20 WPM by March 1... or die trying!

So... for an update: I made it to 25! I didn't make it by April 1, but only missed it by a few weeks.

What I found though is that while I can copy and send at 25wpm, I like ~20 a lot better. And copying 15wpm is now a breeze. The real transition came when I stopped listening for dits and dahs, but started listening for whole letters. I can't pinpoint exactly when that happened.... I think it sort of just happened over time. BUT when it did, my speed started coming easier and easier.

I attribute a lot of this success to all of the words of encouragement I got from all of you guys.

 

Nice work. I been working on the head copy at 20 all winter. I'm good at 20 head copy......... if its good code. If not I struggle and the copy goes down..... sometimes to ZERO. I actually had to tell a OP last week... "I can not copy your CW, what is your call" ...its pretty bad when you repeat your call 3 or 4 times and I cant get it. He straighten up and I could copy it. He was dragging everything out and trying to make some sort of tune with it, out of my league. I send at 21 ish most of the time so many answer at 21+, I'm on the brink of failure on most of my QSO's living on the edge like I do of my copy abilities, we are talking rag chew here. ON script Im at 25ish copy. At 15ish its harder for me to head copy than 20. Hey, Im old. 73 Rich

 

This is what helped me

1)Don't be in a rush... Enjoy it. The speed will come on its own.
2)Listen / copy everyday at a speed you are comfortable with. Listening to morse in the car while driving is great (I suggest turning ebooks into morse code, and putting that on your phone... Right there you will have 80 hours per book to listen to.
3)Practice on the air.
4)See # 1.

 

Keep at it, soon you will start hearing whole words.