Issue #24: Cool Devices to Learn CW

I can specifically vouch for the “Morse-It” iPhone & iPad app. I’ve been using it to try to get my own code speed up to around 15 _ 18 WPM by using it as a “crutch” while listening to W1AW’s propagation forecast & DX bulletins on 80 meters. It works well on a strong signal such as W1AW normally is here my QTH is in Southeastern Massachusetts). While listening to W1AW, I try to mentally predict what the next character is before it pops up on the iPad screen, & when the app stumbles at decoding if W1AW takes I fade, I can frequently copy it by ear. The propagation forecast bulletins are especially good due to having lots of numbers & punctuation characters in them. I find it’s definitely helping my ability to copy by ear. Just my 2 cents worth.

Tom WA1LBK

 

Code readers ........... Why bother - just learn morse code. There are absolutely NO short cuts other than increasing the amount of practice you do. 'Copying Behind", Instant word recognition, head copy, blah blah etc.,

Given there have been many, many thousands of merchant marine operators trained to read morse in many colleges around the world over the last 100 years - well up to 2000.!!. Many more military operators (airforce, army &navy) trained in military establishments around the world all using roughly the same method. Then there are the many thousands of instructors who've spent, in many cases years teaching morse code. Let alone the huge numbers of operators who have been trained. Not one had a eureka moment and invented a quicker method....

https://davidwperry.blogspot.com/2022/04/learning-morse-in-royal-navy.html