How I learned Morse code fast and easy

[@HamRadioConcepts]

APP has been deleted, probably because there were so many tens of thousands of downloads, they recreated the app as a pay app instead of free.

[@quailstudios]

HamRadioConcepts I was wondering why I couldn’t get a free version. Thanks for the heads up!

[@ChristianFitzharris]

Great video! Wanted to download it, but can't find the app in iOS app store . There are ten "Morse Code Trainer" apps and none look like this one. Please advise! Thanks again! Congratulations for your success!

[@lpburke86]

I am having the same issue. I used to have this app, and when I upgraded my phone i lost it....

[@ei6eqb]

you can still download it for free from the web ,... google it

[@K6PDG]

@@lpburke86 From Aldo 180 in response to Deontia Andrews Morse CT (Code Trainer) Morse-CT.en.UpToDown.com/android

[@robertfallin9733]

Charlie whiskey has been a second language since i was a eighteen year old navy radioman. 32wpm was my top copy. Not so fast now, 71 yesterday.

[@tonyhwang3888]

Hi, I just turned 78. I used to hit 35wpm but no more, hi. Only use bug or Iambic key these days.

[@zevak1]

holy fuck dude thats as fast as i can touch type

[@viking90706]

Wow, now that is humpin!

[@abbynievs2488]

you mean cw

[@sincerelyyours7538]

Very useful, thank you for this. You hit on an old learning technique my piano teacher taught me way back in 1977. "There's no such thing as a difficult piece of music", he'd say. "Learn this technique and the Revolutionary Etude will become as easy to learn as Chopsticks". (The former takes longer but the process to learn it is the same.) First, memorize the first three notes until you can play them automatically without thinking about it. Then memorize the second three notes, then the third three notes. Each triplet will essentially blend into one cohesive "note" each. Then you memorize all three triplets together until they become one. Then work on the next set of triplets. Combine them together into stanzas, then movements, then finally whole pieces. Learning Morse is exactly the same. Learn each letter, then the alphabet always in groups of three, then combine into groups of nine, then combine the three groups of nine for the whole alphabet. Then come the most common words, then whole sentences, etc. Easy! I just yesterday bought my first ham radio (a Kenwood TS-830S) so I'll be using this technique a lot in the coming weeks.

[@TheRudydog1]

As a Ham Radio CW Op since 1961, I am pleased to see a renewed interest in CW even though it is no longer required for a Ham Radio license. Once you get hooked you cannot live without CW. Good stuff HamRadioConcepts! p.s. I'd say you are sending around 16 WPM and sounding pretty good OM!

[@stevemazz3121]

I just started down the road of sending by hand... I have been using a translator to send and receive which works excellent. It hears everything and I can set the wpm to the receivers comfort level. Just thought it was time to get out my keyer and give it a try.

[@tonyhwang3888]

In a way I agree. Sending is easier than listening and copying. I started interested in HAM radio in the '50s. CW is my main mode of operation. Still use bugs but I use Iambic key too. But no computerized sending/receiving. It is an art. Listening to a sound you can even tell who the OP is. Even if CW is not officially required in real world. I believe it'll be around long time.

[@tjalessi]

Happy to see new guys getting on CW. I have been doing CW for about 43 years and it is my FAVORITE mode. You will have fun. Congrats de K1TA

[@rv6amark]

I tried to learn CW as a kid in 1960, but just couldn't get it. In 1978, a friend, Ray (N6HE) showed me the Farnsworth method (characters sent at 15wpm, long spaces between them), and I picked it up very quickly. I had an hour drive to and from work, so I used an ARRL code tape (something about Ham Radio and the world) to learn. I sounded out the characters the tape sent, both the character name ("a", "b", etc.), and its morse sound in the best 700hz tone my voice could muster. It worked. I thought I would only use it until I got my General, but I ended up loving it. Ray taught me how to appreciate the precision of a couple of good cw operators engaged in a cw conversation. It is still my primary mode of operating. -- Mark, KE6BB

[@quailstudios]

Hey Eric, my dad was a signalman 1st class on a Navel supply ship in the South Pacific during WWII. He knew Morse Code, semaphore, and used a radio also. Until your video I never had the desire to learn Morse Code but something has clicked for me now and in just one day I know half the alphabet. Learning one letter a day on some of the letters that are not sticking for me will be perfect. Thanks for the excellent video.

[@coincidentalrvadventures2081]

OK, So I have waited over 24 hours to reply to this video. I wish I had had that plan to learn the code back when I learned the code. What a great idea. I learned by going up to the signal bridge of the USS Carl Vinson CVN-70. There was a small group of us that met up there every day and we were taught by a signal man. That goes back a few days. I respect your videos and think this is a great way to learn the code. Thanks so very much. 73's N6PGG / 7 Dave

[@TheUniversalEyes]

I used Code Quick back in the day to earn my General class license, took me around 2-3 weeks to become proficient. I practiced for about 30 minutes each day. What was helpful was keeping track of my work, so I just used a notebook and wrote what I was hearing down. If I recall, the code could be randomized with that program, which helped, because the worst thing to do is listen to morse code instructional recordings in audio form, you end up memorizing their program.

[@Ei2iP]

By the way, in order to learn cw, never start by sending, it's the last thing you do... Start with receiving..

[@patrickherman4211]

I like this Eric. It's a more modern way that I learned it. I actually learned it from the Gordon West casette tapes Radioshack sold back in the early 90's. I spent a whole weekend learning all the letters, and numbers, and a a few punctuations. Also I was self taught to hear characters like A as "Ah Ahh" B as "Bah e-e-e" and so forth. It was real effective for me. Thanks for your vids. Keep up the good work.

[@lynnskaggs9356]

I always hear C as sissy-sissy

[@garychap8384]

Personally, I've found that learning morse by first memorising the table is usually a very bad idea. For most people its seems it's better to work by sound alone because you need it to become innate. When teaching others I discourage even looking at a table as this seems to work best - particularly well for people who've never tried to learn morse before. Don't worry about what it is ... only what it means. There will NOT be a spelling test. My method uses listen and repeat, using incremental exposure. Two letters to start, adding in one new letter when they hit their accuracy ... and stepping back to the previous set when they fall below. The next night we always start at set 1 and step up to the current set, because people tend to fall back. The next thing is random sets. Words are no good (initially) as the brain will try to "predict" ... and whilst that is something you will do when you actually use morse - such thinking-ahead has to be avoided when actually integrating (learning) morse. The next I find critical to learning is speed. Too slow and people try to deconstruct it ... so it needs to be fast enough that you cannot deconstruct and must learn it as a single sound. You can't be "thinking it through" or you will miss the next letter. So, it is not "di" "di" "di" "dah" ... it's "didididah" ... it's a single thing. It does not deconstruct. The last thing I've found is that a longer session immediately before sleeping is surprisingly powerful. During sleep the brain then analyses the skill, and people always report performing much better the next morning ... although, they also report tortured dreams of listening to morse - but that is just the brain reconfiguring and replaying to integrate a new skill. That's what dreams are for... they're there to rewire the brain to integrate a new skill or habit, and to relearn old habits which are not working or causing frustration. That last one about sleep I discovered when learning to play piano. I never progressed so fast as when I practiced immediately before bed... sure, I'd have annoying and frustrating 'music dreams' ... But in the morning I'd wake up with it in my head and find the passage that was difficult the night before, was now considerably easier. Using this technique I memorised all three movements of moonlight sonata, at night, having never had any formal instruction and not knowing how to read music. And, when I played, it felt like the keyboard was playing me... like I had no part in the process, it was so natural as to be unnerving... and if I had to explain to someone else how a particular part was played, I'd struggle - because it was innate. It was now just a part of who I was. So, this demonstrates the difference between facts and skills. You can learn a fact at any time... but you learn innate skills like language and physical skills when you sleep, as that is when the brain is in maintenance mode and starts reinforcing neurons by replaying experiences over and over... so, don't practice early and then go fill your head with other stuff before bed ... practice late and go to bed with a head full of dots and dah's and tactile memory. Now, I know there's not one technique that suits everyone - but this one is a VERY good place to start, in my experience. If you start with deconstruction that's going to limit your speed to how fast you can hear, deconstruct, remember, and acknowledge... conscious processing is slooooow, and it will become a crutch that will hold you back. Think about it ... when you hear an English word, you don't think about spelling - the sound itself has instantaneous meaning, and that's what you need. This is how we avoid LEARNING morse and instead begin immediately INTEGRATING it - as a wired skill rather than a knowledge. I find that the people that struggle most with this method tend to be those who have already 'learned' morse... it then has to be almost 'unlearned' so that it can be intuited without all that conscious analysis ... and this often means that those people need a higher speed to circumvent that conscious urge to think instead of know. But whatever technique you use, learn at a speed you ultimately want to use! Is it more frustrating, oh you betcha, but when it clicks it clicks forever : ) Just my 2c _(as adjusted for inflation)_

[@АндрейДенисюк-ш7п]

GaryChap ++++++++++++++

[@garychap8384]

​@A Thousandghosts So many people are in the same boat, struggling to unlearn. I probably mentioned this all before in the thead, but here goes... Trust me that SPEED is your best friend right now. It prevents you from thinking in terms of dots and dashes. It forces you to hear each symbol as though it is it's own 'word'. So, although it seems counterintuitive, speed up ; ) This forces you to abandon your slow general-purpose analytical/memorisation adult brain... and rely on your innate, highly specialised, language centre where it belongs. So, use the Koch method at a speed that's far too fast to dissect the symbols. Trust me, it's by far the most effective method, for EVERYONE who can master native speech normally. Well meaning folks will say _"everyone learns differently"_ ... and that's VERY true when it comes to facts. But you have a special, gifted even, part of the brain that handles ONLY language, and it does it so well you barely need to think about it at all. But, like muscle training, you need to ISOLATE the ones you want to work. Ultimately, we all learn language the same way. We learn to speak words first, by simply associating meanings to sounds as babies. We don't even seem to have to think about it. Much later, we're forced to learn to spell them... and that's slow going and painful progress for a child. We were not evolved to spell - we were evolved for spoken language. So, you need to use your language center if you ever hope to send and receive Morse at a reasonable speed and without mental fatigue. Particularly to receive it... because your conscious brain is already tied up with the mechanical task of trying to write the letters down. But, if I say the word "balloon" to you, it has immediate meaning. Did you have to think about it? Spell it? Look it up in your memory? No! You don't have to think about it... it's actually almost impossible to NOT get meaning from it. The word and the meaning are effectively the same thing. They're inseperable! You already instinctively know many many thousands of words. And, you absorb new ones without even noticing... just from context. So, learning 36+ sounds is a task even a three year old child can do : ) Just don't over-complicate it! The trick is, don't over-analyse what you're doing. Speed and a slow introduction of symbols, is the only universally effective method. Finally, a pro tip, for learning any new skill... To turbocharge your progress, always have a final practice right before bed. I mean RIGHT before... no last minute TV... no making supper. Literally, make it the very last thing you do before turning in for the night. Then, in the morning, do 5 minutes on the same set. You'll find it SO much easier... overnight your brain has been working on the problem, reorganising itself, building and reinforcing connections between neurons. Sleep is where short-term memory becomes long-term hardwired skills. You might have the occasional super-frustrating "morse dream" ... but that's just the brain going over the "problem" to reinforce the neurons and trying to make you more fit for your environment. Between the Koch approach and the "review-and-sleep" method, you're all harnessing your best super-powers : ) Best of luck, although I'm sure you won't need it... progress will be far faster than you think.

[@garychap8384]

@A Thousandghosts Do let us know how you get on : ) No matter what method you use, it's quite a challenge. It may seem completely hopeless at first, but it's like learning a foreign language... it takes a while for your "ear" to develop. But, once the brain starts to tune in, each new pair of characters gets easier than the last. I promise. Something about your brain, it's a pattern-recognising machine, but it's incredibly lazy ... An example of 'laziness' is how we recognise faces. Our brain distinguishes between faces by looking for ONLY the most obvious differences and not going any further.. this is why some people say that people with a different complexion all "look the same" ... it's not racism, it's how the brain categorises by skipping details and focusing on the most obvious differences. Basically, the brain learns what's important in it's environment... it simplifies the job to only the most essential/useful clues and properties. Well, it's the same with language.... When you then try to learn a new language, your brain first needs to learn a new set of criteria. Until it does, the words all seem to blur together and it can be difficult to know where one word ends and another begins. This is because each language has different sound structures. For example, if you tried to learn Thai, it takes a while for your speech processing to learn that tonality is important to meaning, it needs to adapt to a different set of pattern-matching criteria... in English, it can ignore the tonality of individual sounds, so it does. Now, no human language places much emphasis on timing or duration. This means the usual clues your brain looks for (sound characteristics) just are not there. But, over time, it will learn a whole new set of criteria for classifying these sounds... it has to learn to 'see' the patterns, before it can learn to distinguish between them. But, once your first few characters finally start to become natural the brain is wired to distinguish based on timing and duration only. Once this happens, adding new letters becomes much easier. So, that's why the first few letters feel so difficult. Your brain isn't set up to differentiate... it has to learn whats important, before it can classify well. But, once you've learned to 'hear' morse, it'll start to seem so natural to you that you'll wonder why you ever struggled : )))) Just like English, the meaning will just jump out at you automatically without having to think. So, don't give up, It takes less than an hour to memorise the morse code table visually... but that doesn't help you converse in morse. It takes many many hours of regular daily practice to train your brain to be fluent in a timing-based language. But it WILL get there : D The real test IS NOT whether you've an aptitude for morse ... it's a test of your motivation and dedication only! If it's important to you, you'll succeed!

[@ajameslee]

GaryChap Thank you so much for all that information! I was worried because I was having a problem pulling each let her out as the trainer that I’m gonna using goes through and then by the time I think about that letter I’m already three letters behind. I’ll just keep going and going just allow my mind to focus purely on the van and out of the sound and try not to allow my upper brain to take over and like you said dissect.

[@garychap8384]

@@ajameslee You can do it : ) I know that you can - because you can already speak a language (without stopping to spell the letters) ... you have already learned many thousands of sounds and their meanings. This is only 26 more words : ) So stop thinking about them. They are just sounds ... you do not need to know how to spell them - just how to say them : ) Listen to them 2 at a time, till you don't need to even think anymore. Then learn a different 2 Then mix them together. When you can do all 4 together without getting confused, it's time to learn another 2 on their own. Soon, you'll be doing 4 letters... then 8 letters... then ALL the letters : ) Good luck my friend 73's de M6UDS

[@thequarantinecatholic]

That is so cool you made that new friend who has such extensive CW background. We thank him for his service to our Great Nation. I just really enjoy your channel !

[@toyooa]

I'm a 15 year old Asian girl, I don't think I belong here 😅 but morse code has always been fascinating to me, and only now have I begun to start learning it

[@redf7209]

you've a right to belong.

[@sparky5860]

You belong here young lady

[@Mr.NiceGuy80]

You certainly belong here. Most of us are amateur radio operators. Some of the nicest and most giving and understanding people I've ever met in my life. Good luck on your journey with Morse code.

[@stevenmcclain4819]

Thanks for the inspiration. I've been busy trying to find the fastest way to learn and you brought me to my senses... what's the rush - just learn it!

[@haroldwatson490]

Great job Eric and congratulations!!!! Just taking a moment to share my story if you don't mind sir... I learned CW when I was 10 yrs old trying to get my Novice ham license in 1959. I attended the local ham club school to get my license. I was not confident and quit the class learning CW on my own then. I finally got my Novice ticket when I was 12 yrs old. I could do 15 WPM then. I got my General Class ticket when I was 15, and all my contacts were cw... I built my speed up to 40 WPM at the time I was inducted into the Army where I landed in Vietnam. We were on this mountain there with a perimeter of front line bunkers. At night time using red lenses on our flashlights, me and some of my buddies who knew CW communicated bunker to bunker with our flashlights. One night when we were hit bad for an over run by the NVA, our commo was destroyed and we communicated with our flashlights. It literally saved our lives! Today at 70 years old, I still hold my General Class License working 99% CW...I have taught CW in many ham club classes. I teach it in my own way in a very easy way way different from other methods...I have helped produce many CW ham operators...my call is K8ESE👍😀

[@thaddeusdombrowski2241]

Fifty years ago I learned CW for my novice license. Two or three yeas later I am a general class. My uncle George comes over. I was maybe 11 at this point. Uncle George was a navy radio man from the Korean War. He hadn't touched CW since. But he asked if he could try his hand at a QSO. On a straight key, he started going after the fastest operators. He was probably doing 60 wpm on a straight key! I will never forget that.

[@lucianoiacoletti5725]

Hi, first of all thank you for yours fantastic videos. I got my license on 2008 and I learned a lot of things (also CW). In these 10 years of my OM activity I changed a lot of rigs, but nobody told me how to use an old rig like a Drake or Collins. So I'd like you to post a video on it. I think it would be interesting for so many OM.

[@lucianoiacoletti5725]

By the way, my callsign is IZ8QJE

[@averagejoe8213]

I'm studying for my General right now and am using the same app that I used for my Technician. Some of these apps are VERY useful! You definitely intrigued me! Good luck on your new channel btw!

[@infoaffiliatemagic]

Great Video Eric. Hope it encourages others to get into CW. Got my Novice License in 1959 and CW was my only operating mode. I still use the same J-44 Navy straight key I used as a novice. One of the best sources for CW QRP kits is QRP Labs. They have a Professional looking 5W CW transceiver Model QCK for around $50. The kit is very well laid out and hard to beat the price for the quality provided. Good luck with your CW quest. Jack K4KSW

[@phatraptor6584]

I just watched this video on November, 6th 2017. I downloaded the app and in two days I am up to E. I am doing 300-400 repetitions with only the letters I know, just like you mentioned doing. Out of 400 random letters today, I missed only one. Tried to learn several times in the past, I feel like I am making progress, this method is working for me, thanks for your video. Very helpful. K4KLZ, Millington, TN

[@pokedude104]

Been trying to teach myself for the hell of it as a new skill for the new year and can confirm, Don't use those mnemonics or real emphasis on the dits and dahs. Memorizing what each one sounds like in your head is way easier, at least for me it is. I do have music experience on brass instruments so maybe it did help but I picked up the whole alphabet within a few days a= didah b= dahdididi c= dahdidahdi you get the idea

[@janicelepe2911]

Yay. Great jpb. Got my novice in 1993, tech plus in 1994. Last of the breed I think at 17 years old. It's like riding a bike, listening to unique sounds never goes away.

[@Man0fMeans]

Got my Tech Plus in 1994 too. Started out with that license.

[@hamradiocq]

Great video! I learned by using...all the methods. Tapes, phone apps, computer apps, practice, failing, sending, listening, mp3 player. ... It's about REPETITION. Listen to the letters 1 million times then your brain learns. Thanks for the video!

[@myagentdeontia]

AnythingWithWheels hey can you send me the link to the app please

[@maxmuster1150]

That is true @n9yo I've learnd it on tape back then. Practice is the most important!

[@K6PDG]

@@myagentdeontia From Aldo 180 in response to another of your requests for the link (copied here so others may see it ) Morse CT (Code Trainer) Morse-CT.en.UpToDown.com/android

[@RogerPruyne]

Thanks for posting this video! I watched this 7 days ago, and bought the app, currently $1, and it's amazing, instead of reading the news on my phone in my down time, I'm learning CW, practice while I eat, while I watch videos, and in a week I'm up to V ...-

[@bobmaslan2401]

I am enjoying your videos. Just found them. There are many of us who had to learn cw to get our tickets. The old novice and technician class requirement was 5 wpm, general and advanced class was 13 wpm, and extra class was 20 wpm. My Elmer could work cw while driving using a straight key on a mobile rig that consisted of a separate transmitter and receiver. Probably unheard of today. I still have my old "bug", which is a Vibroplex semi-automatic key. You can tell the difference between a full automatic keyer and a bug. Thank you for your videos. _ _ . . . . . . _ _

[@user-mt2qn4yp8w]

Man if only I saw this vid a few months ago I would have really far along. My Dad, trying for hours, to teach me code when I was a kid. Now at 60 and wanting to try again, this vid has really sparked my interest to get started. Thank you so much for posting this vid. I have been licensed for about 4 years now and your vids in the past few months has really helped me. Got my extra class and Dad is proud of me. He finally got his extra 6 months ago. So now learning code is the icing on the cake. Again to thank you for everything you do. 73's KG7LOI. Clark.

[@nigelsookdeo6880]

Having looked at your vid it motivated me to get back learning cw. You doing great!

[@51actual]

Cool video dude. I decided to learn Morse today, after years of wanting to do this. I have watched about 8 videos today. I can't believe how much I have learned already. Cheers!

[@maxs489]

I really like the app called Morse Toad. It focuses on listening rather than sending. I think it uses the Koch method. Also the character speed is nice and fast (20wpm?) but the spacing is long. In the long run, I've heard that learning with this sort of timing is more effective at getting you faster. It's also laid out as a game and really hooks you. :)

[@californiakayaker]

I checked it out, its the perfect little app for young people who want to learn a secret code that they can communicate amongst themselves (LOL, just selling it to a young person, they like secret stuff) and its A GAME format. (another plus for a young person) . I would want access to a keyboard when I used it because I type so well and can be blind or in the dark when I type.

[@BrianRousseau603]

Thanks for the video, New ham here and tried to learn this back in the late 80's for my Tech and never got it. Downloaded the app and plan to try your method.

[@whirledpeas5644]

Great motivational for beginners and people like me who dropped off CW and trying to get back. Like everything else to learn, each person has his own learning style; some people are visual right brain, some are abstract left brain, good with tones and pitch, etc. Since I'm a senior citizen, I reckon CW is good to keep the brain stimulated, like crossword puzzles, or learning a different language. I started as a Tech and could only do CW on HF, so I really got to enjoy CW and took my General exam at the FCC field office with heavy old headphones for the 13 wpm test. Glad I had that experience. Keep going, and hope to work you with my 817.

[@djaynewman]

I learned when I was in high school, in the 1970's. This was before cell phones, before home computers. To learn code we had cassette tapes and books with that had groups of random characters for us to practice with. Then I graduated to finding random CW conversations with my receiver that I transcribed.

[@kentmosher2880]

THANK YOU!!!!! I love that application is the only way to go. You where talking about all the time you held off boy, if you only knew. I started out in the 8th. grade and was ready for the test but back in 1966 you had to pass 5 words per min. NO WAY, I did other things and got on with life and now at 65 I am a general but still trying to learn Morse Code. I have been using KOCH trainer and have not gotten very far with it. I set here tonight and have learned two letters in 10 min. Ok I know I will have to go over them tomorrow but this is so much better. Kent in Willow, AK. KL7WTF

[@Jimwill01]

Kent, you sound about like me. Back in 68 I could have passed the Extra exam, but not even the Novice CW! Now I have forgotten all my electronics and had to study for the Technician and General exams! BUT - it irks me that I have not been able to learn CW! I'm in the mode now where 2 or 3 times a year I give it a shot at learning. I guess I'll go with that old adage of either I learn it, or die trying! :) 73's Jim

[@kentmosher2880]

Oh yes I know that same here. I may be able to get something out but not sure if anyone will be there still to hear it once I get it all out. Kent in Willow, AK KL7WTF

[@K6PDG]

This Koch Trainer? Morse Trainer G4FON.net/CW%20Trainer.htm

[@abrahamnorthhampton3327]

Okay. I'm a newbie, and I had just decided to not bother with CW. Now I have to learn it. Darn it! Thanks for the motivation!

[@notyoung]

Thumbs up for the reference to the app. I've been licensed so long that I took the code and written tests at the FCC Field Office in Atlanta (on my lunch break) when I was there for other business long in the distant past and you know testing at an FCC Field Office stopped a LONG time ago ;-)

[@bill-2018]

It's a great feeling when you get there. Well done. I see a drum kit, it's always been said a drummer would make a good C.W. operator because of the rhythm. I spent three months to get up to speed with a bit more to spare to take the test and passed. I built a Pixie and put it on 60m, but unfortunately an electrolytic cap. failed and also took out a transistor. Installing a different one resulted in less power and lifted the copper track and replacing again lifted it completely. It was fun while it lasted and less QRM on 60m. My furthest QSO was 180 miles away and heard in the Netherlands by a SWL at 300 miles. I'm thinking of building my own now on Veroboard. I love QRP. Main rig is homebrew all H.F., 5 Watts. 73, Bill, G4GHB.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I too have the largest issues with good copy. 20wpm with a 15wpm farnesworth is still really hard for me.

[@miikewalsh3259]

Thanks for the video, you just got me started again after 51 years.

[@DraganGrazic]

i build my own training box out of a tin can, 9v battery, small buzzer, paperclips, popsicle sticks, and duct tape. it works for me.

[@guitardzan5641]

Dragon...., So......2 years later.......How did that work out?

[@MH-xx9pq]

Man this is cool. Definitely seems like a hell of a skill to have, gonna have to give it a shot. Great video man!

[@Scott_AI5EF]

Your method is great for keeping up with practice. Nice find on this app. Seems to be one of the better ones. Well done!

[@michaellissow543]

Very informative video. I can see you really enjoy your hobby and are proud of your new found skill. I'm not a ham operator but your enthusiasm is infectious, so much so that I downloaded the app on my phone just to learn the code. I have to say, that's a pretty damn cool app. . -. .--- --- -.-- -.-.--

[@gregboggs4721]

Wow I learned CW back in1977when I got my novice ticket, and had to have it to upgrade to my General ticket, at one time I code send and receive 25 wpm in 1980 and was going to get my Extra ticket but didn’t see what bandwidth I got for the Extra was worth it. Had a blast working cw for years, now 40 years later not being used in the last 15 years later I’m going to get back into and will have to brush up a lot. Been off the air now for about 10 years and getting back on this fall when I retire. One thing about cw it can be heard through all the qrm in a weak signal environment. Thanks for the video.

[@lonnietennant1681]

Same year I got my ticket. Lol . . Wb7qel n7cow then kk7k . . Cw all the way here . .

[@robertk4vl412]

Great job. I did notice that if you go into the settings and adjust the speed you control the time between spaces.

[@oldnbroke1544]

That is a nice app, you will always be able to send faster than you can copy...when you think you have CW down get on the air, there will always be someone working slowly and work the slow stations...as you learn you will speed up and work faster stations...when I was practicing for my General, I would ask operators how fast to send and they would comply...I got as hi as 18 wpm with a straight key...and worked the world...

[@tomke0aba242]

Welcome aboard! Your "fist" is actually very easy to copy. Good job!

[@murpheyslaw]

wow great job, qrp does sound like a blast- good luck

[@RevGunn-jq3cq]

Excellent video! I will give it a try.

[@binarybox.binarybox]

Well done on progressing with the morse...interesting video, thanks. I got my G8 back in 1978 and concentrated on SSTV and FSTV. I then tried to learn morse at the radio club and managed to receive at 10wpm. I also used a Datong but struggled. I couldn't distinguish a di from a da listening to faster morse. I do agree with most here that listening is the key...don't touch that key ...lol Some say you never forget morse, well I have to refresh or I do forget some letters.I never got as far as numbers. Some methods on YT are about visual aids which I disagree with as morse is a sound and not have symbols on cards...lol.

[@michaelgracephotography8308]

I just came across your video. Bravo, you have inspired me to get off my @$$ and strive for cw. Always wanted to get cw for qrp but have been lazy. I paused your video and snagged the app. Thank You.... 73s

[@michaeltilse4233]

I had a hard time learning Morse back in the '90s. Recently I have been thinking that the missing part of CW learning is the 'participation' in the learning. It's not just being able to think of the letter when you hear the sound, you also have to be able to be able to reproduce the sound. I liken it to learning a language. You hear it and then try to reproduce it with your own voice. I think that is key, being able to create/imitate the sound as PART of learning. So having a key and listening to the sound and then imitating/reproducing the sound will link it with the letters, words, numbers, etc. That is the muscle memory linked with the audio memory and lastly the symbol / meaning memory. This is not decoding, it is hearing the sound, making the sound, knowing that sound (a whole multi-part sound) means a word or letter or number. Anyway, cool!

[@robertchambers5821]

Hey Eric, you managed to take the fear out of it for me. I'm going for it, and will update. Thanks.

[@UK_Cobra]

I was taught weekly, by a nice old guy, G3HLI I believe his call sign was, used to meet up twice a week on 2 metres, where he'd tap out paragraphs from a book, for us to decode, then I'd send it back to him. Gradually increasing speed each week for the test's send and receive 12wpm. Think it was about 3 months of this before applying for the test, and passing with flying colours to get my Class A. Was such a great feeling going from G1ZCJ to G0KLZ :) Of course, then had to save up for a HF rig, not so great. Also had an app on my old BBC B computer, but it sounded a bit wonky, was none of these smart phones back then to learn on :) I could never master a paddle, went straight to the straight key. With age now, since I've not used it for years, am a bit sticky with it. Great video's by the way G0KLZ

[@danman2070]

That was fantastic.. Thanks very much. This has actually inspired me to start learning Morse. I figure if it took you a month it could well take me 10 years.

[@barryanderson5116]

PS - you can only learn code by listening ... sending helps at first, but listening is where the rubber meets the road ...

[@teangaire]

...how very true. You have to listen first, the rhythm and sending comes in its own time.

[@myagentdeontia]

Barry Anderson hey can you send me the link to app please

[@K6PDG]

@@myagentdeontia From Aldo 180 in response to another of your requests for the link (copied here so others may see it ) Morse CT (Code Trainer) Morse-CT.en.UpToDown.com/android

[@KrazyK1358]

Thank you, in the late 70s my dad and I tried to learn it so we can get our licenses but we were unable to get it down. As I’m studying for my license now that has been on my mind again. I’m going to download this app and try to learn it as part of my studies. Thank you for all your videos!

[@madebyhim1197]

I too share your passion for the Yaesu FT 817, I have the FT 818 but its almost the same thing. Been a Ham since 2011, got my General class in 2013 been wanting to learn CW also, even went out and bought an Iambic portable paddle to take out in the field with me but never picked up CW fully. I find it easier to send then rcv. I started using my phone to decode and then reply with the paddle and that transitioned into me operating PSK31 instead and loved it, especially on this rig at 2.5w on my Android. Glad I found this video, will try your way and see if it sticks. 73 N7EWC

[@patrickve6prmmiller605]

Thanks for the intro to this great app. This is a well presented video! I first saw this video when I only had an iPhone. I just got a Samsung because there are more apps for amateur radio and to hookup to an arduino.

[@lonewolfdetecting9793]

While driving around I read license plates in code. Lots of variety and numbers thrown in. Great video!

[@Ron_C]

I have the same app! Definitely great for sending and I too feel that I learned all the characters by sending them using this app. However, decoding is still not that simple..lol. I was ecstatic after being able to go through the alphabet, numbers and a few characters (? / . =). But decoding is still a lot more challenging. I'm sticking with it, because like you I want to be able to get some CW QSO's! I've also signed up for CW Academy, but the waiting list.....I got in on the Jan 2018 class...

[@K6PDG]

So others can find the CW Academy quickly: CWops.org/cw-academy/

[@redf7209]

what i cant understand is that in any quiet frequency range where you can find a morse transmission there always seems to be multiple fainter transmissions behind it using exactly the same frequency with emptiness either side.

[@warplanner8852]

It's a bit down the road since you made this, but you do have a decidedly good fist! Also, your videos (this one and the CW Academy one) are a great inspiration for the new post-CW requirement hams. You remind me of a guy I would see each year at Pacifion. The first time I met him he barely trucked along at 5-6 WPM but when the next Pacificon a year later, he was doing 25 WPM! He said it was because he enjoyed it and tried to get in at least one "Q" per day. You were sending at about 15 WPM, by the way. Keep up the good work! 73 de k6whp dit dit

[@K6PDG]

So others can find the CW Academy quickly: CWops.org/cw-academy/

[@tomsmall2479]

You helped me with the video to go back and try again to learn MC .. Thanks .. Great video

[@jack002tuber]

Hey, I have this app too! I'm learning on it. Nothing else I ever used has helped as much. Its great

[@glenn2595]

I'm glad you didn't edit out the 'Z' when you wanted a G 'g' --. and 'e' . together make the 'Z' --.. I'ts the cadence of the send I have the most issue with, the between I think is difficult. For me I noticed it when I was trying to spell 'mic' m -- and i .. came out Z --.. as I didn't distinguish the space. Congratulations! Thanks for the video.

[@k8bz983]

Great job. Keep at it. Can't wait to work you on CW.

[@VickyGeagan]

Eric that is the method of learning CW that Gordo, wb6noa uses to teach his students at radio school in Costa Mesa, CA.

[@mikem5043]

Imagine sending and receiving Morse with a shuttered lamp like in the Navy. Whole different sense being used, even tho it's still morse.

[@sassy3923]

This is why our kids should be homeschooled.....instead of being propagandized with nonsense, they should be learning stuff like this. This makes learning fun and useful!

[@kelceyfirth]

Sassy I wish I was homeschooled, at public school you basically learn nothing.

[@eogg25]

Use what ever works for you. I learned the alphabet in 5 days, after that I listened to morse code till I got 7 WPM, I also started using a key, because I was put on the radio, eventually speed copying and sending went up.

[@w9akwqsl]

Just plum proud of you. Most new hams today are to lazy to learn CW. W9AKW

[@stevegoyette4785]

I used an App called Morse Toad to learn the letters and numbers and have been listening to CW as much as I can to try and get to the point where I can comprehend. I'm still not there but I'm learning.

[@hopefuldad]

Hi Eric. I’m also making an effort recently to get better at CW. I’ve been listening to some of the Cw practice KZbin videos. You can punch in “5wpm cw practice”. You could also make a video like this, adding some fun information about funny things that happened in your work day, etc in cw.

[@RogerBY]

ty for the info ..I have just decided to get my licence , been thinking about it for years always putting it off and staying with cb radios ..also I have sdr dongle coming in the mail .this should be interesting as well.

[@jandersonemtp]

Learning code is my next big step as well. I upgraded to General a few weeks ago, and now just need to get in gear with the code.

[@chadlpnemt]

How do you learn to receive faster? I did pretty much what you did except I started with receive. I learned ABC the first day, and so on. I made sure I was grouping the letters once I "knew" them into groups of 4 to 6 characters, but anything faster than 7wpm I'm lost. Even at 7wpm I lose track of what I heard. I draw blanks or it takes me a few seconds to recognize what I've heard but the app keeps going of course. While I know the letters, I can't visualize them as other operators can at 15 to 20wpm. If I listen to 20wpm in a string of 10 I might get two letters out of the whole thing...

[@JosephMassimino]

So do you think that every nation uses English in CW? Even the French, even if they don't know a single word in English? I have to admit that I loved CW when I could do it, only I was too stupid to notice, and once I got two licence upgrades, i stopped. It was only many years later that I realized that voice on HF was not for me, and it was CW that i loved. It has been hard to get back into CW, but i will never quit trying. And, Yes, everybody that responds to your CW call, will send CW in English. It's like yelling into a crowd, " Does anyone speak English" Only those that do will respond, and it is the same in CW..

[@Francois_Dupont]

actually CW is codes, nobody send complete words. CQ RIG PL TX RX 73 all codes.

[@MyTube4Utoo]

I learned Morse Code in 1989 by using the old Gordon West cassette tapes. I'd drive down the road converting every sign I saw into code. I hammered it into my head. I was able to pass my 5 wpm Novice Class exam in just a couple of weeks. Of course, that was still the days of, 'No CW,' 'No Ham Ticket.' *lol* A pretty good incentive to learn CW.

[@krazytrinisteve]

Nice job......I have to learn again

[@bubbllehead]

Pretty nest spin on learning CW. Maybe, after you get some of your kits, do some reviews on them. Also, may include some shortened links to the kits your looking at. Just a suggestion. Thanks for the video, made me more interested in learning.

[@kevingary7018]

Thanks got sharing your enthusiasm.

[@trainman5603]

I am interested in this app. You sound great!

[@gerryturcot]

Am, 80yrs old. Learned my CW as a melodie,first learned my alphabet , got on the old HF, on 40 mtr and copy the first class, 5wpm, with pencil in hand, until I did not need a pencil. Went for my first licen... In Quebec, you must pass 10wpm for first licen... then in the 70 s. Got my licen.. then went on to cw on my HF, with a bug and chazam went like peanuts. Left ham in the 90 s mooved, no antenna nor radio allowed. Former Ve2gat.

[@shawndobson5713]

What did they call the app when they made it a paid app? May just not be available for iOS but I would love to have this as a practice tool for work.

[@jdman6794]

koch trainer teaches listening which is the important part check out the app....also that app teaches straight key rather than paddle so you don't have to worry about getting a key if you can use that app well

[@traprmike]

how fast can you copy? I used to be able to send like heck, rx is another whole new ball game

[@vistabarmancave]

Great video! I'm going to give this method a try. I tried learning years ago by listening to Morse Code CD's but it didn't work out.

[@wntu4]

Don't give up!

[@DeltaWhiskeyBravo13579]

That's great. I wouldn't critique as I barely remember SOS. I personally prefer that CW isn't a license test requirement. But it is something I will at least try to learn as I get into amateur radio. One step at a time for me. License first, the radio and antenna, then something else like CW.

[@royramdeen8864]

Wish this app was still around, a really good way to learn CW

[@maartenc6099]

Eric. I do a lot of CW and to be honest. I can receive Morse code way faster than I can produce with a key our keyer. If you really want to boast your Morse decoding. Throw away your pen and paper. Try to listen to Morse code and learn to hear words. In a QSO the only thing I write down is his name, call-sign and QTH. I had to learn CW to pass my exam. I had to write down and send Morse code with a speed of 12WPM. And they learned me to write it on paper because this was required for the exam. But when I went on the air, an old ham told me, "Don't try to write everything on paper". Try to decode it within your head.

[@firstmotorhome8024]

Great video Thanks for sharing . Lots of people try and keep it to themselves and don't like to share this info ! Thanks again buddy 73

[@peterrock2838]

Downloaded the app and will give it a try... Thanks for the video.

[@iamurnamann8662]

You are the only channel I will watch and obtain information. I purchased an Radio Shack HTX-10 and planning to make an 10 meter inverted dipole antenna. I also purchased an HP 201s SWR watt meter to tune the antenna. Am I on the right track? Thanks!

[@keeszondervrees8787]

THE ADVANTAGE OF A "STRAIGHT KEY" IS THAT YOUR SPEED IS QUICKLY ADAPTED TO THE SPEED OF YOUR COUNTER STATION. ESPECIALLY BEGINNERS VALUATE THAT. AT LEAST I VALUED THAT WHEN I STARTED. GREAT VIDEOS, THANKS. 73 PD5MIT

[@deancovey8193]

the speed is in the options of the app you can slow it down and speed it up- I slowed it down to 5wpm and I couldn't tap slow enough to get it to see an "A" it thought I tapped an "I" I had this app downloaded long ago, I think I'll try it again- bad thing is some comments say it's not made for the Iphone and I was thinking to upgrading to just that- maybe I will keep my old android- oh and I think they dropped the code requirements in '99 I was licensed in 2000 and thats what got me interested is that they had dropped the code

[@GMELECTRONICS365]

There is also morse coach for the IOS platform. I am learning it using that tool. They send you a letter or two (audio) then there are rows of lines and you type that letter at the end of the short session you get a response on how you did. You can continue to do the same one or move on, but you can't do it without looking constantly at the phone. I will try this app you recommend as well. If you like games check out Morse Toad, its one of my favorite ones. It gets hard but its enough for me .

[@auroraborealis7772]

Watching this encouraged me to try and learn this.

[@pa3fat]

RX is key. And keep away from lower speeds than 12, maybe even 15wpm or higher. Prevent thinking in dots and dahs, sound is key. Managed to pass my cw exam but still cannot deprogram myself to think in dots and dahs. G4FON has a program with Farnsworth or Koch method if i remember correctly. Adding letters/number etc at your wish and more.

[@K6PDG]

Morse Trainer G4FON.net/CW%20Trainer.htm

[@PistolsMcGee]

Fun fact: Johnny Cash was a radio operator in the army, and his job included decoding incoming Morse messages. It was because of this that he was the first American to know that Joseph Stalin was dead.