Morse Code Basics - Introduction to the Straight Key now on YouTube

Obtuse!

 

I don't use CW w/ any regularity. I had to get to the 13 WPM level to get my General, and all of the practice to get to that point was indeed a "chore". I went and got my General by just taking the Code test. (Back then, 1976... the GENERAL written and the TECHNICIAN WRITTTEN were identical. The only difference was 5 WPM TECH or 13WPM GEN. About a week after I got my license upgrade I decided to get on CW. There was no pressure to increase speed for the test, and it was a,very enjoyable QSO w/ a LearJet Pilot in Nashville TN. On another note, some 40 plus years later, I got a call from a "county hunter" (I live in Santa Cruz County, AZ... a tough one to get) to make a schedule so he could log my county. We just couldn't get through the noise on phone, so we tried CW. I was realllllllly rusty but we made contact w/ CW on my old, simple straight key when no phone efforts would work. That's why CW is not a "bad" idea, nor should it be considered "obsolete".

 

I've been a licensed amateur (ham) since 2012. Yep. I made it to Amateur Extra without having to send, or receive one, single, dit or dash. Thirteen years ago I sure read about it too. We were not "real" hams, and may as well take up gardening, or some other hobby as to not interfere with the real hams.

Then, I read an article that said the number of hams that were taking up cw was actually INCREASING! Wha...? The conclusion the authors of the study came to was that now that the code requirement for licensing was lifted, the pressure was off, and it became a joy to learn code. Wow! Learn code, enjoy sending, and receiving, expand your knowledge, meet new hams over the air, increase your contest points using another mode, rag-chew with other hams you would not ever have a chance otherwise of talking to, etc., etc., etc.

I was fortunate to attend the CWops Academy Beginner course in 2015, and am just sorry life got in the way shortly after that slowed me down being able to expand my skills in CW. I will though. I definitely will.

Lastly, guess what? NO ONE, and we mean NO ONE is twisting your arm making you roll that VFO over to the CW portion of the band. If it makes you feel better, Home Depot has a great gardening department!

73, Mark

 

There are many methods, but the main thing is that you need a teacher nearby to correct mistakes during transmission. 73 Aleksej

 

The only hams (the vast majority, at least) who are either pushing CW or denigrating it as you are here either have no practical,
institutional knowledge of using it or are not very good at it..
Individuals who have acquired Morse proficiency through their own hard work, perseverance and effort derive pride for themselves
(not as a show for others) but because they have mastered a challenge and find it's a satisfying pursuit for many reasons.

I didn't look you up on your QRZ.com home-page because your background is totally non-germane to this discussion and of no interest
to me. No doubt, you're an intelligent guy and perhaps you've achieved accomplishments in Amateur radio you can and should be proud of.
That's great. That's what this avocation is all about.

But your limited understanding and characterizations of this "ancient technology" you found necessary to diminish, which self-evidently
gives you some kind of emotional payoff, reflects far-more about your ignorance and lack of appreciation of radio
history, legacy, and culture than it does embarrass those you seek to diminish. CW/manual Morse is useful, efficient, and it still works using
the same technology extant 100 years ago.

I'm really good at it. I'm pleased you don't want anything to do with it and have found something else to fulfill your Amateur experience.
My abilities "advance the radio art" every bit as much or little as your automation/IT based self-deceptions. Your more modern Amateur
technologies are ham derivatives of already-existing commercial communications modalities. You haven't advanced anything, except
built a fortress around your insecurity..

There are men and women in this world who enjoy woodworking, fly-fishing, gun-smithing, glass-blowing, horseback riding, painting,
musicianship. If you have no respect for those examples of artisan excellence, guess what--no one cares. Your inability to appreciate
others' skills is a loss to you, no one else.

Someday you may or may not enter, by your choices, the world of non-automation-aided Morse communication. If and when that happens,
you'll be able to formulate an intelligent and insightful critique of exactly what I do when I'm using it on the air.

Until then, just a friendly word of advice--refrain from embarrassing yourself further.
You're a master of this cool technology of which you speak? "All hat and no cattle."


73

 

This equating of certain styles of CW operating ability with the above classes of artisanship is nearly delusional. Professional CW operators had a job skill that once deserved a good professional salary, but no longer. Today, almost no non-ham will pay to hear someone key a vacuum tube rig. Whereas a vast number of non-musicians will pay more than the cost of a new radio to hear a real artisan bring the sound of a vintage Guarneri or Stad to life. Similar for contemporary fine art glass pieces. Dressage events.

Certainly there are many skills. Some take time to learn. But whether those skills have any great ongoing relevance to contemporary radio communications is quite questionable.

I never heard a unicycle rider tell the many people bicycling around, commuting or for recreation, that they weren't real cyclists and had no appreciation for real cycling. But it is a skill. Takes time to learn. I see far more kids on hoverboards.

 

You and I have had this conversation repeatedly over the past few years, always with the same outcome and always initiated by your
or someone else's attempts to trash practitioners of Morse or those who appreciate its artistry.

And your views on this, despite the fact you've shared here you have a for-profit business enterprise in Morse-automation, informs
just how little you actually know about using it. That doesn't make you a bad person; I don't care if you can do it. It's just disingenuous
for you to tell me what I and my fellow hams are capable of accomplishing or why we choose to do it.

Whether you consider it relevant is pretty low in the hierarchy of concerns in life. I communicate with other hams all over the world,
weekly, with a mode you consider no longer worthy of much--money, fame, fortune, respect. I don't care what you think on this subject;
if you possessed the skill, I'd give your thoughts more serious consideration.

Any argument about money vs. utility carries no extrapolated meaning, whatsoever.

And I have never--never--Check out every comment I have ever posted on QRZ.com-- never told anyone they weren't "Real Hams"
[cf. your absurd "bicycle" comment] because they didn't use or know Morse.

Come back when you know your subject matter. We can talk some more, then.

73

 

Since a Novice 60 years ago, CW has been my mode of preference.

I use voice modes, too...just not as much. I did use RTTY for several years, KB to KB rag chews at good speed but there's not much RTTY activity anymore and of course it's 100% duty cycle so a bit hard on transmitters. I go back to CW.

The elegance of CW to me is its simplicity. Ears, a hand and a very simple radio and antenna, plus some sort of power source, is all that's needed and a CW-only QRP rig with headphones, a key, a small battery and wire for an antenna can be stuffed into a small corner of a backpack for portable work. And there's enough activity in year 2025 to find lots and lots of contacts.

I have two rigs with spectrum displays/waterfalls and never look at those. Far more fun for me to "tune around" and find stuff.

My license plate reads CW4EVR. Ham radio may one day cease to exist (!) but CW will still be a common mode right up until that day.

 

It is indeed the oldest form of 'digital' communications, but also one that can reach great distances, in bad conditions, with low power. In fact, it can be broadcast locally without a radio even (electrical interference style).
It is also like cursive and manual transmissions today, those who know how, can, while others wonder what is going on.
And to boot, it has been proven, there are a few who can actually transmit and decode CW faster than a text message can be sent and arrive.
Anything using the airwaves will never be outdated, if for nothing else, the fact of the freedom of communications it allows without any infrastructure.
Just my 2 cents...which are soon to be outdated as well...but I will still maintain a nice supply.
Have a great day.
JKL
K5ABX