From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

I for the life of me cannot learn the backslash and comma. No way in
hell. Using JLMC program at 12/18 and up to 24 characters. Those two
have put my accuracy in the crapper. Should I just give up on them and
write them off? Been working seriously on them for 2 weeks. Would do
better if they were seperated as DN and GW but my brain just can't get it.

Kurt Savegnago
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

Kurt wrote:

I for the life of me cannot learn the backslash and comma. No way in
hell. Using JLMC program at 12/18 and up to 24 characters. Those two
have put my accuracy in the crapper. Should I just give up on them
and write them off? Been working seriously on them for 2 weeks. Would
do better if they were seperated as DN and GW but my brain just can't
get it.

Kurt Savegnago

Hi, Kurt,

Since I first became a ham in 1956, I've been talking
to people who are learning Morse.

Almost everyone has had trouble with a particular
character, or two, or three. Which character(s) it
happens to be varies with the individual.

One of the funniest situations I heard of was when
a new ham mentioned that he still had trouble
distinguishing between "F" and "L" - and a YL
advised him that, when on the air, not to wish
anyone good luck !

The consensus seems to be:

1. Keep plugging away and one day it will come to you.
(You've already tried this and it didn't work for you,
although two weeks is a short time for the really
troublesome characters)

2. Try another training method. Another approach may
be just the ticket for that slash or comma. One size
(method) does NOT fit all.


I've used everything from the old Instructograph, to the
military machine (paper tape interrupting a light beam),
the built-in Morse practice in the old Heathkit
MicroMatic Keyer, Super Morse, G4FON trainer, K7QO
Code Course, JLMC, and some other stuff on Linux.

I've used all these to help others learn, and all of them
work for some people, but not for others.

But please don't give up in frustration. After nearly 50
years as a ham, I still foul up on individual characters
on occasion. ("V" and "4" being the main offenders.)
So there's hope for you yet ! :-)

BUT - after you learn to head copy and
have built up a good Morse vocabulary, you won't pay
much attention to individual characters anyway.

For your Morse vocabulary, there are word lists of the
most frequently used 100 words, 1000 words and 10000
words. Work on them till you recognize the words and
not the individual characters. And if you're a polyglot,
don't neglect word lists in those other languages.

And finally, you'll reach the promised land. You'll get to
the point where you don't even hear individual words
anymore - you'll hear complete sentences - just like in
an eyeball QSO - and when you try to repeat what you've
heard, you'll probably paraphrase instead of using the
exact words that were sent.

That's the way it looks from here,
ciao for now,
es vy 73 de john, n5dwi

--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

John Westerlage wrote:

Kurt wrote:

I for the life of me cannot learn the backslash and comma. No way in
hell. Using JLMC program at 12/18 and up to 24 characters. Those two
have put my accuracy in the crapper. Should I just give up on them
and write them off? Been working seriously on them for 2 weeks. Would
do better if they were seperated as DN and GW but my brain just can't
get it.

Kurt Savegnago

Hi, Kurt,

Since I first became a ham in 1956, I've been talking
to people who are learning Morse.

Almost everyone has had trouble with a particular
character, or two, or three. Which character(s) it
happens to be varies with the individual.

One of the funniest situations I heard of was when
a new ham mentioned that he still had trouble
distinguishing between "F" and "L" - and a YL
advised him that, when on the air, not to wish
anyone good luck !

The consensus seems to be:

1. Keep plugging away and one day it will come to you.
(You've already tried this and it didn't work for you,
although two weeks is a short time for the really
troublesome characters)

2. Try another training method. Another approach may
be just the ticket for that slash or comma. One size
(method) does NOT fit all.

I've used everything from the old Instructograph, to the
military machine (paper tape interrupting a light beam),
the built-in Morse practice in the old Heathkit
MicroMatic Keyer, Super Morse, G4FON trainer, K7QO
Code Course, JLMC, and some other stuff on Linux.

I've used all these to help others learn, and all of them
work for some people, but not for others.

But please don't give up in frustration. After nearly 50
years as a ham, I still foul up on individual characters
on occasion. ("V" and "4" being the main offenders.)
So there's hope for you yet ! :-)

BUT - after you learn to head copy and
have built up a good Morse vocabulary, you won't pay
much attention to individual characters anyway.

For your Morse vocabulary, there are word lists of the
most frequently used 100 words, 1000 words and 10000
words. Work on them till you recognize the words and
not the individual characters. And if you're a polyglot,
don't neglect word lists in those other languages.

And finally, you'll reach the promised land. You'll get to
the point where you don't even hear individual words
anymore - you'll hear complete sentences - just like in
an eyeball QSO - and when you try to repeat what you've
heard, you'll probably paraphrase instead of using the
exact words that were sent.

That's the way it looks from here,
ciao for now,
es vy 73 de john, n5dwi

Hi,

Thanks and I'll have to persist at it. Built a Pixie, a Tixie and
bought a Peanut Whistle. I fire 'em up into an Oak Hills dummy load
or a 5 watt QRP dummy and listen on a shortwave on the bench. That is
in between reading the Tech, General and AARL manuals. On the waiting
list for a Small Wonders Lab DSW-II so since I've made the investment am
using that as an excuse to spur me on.
Want to build some small 2 meter trackers I can launch up in high
power model rockets for obvious reasons. Another interesting aside to
this endeavor is that I can use the Nocal or K1EL keyers to beacon my
call and if someone is listening at the time of a launch, to give an
email address to respond if someone just so happens to hear the beacon.
Would be interesting to see if anyone could hear it..

Kurt Savegnago
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

(Big Snip)

Got back up to 93% by dropping to 10/15. Will work there
for awhile then move the rate back up.

Kurt Savegnago
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

Kurt wrote:

(Big Snip)

Got back up to 93% by dropping to 10/15. Will work there for awhile
then move the rate back up.

Kurt Savegnago

Kurt,

Sorry, but I missed this on your first message.

It may be hard to believe from where you are now, but, from
my vantage point, the problem is almost certainly that you're
going too slowly.

At 10 wpm effective speed, you are still going slowly enough
to count dots and dashes, even if only sub-consciously.

What you need to do is speed up to 18-20 (effective speed).
A good choice may be somewhere from about 18/25 to 20/30.

This may sound impossible right now. But I promise you that
even if you only get 1% or 2% on your first run, you will improve
VERY rapidly.

And you need to practice consistently. Don't miss a single day
till you can copy 100% at 20 wpm. Practice till you get tired.
Don't go much past first getting tired as that would definitely
be counter-productive.

At 10 wpm you can not only count the dots and dashes, but you
also have time to replay the character in your mind several times
to try to figure out what it was before the next character comes
along.

At 18-20 wpm you do not have that luxury. You must train yourself
to NOT THINK about a missed character, but rather prepare to get
the next one. It's hard to do at first, but it will pay real dividends
as you sub-consciously learn not to count the dots and dashes, but
to get what you can and prepare for the next one without agonizing
over the missed one.

Try it. You WON'T like it. At first. But very soon it will start paying
off. And keep on paying off. And then you'll LOVE it.

It's the only way past that hump. Hundreds of thousands before you
have done it - and they all say the same thing. It's the ONLY way.

vy 73 de john, N5DWI

--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

John Westerlage wrote:

Kurt wrote:

(Big Snip)

Got back up to 93% by dropping to 10/15. Will work there for awhile
then move the rate back up.

Kurt Savegnago

Kurt,

Sorry, but I missed this on your first message.

It may be hard to believe from where you are now, but, from
my vantage point, the problem is almost certainly that you're
going too slowly.

At 10 wpm effective speed, you are still going slowly enough
to count dots and dashes, even if only sub-consciously.

What you need to do is speed up to 18-20 (effective speed).
A good choice may be somewhere from about 18/25 to 20/30.

This may sound impossible right now. But I promise you that
even if you only get 1% or 2% on your first run, you will improve
VERY rapidly.
And you need to practice consistently. Don't miss a single day
till you can copy 100% at 20 wpm. Practice till you get tired. Don't go much past first getting tired as that would definitely
be counter-productive.

At 10 wpm you can not only count the dots and dashes, but you
also have time to replay the character in your mind several times
to try to figure out what it was before the next character comes
along.

At 18-20 wpm you do not have that luxury. You must train yourself
to NOT THINK about a missed character, but rather prepare to get
the next one. It's hard to do at first, but it will pay real dividends
as you sub-consciously learn not to count the dots and dashes, but
to get what you can and prepare for the next one without agonizing
over the missed one.

Try it. You WON'T like it. At first. But very soon it will start paying off. And keep on paying off. And then you'll LOVE it.

It's the only way past that hump. Hundreds of thousands before you
have done it - and they all say the same thing. It's the ONLY way.

vy 73 de john, N5DWI

I know. I only do this temporarily and get back up to 12/18. Try as I
may I cannot get the sounds burned into the cortex that easily. It was
O.K. with less than 20 characters but above 20 it is taking longer to
get used to the higher rate. When I hit the G it started to be a
problem and I gradually worked back up. With each additional letter it
takes longer to get the new character set working.
It makes no sense to keep trying at 12/18 if I cannot get past 75% recognition I only get angrier and want to quit. I go back to the slow
rate and yes I may be counting but I gradually start typing within milliseconds of the sound and get the rate back up. When that happens,
if I turn the rate back down, it is intolerable to me. They say the
testing is done at 5/10 and I really find that inexorable to listen to
and will really have to practice to take the test.
I figure just pass the test and the real ticket will be on air
practicing that will promote advancement more than anything.

Kurt Savegnago
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse


"Kurt" > SNIP <

You are missing the rhythm, say it and just think of the rhythm not the dits
& dahs.

At the speed you want to attain, just practice with fewer characters until
you are ok at that speed, then add a few more characters at that speed. At speed you do not have time to listen to dits & dahs, just rhythm. GL


--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

Cushie wrote:

"Kurt" > SNIP <

You are missing the rhythm, say it and just think of the rhythm not the dits & dahs.

At the speed you want to attain, just practice with fewer characters until you are ok at that speed, then add a few more characters at that speed. At speed you do not have time to listen to dits & dahs, just rhythm. GL

Hi,

Up to 12/18 with JTLMC program and 25 characters and roughly 90%.
You are right about the rhythm. Some characters I really have down like
the comma now and the backslash. They were the worst two I had troubles
with that started the thread. Now I get them nearly every time. I
figure if I can get the random code down, will start listening to words.
I get really ticked off if I don't get 90%. Still working away.
Have a Ramsey 40 meter linear amp coming today. Want to get
experience winding toroids and will boost up the Tixie a little bit.
May work with the Peanut whistle too. I have an Oak Hills dummy load
that can handle 100 watts to I can play at the bench legally.
Gotta get back to the books. If I can pass the Tech and code O.K.
may consider going on and try the general test as I am reading that
manual too. A co-worker passed his general and they told him to go
ahead and try the Extra test. He missed it by 3 questions. He spends
most of his time on 2 meters so his license is actually superfluous.

Kurt Savegnago
toroids
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.morse

You can use this.
http://morsecode.scphillips.com/jtranslator.html

http://users.scoutnet.nl/~inter/morse/morseform.html

before you put morse text out over the radio, or type it anywhere's try it
on here, and get a correct translation


"John Westerlage" <john_westerlage@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message news:4y9zf.13122$Jd.4117@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net...

Kurt wrote:

I for the life of me cannot learn the backslash and comma. No way in
hell. Using JLMC program at 12/18 and up to 24 characters. Those two
have put my accuracy in the crapper. Should I just give up on them and
write them off? Been working seriously on them for 2 weeks. Would do
better if they were seperated as DN and GW but my brain just can't get
it.

Kurt Savegnago

Hi, Kurt,

Since I first became a ham in 1956, I've been talking
to people who are learning Morse.

Almost everyone has had trouble with a particular
character, or two, or three. Which character(s) it
happens to be varies with the individual.

One of the funniest situations I heard of was when
a new ham mentioned that he still had trouble
distinguishing between "F" and "L" - and a YL
advised him that, when on the air, not to wish
anyone good luck !

The consensus seems to be:

1. Keep plugging away and one day it will come to you.
(You've already tried this and it didn't work for you,
although two weeks is a short time for the really
troublesome characters)

2. Try another training method. Another approach may
be just the ticket for that slash or comma. One size
(method) does NOT fit all.

I've used everything from the old Instructograph, to the
military machine (paper tape interrupting a light beam),
the built-in Morse practice in the old Heathkit
MicroMatic Keyer, Super Morse, G4FON trainer, K7QO
Code Course, JLMC, and some other stuff on Linux.

I've used all these to help others learn, and all of them
work for some people, but not for others.

But please don't give up in frustration. After nearly 50
years as a ham, I still foul up on individual characters
on occasion. ("V" and "4" being the main offenders.)
So there's hope for you yet ! :-)

BUT - after you learn to head copy and
have built up a good Morse vocabulary, you won't pay
much attention to individual characters anyway.

For your Morse vocabulary, there are word lists of the
most frequently used 100 words, 1000 words and 10000
words. Work on them till you recognize the words and
not the individual characters. And if you're a polyglot,
don't neglect word lists in those other languages.

And finally, you'll reach the promised land. You'll get to
the point where you don't even hear individual words
anymore - you'll hear complete sentences - just like in
an eyeball QSO - and when you try to repeat what you've
heard, you'll probably paraphrase instead of using the
exact words that were sent.

That's the way it looks from here,
ciao for now,
es vy 73 de john, n5dwi

--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2