W4CA

Roanoke Valley Amateur Radio Club

CW Mode (Morse Code)

Now simply called “CW”, radio communication by Morse code was the only way to communicate for the first decade or more of Amateur Radio. Radiotelegraphy, the proper name, descends from landline (wired) telegraphy of the 19th century, and retains some of the old culture, including a rich set of abbreviations and procedures. Morse sent by spark gap transmitter was the first wireless communication mode. These “damped waves” were very broad and inefficient for communication. They were soon replaced by “Continuous Wave” (CW) transmission, using vacuum tube oscillators that were capable of a very pure note.

Tune in to the low end of any HF band, and you’ll find it populated with ham radio operators using Morse code for casual conversations, chasing DX or fast paced contests. They enjoy practicing a skill that they worked hard to obtain–a skill not everyone has. You can learn that skill too.

Koch Morse Trainer

You start off learning the code at the speed you would like to achieve. Unlike the Farnsworth method which seeks to reduce the gap between the letters as you become more efficient, Koch came up with the idea that you should start off just learning two letters at full speed and add an additional letter once you reach 90% proficiency until you have mastered them all. Since you are only learning one new letter or figure at a time, your frustration is significantly reduced.

Set Actual Character Speed to 30 & Effective Code Speed to 4.
“Okay I have mastered K and M, how do I move onto the next character?”

To do this you need to change the ‘Characters’ setting on the main window,

 

koch_closeup.jpg
Click on the up or down chevron to change the value, or enter it directly into the box.

The resulting program runs under Windows 10, NT and XP and requires a sound card. You are welcome to download a copy and see how you get on.

http://www.g4fon.net/CW%20Trainer.htm

If you have a suggestion, send it to me and I will endeavour to incorporate it in a later release.

Positive feedback from users of the software make it clear that the Koch method is a very effective way of both learning Morse and also improving your Morse skills.