CW advice for beginners, from a beginner.

In this video I detail my journey in CW and when/how everything changed for me.
Here is the POTA script I utilized from VE3SVQ: docs.google.com/document/d/15...

[@haletd]

Forrest, I just contacted you during your activation this evening and I realized I'd never looked up your QRZ. I ran across this video and I'm super proud that your first CW QSO was with me! Congrats and I'm so happy to be a part of your CW journey. I am in the CWops advance class now and I highly recommend their classes. I believe that POTA is one of the best ways to get comfortable with CW. 73 and see you on the air soon. K5OHY

[@Utahforrest]

Tim! Means the world. Your call sign (on that script) hangs on my wall as a reminder of the excitement from my first QSO. Grateful to work you and always fun when you hunt me! Believe it or not I’m already in CW Academy! Grinding the intermediate class right now it’s a blast! 73!

[@av3510]

Great advice about a script. I started learning CW about a year ago and did a similar thing. Thomas K4SWL walked through a QSO in one of his videos a couple of years ago and I started jumping in as a hunter. The nice thing with POTA is that at first all you really need to know as a hunter is your call sign, 5NN and maybe the question mark.

[@N4KRX]

Excellent video! Very good information. Your story, honesty and transparency will be a very big help for new CW operators. Thanks for advancing the popularity of CW. Now subbed...73!

[@Utahforrest]

Thanks so much! I really want to help other people find CW! It’s such a rewarding hobby and so much fun. I hope to get you in the log soon! 73 de KI7QCF

[@richsawyer1067]

Super helpful video for me - thank you! Currently on Lesson 9 in the CWOps beginner course. Struggling with some parts still, but have made some great progress and really love CW. Can't wait to get on the air - I POTA hunt and activate (SSB so far). Maybe this video was what I needed to take the plunge and try CW! Thanks again for the video and advice - hope to work you on CW one day! 73 de KQ4LEA.

[@Utahforrest]

I remember when I first started LCWO I brought my wife down to do it. Specifically to see if she could tell the difference between K & R because My first 10 times through it I would burn out and not tell the difference or forget which was which. It's funny to look back at that now because I never confuse K and R! Everyone's journey is a little different. But if you stay consistent with your practice you'll be surprised how far you can go. The inspiration for this video was that if I hadn't got on the air when I did, there was a good chance I would've burned out and my journey could've gone a different path. Best of luck and I hope you continue on your journey! :)

[@JayN4GO]

Good to get you in the log om. I was nervous as hell on my first pota act. I sweated through it and it was like getting of off a roller coaster for the first time. Had to go back. Morse runner software really boosted my speed. Obviously leading me into Cw only contesting. But it’s a great tool. Sadly I had to move up to 28 wpm to stop counting dits and dahs. Everyday , I do a few 10 minute sessions. Here I am 4 years later and doing very well in contests. Qrq is addicting as well. I enjoy 40wpm code. Lots of mistakes but who’s keeping track right. Hope you had the chance to op in field day. Ultimately fd got me hooked on Cw. I haven’t done any other mode since! Hehe. 73 bud

[@Utahforrest]

Thanks for reaching out and great to see we've already had a QSO. I hope for many more. Yes, Field Day was a riot and good for me to branch out from POTA. I'm really interested in where my journey will go from here. Copying has just increased naturally from getting on the air. Where I am today from even 3-4 weeks ago is surprising. I still have my rough days or rough activations but I honestly think the reason I love POTA/QRP/CW so much is the challenge and that it regularly humbles me. Thanks for watching! 73 de KI7QCF

[@OutdoorAdventureRadio]

Love the enthusiasm for helping others get started, and the “CW Way of Life” reference. Great book!

[@Utahforrest]

It's a great read! Thanks for watching!

[@bentrotor4917]

Forrest, great video. I’m sharing a link to a local group that is just learning cw. I am also fairly new to the journey. Started learning back in November. I put you in my Ham Alert app and will try watching for you. I started hunting POTA with CW when I was first learning. W3DSW

[@Utahforrest]

Thank you and congrats on your journey as well. I hope to hear you on the air soon!

[@paulgoulet7982]

Forrest, I appreciate the outstanding report on your journey. I understand the effort required to compile this, but please continue to share your videos. They are truly inspiring. - From KC5CYY

[@Utahforrest]

Thank you, Paul! I appreciate your kind words. 73

[@I-am-165]

Greetings Forrest! I just made contact with you on 20 meters during your US-10067 activation. The band was getting weak here so I’m glad we successfully made our exchanges. POTA is what brought me back to amateur radio after a 20 year absence, and my love of CW has been equally rekindled. Vy 73! See you on the bands. KS4BG

[@Utahforrest]

Edgar, I appreciate you hunting me tonight and I’m glad we got our exchange! I really enjoyed your QRZ page. I too love aviation and radio. I hope to continue to find you on the air! 73 KI7QCF

[@chrisbillings2050]

A very encouraging video for new CW operators Forrest. You call looked familiar....and I see that I just logged you this morning on your CW POTA Activation in Utah. Thanks for a very refreshing outlook on learning this mode! 73 de Chris WA7RAR

[@Utahforrest]

Chris, thanks for coming to me today during my activation of US-10066. I only had a few minutes to spare before the UTC day flipped over and needed the QSO! Oregon is by far my most contacted state with CW. I hope to visit soon and maybe activate a few parks up there. I appreciate you watching my video. I hope for many more QSOs with you. 73!

[@3dntheli]

Great video Forrest, whole heartedly agree with what you say, particularly the point the POTA is a great way of getting in to and improving your CW.

[@Utahforrest]

100%! I’m grateful others shared this cheat code for getting on the air! It’s been a blast :) Thanks for watching!

[@bob-N4REE]

FB advice Forrest! Getting on the air even earlier than you planned turned out better. Early is better! Here's a suggestion to add to your script: Most activators send "TU FL (whatever state)" in their final exchange. I find it really helpful when they use the hunter's callsign rather than state. For me, they send "TU N4REE". A few do that, and I always appreciate the confirmation that they got the call right.

[@Utahforrest]

FB, Bob! That’s a really good idea. I’ve definitely worked activators that do that and it is a nice confirmation they got it right! This script is strictly for hunters. I assume most people who activate are well past needing the script. One thing I should’ve mentioned in this video is the variance from activator to activator. For the most part, all exchanges are very similar but there are a lot of activators that do things different from each other. 73 and thanks for watching!

[@Paul-yq5ym]

Hi Forrest, thanks for this video and thanks for taking the time to be patient with new operators!

[@Utahforrest]

Of course! And thanks for the P2P yesterday. We had some brutal conditions and it took me over 2 1/2 hours to get my park activated I was QRP sub 5 watts when you came to me! 73

[@lostinspace280]

Good learning story, I can relate. After I had the code down I had a friend that learned CW a few years back but had not used it for some time, anyway he said "Les's get on the air together" So we did, and that was a big mistake, he did not know the code as well as he thought he did, and because of that I was copying words that were not words, and I then began questioning my copying skills. It was not long that I just could not find the time for any more practice sessions with him. So what did I end up doing? I just listend on the air for others that sent well enough and slow enough where I could copy and started to make contacts, funny it is so much easier learning with others that have already learnd.

[@Utahforrest]

Thank you for sharing your journey as well! I don't share this in this video but after making my first CW QSO, similar to you, I continued to just monitor. So I would make the QSO hunting POTA with my script. But then I would hang out on the frequency for 30 minutes monitoring and I would try to write down call signs as they came in. Almost pretending as if I was the activator. I'll never forget April 13th. Just a couple weeks after my first CW QSO. I woke up that day and just decided out of the blue I was going to go activate a park. It wasn't pretty, and my copying struggled. But I got it activated! The rest is history. :) Thanks for watching as always. I hope to work you soon de KI7QCF

[@lostinspace280]

@@Utahforrest Yes indead, we will make contact sometime in the future. I have a Kenwood base station a homebrew Hexbeam, and all the stuff for base station. I have only used CW mode with QRP for the last five years. I have a Yaesu 817, YouKits 4b, Mountian Topper 4band, Three QCX minis and a QMX on the way, oh I have the MFJ Cub 40 meters. Running CW QRP portable is what I enjoy the most. de N7KO

[@N9OHW-xy7sw]

FB, Forrest! Imagine my surprise when I watched the next recommended video, and there you were talking about our P2P QSOs! The algorithm is strong. Great video about your experiences and excellent advice to get on the air and make a script. Thanks for the QSOs and P2P's. I'll keep looking out for your spots. 73, Mike N9OHW

[@Utahforrest]

FB, Mike! Your comment has made my day! Really fun to find you here. You were one of the first people I ever hunted and I still look for you often. I lived in Alameda as a kid and have a great love for the Bay Area. So your area is a fun way to connect back. I look forward to many more QSOs with you. 73

[@TheArtofEngineering]

Keep going....God bless you for this video! I'm no expert but did get to 25WPM for a short time at sea as an RO in the early 90's. So I was glad (and surprised) when I returned to Ham radio 2 years ago and could still hear code!!! It is the Jedi mode and awesome for doing homebrew as the gear is so simple. 73 de VK2AOE. I thoroughly agree with your call on this...Just do it.....

[@Utahforrest]

Thanks for watching! I agree it is the Jedi mode! 😊

[@KC5TGTRadiosNMore]

Your CW journey has been very similar to mine. I too started learning CW this year. I joined LICW Club and about 5 weeks into the classes I stumbled across the same video from VE3SVQ. I immediately downloaded the script and started practicing sending. After about two days of sending practice I hunted my first activator. Yes I still made mistakes during that first contact (and I still make mistakes now) but when he responded back with my callsign I was blown away. Then the realization set in that I was fixing to have to send the rest of the script 😂 but I finished the contract and was shocked that I had just done something that I never thought I’d accomplish. Thanks for making this video!

[@Utahforrest]

Haha that’s awesome! I love that we had the same “getting on the air” experience with that script! I hope we can get a QSO together soon! Thanks for watching and 73!

[@KC5TGTRadiosNMore]

@@Utahforrest Sounds good. I've seen your call active on the POTA page but I think I was unable to hear you. The bands have been like feast or famine with all the solar activity. Hopefully next time I see you the conditions will be better.

[@Utahforrest]

@@KC5TGTRadiosNMore today was brutal! I was lucky to get the park activated on a quick lunch break today but had a ton of people come to me and then disappear due to QSB. Hope we can make contact soon!

[@KC5TGTRadiosNMore]

@@Utahforrest Well I think we got it done today. It was the best I've heard your signal here in MS. You were activating 10067 and I was hearing you pretty good, but wouldn't you know as soon as I decided to answer your CQ, when you came back the band took a huge dive. You practically disappeared so I'm hoping you got everything you needed from me. I do know that your mid-day activations are almost impossible for me to hear.

[@Utahforrest]

@@KC5TGTRadiosNMore got you loud and clear and in the log! Thanks so much I RARELY get MS so I’m excited when I do! 73 and I hope we get many more QSOs. :)

[@charlesmayer945]

Thanks. Great info. Hope to be on doing cw/Morse code soon.

[@Utahforrest]

Hope to hear you on the air soon!

[@betterbprepared]

Great video for beginners. As some of the others commented, your journey is very similar to mine. I joined LICW and was taking the classes thinking, "Man, I'm never going to learn this." After coming across the same video from "The Shaky Key" about using scripts, my thoughts changed to, "That looks easy, I think I can do that." I made my first cw contact that day and haven't looked back. At this point I have made 512 cw contacts over the past couple of months. All of these are hunting POTA and it is very addicting. My problem at this point is trying to pick up that Instant Character Recognition. I still struggle trying to make out call signs, and I can usually get the full call after hearing it 2 or 3 times. I am using a straight key and just ordered the BaMaTech TP3 paddles last night. Looking forward to getting that first activation under my belt. As you can see in the comments, a lot of us are in the same boat. TU es 73

[@Utahforrest]

It's been a lot of fun to see others have had the same journey as me! That's awesome you've been on a straight key! That's an entirely different skillset IMO. But you will love the bamatech TP III it's one of my favorite pota keys. I like to just hold it in my hand or on the amazon steel jewelers base (check out K4SWLs latest video). - What I really tried to highlight in this video was I didn't feel like I had ICR down either. But once I started hunting POTA it began to skyrocket significantly. The morning of April 13th (about 2-3 weeks after my first QSO) I woke up and just thought to myself I'm going to go activate a park today. Completely unplanned, didn't feel ready, but I just had an "I don't care" mindset and went and did it. I'm so glad I did! I didn't copy a single callsign the first time during that activation. But I got 13 or 14 QSOs and activated the park. The rest is history. Getting on the air changes everything. What's your call sign? I'll look out for you!

[@betterbprepared]

@@Utahforrest Thanks for the response. I agree that getting on the air does help a lot and following a script makes it pretty easy. Hats off to you for going out and activating without feeling ready. It's one thing to hunt cw POTA contacts, but it is a whole new ballgame to activate. That is my goal though to activate a park this summer. I purchased a Lab599 TX-500 and a QMX to use as my cw rigs along with that bamatech TP III key. 73 de KN8C

[@Utahforrest]

@@betterbpreparedThe QMX rocks! You’ll have to let me know how you like the TX-500. I’ll keep my eye out for your call sign. 73!

[@Tom-W7TMD]

Great Job Forrest! I will look for you. I'm not sure when (B K) changed to break. It Used to be (back) or back to you. But (T U) used to be TNX. It doesn't much matter either way but I still Don't send (B K) at the beginning of the exchange (Seems ridiculous to me) but I am getting used the (T U). Old habits die hard sometimes. But it Sounds like your having fun keep up the good work!

[@Utahforrest]

Hey Tom! I could be wrong it may not mean break! Just used to say back to you, as you mentioned. I hear TNX just as much as TU these days. The original drafter of this script said “it’s not bullet proof, but it works.” What I like to do as a hunter is match whatever the flow of the activator is and vice versa. Thanks so much for watching and 73 de KI7QCF!

[@jankersten6212]

Great video, I also starting the cw journey

[@Utahforrest]

It’s a ton of fun! I hope to catch you on the air soon

[@nutritionperfection]

The signal report not being accurate is no big deal, anyone taking issue with that is losing the spirit of the QSO. Sure getting it right is nice but it's a personal interpretation anyway, even at the best of times. Good video and I hope it inspires those who are timid to get out there and activate with CW.

[@Utahforrest]

Yep! There's a ton of subjectivity with RST. Thanks for watching!

[@StephenSmith]

Perfect! This parallels my journey too. I used a script and took the plunge too. I've yet to try to activate because my copy skills are sub part. 1000+ as a hunter in a year. Thanks for today's QSO K7SPS

[@Utahforrest]

That’s a big time accomplishment! There are a ton of guys that just hunt. Nothing wrong with that. I would hunt WAY more but I don’t feel like I have the best antenna at home. Currently testing other antennas! Stephen, thanks for sticking with me today. We had some serious QSB and I appreciate you working with me. Felt great to get your call sign right and then get our exchange. Hope for many more! 73

[@Utahforrest]

@StephenSmith - I tried emailing you tonight but got a failed delivery notice. Maybe snag my email off of QRZ if that's ok!

[@StephenSmith]

@@Utahforrest I fixed it! It was wrong on QRZ. That would've been great for me to know years ago lol

[@KF0PBP]

Great Video - I'm a new General station in Kansas. I'm studying CW now with a ways to go to memorize the alphabet and pro signs. Did you use any special process or App to quickly learn the basics? Thanks, Dirk - KF0PBP

[@Utahforrest]

Hey Dirk! Thank you for watching this video and I'm excited to hear you've begun learning CW. It's very rewarding. Yes! There are a lot of great resources. My recommendation right now would be to learn letters and numbers. To the point you've memorized them. One of the best way to do this is with LCWO.net stat with the "lessons" and do your best to begin with instant character recognition. This means forget about counting dits and dahs. Focus on the sound of "r" and the sound of "k" and distinguish them from each other. As you do this you'll begin to accomplish ICR (instant character recognition). Try to listen to these sounds at 20wpm speed. Once you can pass the first lesson at 90% accuracy, continue on to the next one. Check out Morse Ninja as well! Be patient with yourself. But as much as possible, study daily. Once you've mastered the alphabet and numbers I really recommend using that script I shared a link to and begin getting on the air. While learning in independent study was great, My progress sky-rocketed as I experienced the fulfillment of on-air QSOs. My current proficiency was the outcome of my input of getting on the air. Best of luck and I hope to hear you on the air soon! 73 KI7QCF

[@LoafingMushroom]

I got my ham license in 2018 just to do cw, and i never got on the air. I have a radio i bought from a silent key estate sale in 2020 and i don't know if it works. Fuck that makes me depressed.

[@Utahforrest]

I got my technician license in 2017 and never made a CW QSO (or really any QSO for that matter) until 2024. When I read QRZ pages a lot of guys have similar stories. The hobby sat for 10 years etc. Cool thing is you can decide now whether or not it’s something you want to try. It’s a ton of fun! Thanks for watching and 73!

[@danpiatt3600]

personally I feel there is more satisfaction in having a cw ragchew then in contests or pota etc.Been doing cw for 34 years and nothing better then a ragchew.Really no one is right and no one is wrong its just a personel opinion.

[@Utahforrest]

Rag chews are definitely the ultimate goal. Aaron W4ARB did a good video on this. He talked about expanding his CW vocabulary and branching out into rag chews. Because I love CW, I want to be able to achieve proficiency in every aspect of it. For beginners, a great way to just get your feet wet with getting on the air is POTA hunting! Thanks for watching and 73!

[@connormckibben5986]

I remember my first CW QSO- actually was also my first HF QSO. I'd practiced CW for months beforehand and worked my way up to a send speed of ~17wpm with a straight key. Just the other day, I checked back in on my confirmed QSOs on QRZ and found that the OM I talked with had passed only a couple of months after our contact. Godspeed, Russ (SK) and 73.

[@Utahforrest]

That’s a really cool story. I don’t think anyone forgets their first QSO. Now that you mention it, my first QSO with Tim, K5OHY was also my first HF QSO (not counting FT8!). That’s awesome you did it on a straight key. While at hamvention I messed around with some straight keys on display and it convinced me to give it another go so I got a vibroplex straight key. I still have a ways to go with it but I intend to hunt some POTA with it at some point!

[@connormckibben5986]

@@Utahforrest Right on! I hope to work some SeaPac'rs this weekend from home- unfortunately I can't make it there due to a blown tire, but I'm CERTAIN I'll catch some OMs there on 10 and 40. I hope to work some POTA or QRP in the near future on some custom (cheap!) antennas! I bought my key off of Ebay from a Ukranian gentleman named... Yuri Gagarin! I don't think it's the man of the same name of renown, but still cool- I kept the packaging for it as well. It's some old old key from the USSR. Still my only key 😆. Maybe I'll catch you on the air sometime, Forrest. 73s to ya. Connor, K7ONR

[@k9kj]

You didn't mention your wife's response to your excitement of making your first CW contact! 😅

[@Utahforrest]

“Oh. Wow, that’s great honey. You forgot to take out the garbage this morning.”

[@rossmoney12345]

Your hair looks AI

[@Utahforrest]

Great clips FTW. Dude the Zoom noise cancelling gave me a lisp! haha

[@rossmoney12345]

It's sexy!