretty clueless about
the whole thing, I've never touched, seen or been within 10 miles of
the real thing, as far as I know, so bear with me here. I'm poor, a
shut-in, and it's a real sad story - anyways... If I tap on a table
with my finger, attempting to imitate the sound bites, timing and
rythmes one knows well from lots of copying practice (online practice
sound files, etc) is it wasted time, possibly even counter-productive
in the long run?

In a nutshell: no key = no learn/practice sending in any way, shape or
form?

73

--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

Get this program:
http://justlearnmorsecode.com/

I have been working at it off and on for 9 months. Get discouraged,
lay off awhile and then go back to it. Up to 30 random characters
with 92% accuracy.

I want to be proficient before I get licensed. Just received a
DSW II on 40 meters the other day and am going to let it sit awhile
as I want to get the license in the can before building.

Too cold to go outdoors and mess with an antenna anyways.

There is another morse learning program called cw.iso. You burn it into
a cd. I forgot the authors' name. It will drill you on the alphabet
and symbols, call signs and short words.

Kurt Savegnago




Nqb wrote:

How can one practice sending without having a key? Why would one want
to? Never mind that. Is it possible? Can a mockup practice key be
easily home-made? How so? Okay, obviously I'm pretty clueless about
the whole thing, I've never touched, seen or been within 10 miles of
the real thing, as far as I know, so bear with me here. I'm poor, a
shut-in, and it's a real sad story - anyways... If I tap on a table
with my finger, attempting to imitate the sound bites, timing and
rythmes one knows well from lots of copying practice (online practice
sound files, etc) is it wasted time, possibly even counter-productive
in the long run?

In a nutshell: no key = no learn/practice sending in any way, shape or
form?

73

--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

Nqb wrote:

How can one practice sending without having a key? Why would one want
to? Never mind that. Is it possible? Can a mockup practice key be
easily home-made? How so? Okay, obviously I'm pretty clueless about
the whole thing, I've never touched, seen or been within 10 miles of
the real thing, as far as I know, so bear with me here. I'm poor, a
shut-in, and it's a real sad story - anyways... If I tap on a table
with my finger, attempting to imitate the sound bites, timing and
rythmes one knows well from lots of copying practice (online practice
sound files, etc) is it wasted time, possibly even counter-productive
in the long run?

In a nutshell: no key = no learn/practice sending in any way, shape or
form?

73

I recently passed my test and am finding it a bit more difficult to
operate the key than I thought. So what I did was write a VERY basic
program that let's you use the left mouse button as a Morse code key and
it sends a tone. I find that it is the rhythm of moving your finger you
need to get down what you are hitting with the finger doesn't really
make a lot of difference. I also have Ham Scope running and if it can
decode what I am trying to send, I know I am doing ok. Basically what
the program does is while the mouse button is down it plays a wave file
called Tone.wav and when you release the mouse button it stops and
rewinds the file so the file only needs to be as long as a dash. If
someone wants to try it out I put the program and wave file on one of my
web sites. There is no install or anything just put the program file
and the wave file in the same place and it should work. If you also get
Ham Scope to try and have it decode what you are sending, you need to
make sure you set the record source for you sound card to the stereo or
mono mix not line or microphone in like it would normally be.

http://www.thewishzone.com/MorseCode/

One minor annoyance is that when the sound stops it some times makes a clicking sound that I don't like. I'm not really sure how to stop that
but Ham Scope doesn't seem to care about that sound spike.
--
Chris W
KE5GIX

Gift Giving Made Easy
Get the gifts you want &
give the gifts they want
One stop wish list for any gift,
from anywhere, for any occasion!
http://thewishzone.com
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

Kurt wrote:

Get this program:
http://justlearnmorsecode.com/

I have been working at it off and on for 9 months. Get discouraged,
lay off awhile and then go back to it. Up to 30 random characters
with 92% accuracy.

Kurt,

If you ever reach the point where you've used it for nine months and still don't know all the characters, there's something seriously wrong. This most likely means that you're practicing at a slow speed. Increase the speed, start over with just two characters if necessary and get going.

Also, I find it hard to believe that you've been using Just Learn Morse Code for nine months, as it's only been about five months since I released the first version...
--
73 de LB3KB, Sigurd
http://justlearnmorsecode.com


--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

Hey,

I study infrequently and am also studying the manuals to pass the
written licensing exams. I am taking my time at it and using
repetition. I want to go in, take the tests and have absolutely no
fear. It is not a fault of the program, it is just I am not in a
big hurry and other obligations take their toll on my time.
I do have a 40 meter DSW II waiting to be built and am not going
to start until I pass the tests.

Kurt

Sigurd Stenersen wrote:

Kurt wrote:

Get this program:
http://justlearnmorsecode.com/

I have been working at it off and on for 9 months. Get discouraged,
lay off awhile and then go back to it. Up to 30 random characters
with 92% accuracy.

Kurt,

If you ever reach the point where you've used it for nine months and still don't know all the characters, there's something seriously wrong. This most likely means that you're practicing at a slow speed. Increase the speed, start over with just two characters if necessary and get going.

Also, I find it hard to believe that you've been using Just Learn Morse Code for nine months, as it's only been about five months since I released the first version...

--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

Kurt wrote:

I study infrequently and am also studying the manuals to pass the
written licensing exams. I am taking my time at it and using
repetition. I want to go in, take the tests and have absolutely no
fear. It is not a fault of the program, it is just I am not in a
big hurry and other obligations take their toll on my time.
I do have a 40 meter DSW II waiting to be built and am not going
to start until I pass the tests.

Sure thing, it's good to have plans and to follow them.

Still, if it takes you a lot of effort to learn the code everything I've
seen indicate that you're trying to learn it at way too slow a (code) speed.
--
73 de LB3KB, Sigurd
http://justlearnmorsecode.com


--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

I have it set at the default 12/18 most of the time.
Sometimes 12/16 but no less.
I don't know how I would be able to even listen to
5 wpm.

Kurt


Sigurd Stenersen wrote:

Kurt wrote:

I study infrequently and am also studying the manuals to pass the
written licensing exams. I am taking my time at it and using
repetition. I want to go in, take the tests and have absolutely no
fear. It is not a fault of the program, it is just I am not in a
big hurry and other obligations take their toll on my time.
I do have a 40 meter DSW II waiting to be built and am not going
to start until I pass the tests.

Sure thing, it's good to have plans and to follow them.

Still, if it takes you a lot of effort to learn the code everything I've seen indicate that you're trying to learn it at way too slow a (code) speed.

--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

Kurt wrote:

I have it set at the default 12/18 most of the time.
Sometimes 12/16 but no less.

It could be that 12/18 is too slow for you. It shouldn't take that long,
even if you don't practice regularly.

I don't know how I would be able to even listen to
5 wpm.

Learn the code first, then suffer for a day or two to prepare for a test at
a counter-productive speed.
--
73 de LB3KB, Sigurd
http://justlearnmorsecode.com


--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2