Practice Instructions and Homework Assignments For the ......The assignments that follow are based on a twice weekly ZOOM schedule (usually Monday and Thursday). The assignments are

Practice Instructions and Homework Assignments

For the Basic CW Academy Course

By: W4YES (Glenn), K1DW (Dallas), W2OZB (Phil), W0FN (Tom)

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© Copyright 2019

This work is the sole property of Glenn Norman and the CW Operators club. It may be downloaded and

printed for use of CW Academy students. It may not be reproduced on paper or digitally for other

purposes without the expressed consent of Glenn Norman and the CW Operators club.

Revision Record

2019 – Original Version by Glenn Norman, W4YES, Dallas Ward, K1DW, and Phil Bartash, W2OZB

2019 – Revision 1.1 by Bob Carter, WR7Q; (Change course name from Level 2 Prep to Basic)

2020 – Revision 2.0 by Tom Weaver, W0FN, Glenn Norman, W4YES (Replace CW Player with Stephen

Phillip‟s Word List Trainer in addition to significant arc of progression revisions)

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Table of Contents

Topic Page

Introduction 4

Course Objectives 4

Course Structure 4

Class Meetings 4

Student Expectations 5

Course Goal: Instant Character Recognition 5

The 5 Bad Habits of CW – We‟ll Be Breaking These Habits 5

Course Requirements 6

Course Tools and Purpose 6

1) Morse Code CWops Trainer (MCT) 6

2) MCT‟s Word List Trainer 6

Course Methodology 7

Preliminary Preparation 8

Session 1 - Intro to Morse Code Trainer, Discovering Your Practice Character Speed 9

Session 2 – Defining Troublesome Characters, MCT Effective 4wpm, Letters & Numbers 10

Session 3 – Focus on Troublesome Characters, MCT Effective 4 wpm, Letters, & Punctuation 11

Session 4 - MCT Effective Speed 5 wpm - Word List Trainer State Abbreviations 12

Session 5 – MCT Effective Speed 6 wpm - Word List Trainer 2-Letter Words & Phrases 13

Session 6 - MCT Effective Speed 6 wpm - Word List Trainer 1-3 Letter Words 14

Session 7 - MCT Effective Speed 7 wpm - Word List Trainer 1-3 Letter Words & Phrases 15

Session 8 - MCT Effective Speed 7 wpm - Word List Trainer 1-4Letter Words 16

Session 9 - MCT Effective Speed 8 wpm - Word List Trainer 1–4 Letter Words & Phrases 17

Session 10 - MCT Effective Speed 9 wpm - Word List Trainer 1–5 Letter Words 18

Session 11 - MCT Effective Speed 10 wpm - Word List Trainer 1–5 Letter Words & Phrases 19

Session 12 - MCT Effective Speed 11 wpm - Word List Trainer 1-6-Letter Words 20

Session 13 – MCT Effective Speed 12 wpm - Word List Trainer 1-6 Letter Words & Phrases 21

Preparing for the Final Stretch 22

Session 14 – MCT Effective Speed 13 wpm - Short Stories and QSO Practice 23

Session 15 - Getting On-the-Air – Report Your Results 24

Session 16 - Getting On-the-Air – Report Your Results 25

Basic Class Appendix – Notes and Tips 26

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Introduction

Welcome to CW Academy‟s Basic course. This class will improve your CW proficiency for head copy,

head sending and the all-important Instant Character Recognition (ICR). We will also HAVE FUN as we

improve together. When CW is recognized, copied, and sent easily, the enjoyment of the art is grand!

Course Objectives

The primary goal of the CWA Basic class is prepare you for the entry to the CWA Intermediate class.

This includes significant improvements in Instant Character Recognition (ICR), CW head copy skills (for

contesting, conversational, DX, etc.) and CW sending skills.

Upon completing this course, the goal is to achieve the following:

- Head copy QSOs and text at a character speed of 25 wpm and 12-15 wpm effective speed.

- Develop and improve our „Letting Go Skill‟ (see below)

- Converse using CW – in particular, on-air QSOs

- Send CW with adequate proficiency for on-air QSOs

- Perform several on-air QSOs with fellow students and other CW operators (familiarity with the

anatomy of a QSO)

For the purposes of the Basic class, explain that copying or not copying should be viewed as

emotional equals – NOT SUCCESS OR FAILURE. This attitude greatly enhances your ability to

improve your Letting Go Skill.

Course Structure:

The course is comprised of two parts:

1) Improving your Instant Character Recognition (see below for more information)

2) Using those newfound ICR skills to head copy (NO WRITING) and head send proficiently

The first part is vital for success in the second part. Follow the process, and you‟ll be successful.

Class Meetings:

The course is divided into 16 sessions corresponding to a twice weekly online meeting with your advisors.

As you meet twice weekly with your advisor, he or she will assess how you are doing using interactive

exercises and other means. Advisors provide encouragement and feedback that will help you overcome

any barriers you may encounter.

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Student Expectations:

Most vital to the learning process is your personal DAILY practice between class sessions. You are

expected to practice the assignment for Session 1 before the on-line Session 1 class so the advisor can

assess your progress and address issues and questions. You will practice the Session 1 assignments on the

days preceding Session 1, practice Session 2 assignments prior to Session 2, and so on.

All students are expected to dedicate AT LEAST one hour per day, 6 days per week to practice the

material. This is a minimum requirement.

If you cannot commit to this amount of daily practice time, please do not start the class.

Course Focus - Instant Character Recognition (ICR):

In order to copy Morse Code efficiently, one must learn to recognize the characters without pause.

“Instant Character Recognition” is a continuum. Its „Instantness‟ depends upon the desired copy speed. It

means comfortably recognizing, copying, and interpreting the content at the incoming rate. It also means

being aware of your sending errors and correcting them.

In order to achieve ICR, one must recognize characters by their specific overall “sound”.

The 5 Bad Habits of CW – We’ll be Breaking These Habits

1) Counting dits and dahs – The best way to stop counting dits and dahs is to keep the character

speed at 25wpm or above. Extra spacing will be placed between the characters to greatly slow the

effective wpm speed, but to recognize the overall “sound” of the characters, 25wpm (or faster)

character speed is necessary.

2) Mental lookup table (and other extra steps) – We must eliminate every unnecessary mental process

between hearing the characters and recognizing them. With improved ICR, the Morse

character sound becomes the sound of the character itself.

3) Holding on to uncopied characters (not letting them go) – The “Letting Go Skill” is developed by

forcing yourself to drop any missed characters as quickly as possible. We must learn to always

listen for the next character. This takes practice and requires willfully ignoring missed characters.

4) Crutches – Pencils, decoders, etc. - These “tools” destroy your goal of comfortably copying the

code. They are not “training wheels.” They are a hard obstacle. We simply close our eyes and

listen (head copy).

5) Not Getting On-the-Air – A common phrase is, “When I improve my CW proficiency I will get

on-the-air.” We reverse this concept to: “When I get on-the-air I will improve CW proficiency.”

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Course Requirements:

1) Familiarity of all these Morse code characters (letters, numbers, some punctuation, and prosigns)

2) A high-speed Internet connection

3) A device compatible with ZOOM (PCs, Macs, smart phones, etc.)

4) A webcam (mic and camera device; built-in or plugged into a USB port)

5) A paddle

6) A keyer (or radio with a built-in keyer) that generates dits & dahs at a sufficient side tone volume to be

picked up by your webcam‟s microphone

7) Headphones or earbuds to avoid audio feedback and echoing.

8) Audio recorder (computer, smartphone, or other preferred device)

Course Tools & Purpose

NOTE! We will be using International Morse Code – NOT American Morse Code.

Morse Code Trainer (MCT) is used to build Instant Character Recognition (ICR) skills. MCT is used

throughout CWA‟s Basic course. At Session 5 and beyond, an additional section of MCT is used (Word

List Trainer) to randomly send the contents of various Basic course text files and give the user control

over character and Farnsworth (effective) speeds, thus exercising your recently developed ICR skills.

1) Morse Code CWops Trainer (MCT) – Important: View MCT Tutorial Video

MCT may be used with any device using a web browser. You will start by listening to individual

(single) Morse characters and speaking each character aloud while recording your practice session.

The recording will be used to identify which characters you have trouble identifying quickly.

Once that list of troublesome characters is defined, you then focus (Smart Practice) on those

troublesome characters until you recognize all characters with equal speed and accuracy.

You may add numbers and punctuation to your practice sessions right away or later as you

progress.

This may seem to be taking you backwards since you almost certainly have been practicing

on words. However, ICR is the all-important foundation of head copy proficiency. Even a

few non-ICR characters will derail your ability to head copy at conversational or contesting

CW speeds. The Basic class is all about building a strong ICR foundation for achieving

excellent CW head copy skills.

2) Word List Trainer – Important: View Word List Trainer Tutorial Video

Word List Trainer is part of the MCT website. Word List Trainer makes use of your newfound

ICR skills by allowing you to practice character strings (words, callsigns, phrases, etc.)

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Course Methodology

COPYING:

THIS COURSE USES HEADCOPY ONLY – NO WRITING OR TYPING INSTRUMENT

WILL BE USED FOR COPYING OR SENDING MORSE CODE.

WHEN COPYING and SENDING

(Other than from written text),

RELAX and

CLOSE YOUR EYES

This method results in sustainable proficiency. Note-taking is encouraged, but NO character-by-

character writing. Struggling with head copy is not a problem – it is expected; it‟s an integral part

of the process. With daily practice and Basic class sessions, your skills will significantly improve.

Head copy greatly enhances the pleasure and proficiency of copying code. Speak with your

Advisor(s); they have already traveled this road and can offer tips and help.

SENDING:

Sending practice is emphasized in CWA‟s Basic class; we put a strong emphasis on sending with

good character-by-character rhythm and word spacing. The goal is to send easy, arm-chair head

copy CW to the receiving person. Your comfortable speed for sending is not expected to be as

fast as your head copy practice speed (25 wpm minimum). You should set your sending speed to a

rate that enables you to send with good rhythm and accuracy. Speed comes with subsequent CWA

classes (Intermediate and Advanced).

Prior to starting your Training Sessions, complete the “Warm Up” section of the Daily Morse code

“Scales” – see the CWops.org website for this page and print it out.

We will discuss various methods and options for correcting sending errors.

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Preliminary Preparation

The assignments that follow are based on a twice weekly ZOOM schedule (usually Monday and

Thursday). The assignments are structured to provide you with regular practice instructions.

As stated above, the assignments are performed BEFORE the online class

sessions.

Come to class prepared to demonstrate your work, and be prepared with any

questions / comments. It’s more fun to BE PREPARED.

Staying on-schedule is expected. However, you are also encouraged to work

ahead. Students that stay a couple assignments ahead of the scheduled class

have better results. If you work ahead, be prepared to demonstrate your

proficiency to do so.

Throughout the class…

KEEP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE

If your attitude slips or your brain fades, take a break – walk away until you

regain a positive attitude. Four or more 15-minute practice sessions are

usually better than a single session without a break.

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Assignments

Session 1 Preparation

MCT (Day 1-3) (Discovering Your Character Speed)

Day 1

Copy Send

This week‟s goal is to become familiar with the use of Morse Code

Trainer in the Random Mode AND discover the character speed you

need to not count dits and dahs.

Using Morse Code Trainer in Random Mode, disable Show Text.

In the section, ”Choose the letters you want to practice:” select all

letters (A-Z) and numbers (0-9)

Set Character Speed to 25 wpm. (Note: (Hear the overall “sound”

of the character). Stay at this speed for the next few sessions.)

Set Farnsworth speed to a value that works for you (i.e. Probably in

the 5-8 wpm range). CLOSE YOUR EYES AND SPEAK EACH

CHARACTER.

Limit your “run time” to no more than 5-15 minutes. Take frequent

breaks. Accumulate at least an hour of dedicated practice each day.

WITH EYES CLOSED

Send the alphabet (A-Z) and the numbers

(0-9) in Morse code five times. Note

difficult characters that affect your sending

and put in extra practice on those.

Day 2

Copy Send

Repeat Day 1 Practice WITH EYES CLOSED

Send your call sign 25 times. Correct

mistakes as you go.

Send your first name (or nickname) 25

times. Correct mistakes as you go.

If you‟re unsure of accuracy, audio record

your sending and check.

Day 3

Copy Send

Repeat Day 1 Practice With eyes closed, send the alphabet (A-Z)

and the numbers (0-9).

10


MCT (Day 1-3) (Defining Troublesome Characters)

Day 1

Copy

Beginning today, YOUR GOAL is to assemble a list of characters that are giving you trouble.

This includes the ones you get wrong and the ones you get SLOW.

View “Morse Code Trainer for Instant Recognition” video and follow the instructions.

Using Morse Code Trainer in Random Mode, disable Show Text.

Select (A-Z) and (0-9).

Set Speed /wpm = Your “can‟t count dits and dahs” Character Speed…. At least 25wpm.

Set Farnsworth speed / wpm 4. Don‟t increase the Farnsworth Speed yet.

Turn on an audio recorder and Run MCT in the Random Mode and SPEAK EACH CHARACTER. Run this for 5-

15 minutes at a time. After each practice session, enable Show Text. Replay your audio and check your accuracy

and timing. DISCOVER AND NOTE THE CHARACTERS THAT ARE SLOWING YOU DOWN.

Reducing the (Farnsworth) gap between characters will be tempting. Don‟t! Keep it at 4wpm. This allows plenty

of time to determine which characters are difficult and will make it easier to build your non-ICR list (the characters

you miss or that cause you to pause). Discovering missed characters is good! Don‟t think of it as bad.

MAKE A LIST OF CHARACTERS THAT YOU GET WRONG OR CAUSE YOU TO PAUSE.

THIS EXERCISE IS NOT ABOUT SPEED.

Repeat this process several times to compile your customized list of troublesome characters.

Day 2

Copy Send

Use the Day 1 method but limit the chosen characters to your non-

ICR list; the ones that give you pause or you get wrong.

When you have those troublesome characters spoken as quickly as

the easy ones, open your character selections back up to all the

numbers (0-9) and letters (A-Z) and repeat the process.

WITH EYES CLOSED

Send call sign 10 times correctly

Send name 10 times correctly

Send your rig 10 times correctly

Send your antenna type 10 times correctly

Day 3

Copy Send

Repeat Previous Day

Practice sending the “Exercise” section of

the Daily Morse Code Scales (see

instructions above). Use your audio

recorder and listen to your sending. Be

aware of your character and word spacing.

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MCT (Day 1-3) (Add Punctuation)

Day 1

Copy Send

USING MORSE CODE TRAINER (MCT)

Repeat the previous Session; add these Punctuation characters:

- Period - “.”

- Question Mark - “?”

- Comma - “,”

- Forward Slash – “/”

WITH EYES CLOSED

Send the alphabet (A-Z) and the numbers

(0-9) five times. If you make a mistake, re-

send that character and proceed.

Note difficult characters that adversely

affect your sending.

To analyze your rhythm, spacing and

accuracy, audio record your sending and

check.

Day 2

Copy Send

Using Morse Code Trainer in Random Mode, select only the

problem characters from your non-ICR list (from Day 1) – the

characters you struggle speaking quickly and correctly.

THIS IS SMART PRACTICE; YOUR GOAL IS TO SPEND TIME

WHERE IT COUNTS!

Start audio recording.

Do the same drill as in previous lessons.

Repeat this process until the troublesome characters are recognized

and spoken as quickly and correctly as all others. This is how we

best improve our Instant Character Recognition (ICR).

WITH EYES CLOSED

Send call 10 times correctly.

Send name 10 times correctly.

Send “AGE HR IS ______” 10 times

correctly

Send “BEEN HAM SINCE XXXX“ 10

times correctly.

Day 3

Copy Send

As in Day 2, continue to work on improving the speed and accuracy

of speaking your troublesome character list.

Practice sending sentences that contain all

26 characters of the alphabet (Pangrams).

Use your audio recorder and be aware of

your character rhythm and word spacing –

the „copy-ability‟ of your sending.

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MCT (Day 1 & Day 2) - Effective Speed = 5wpm

WORD LIST TRAINER (Day 3) - State Abbreviations

Day 1

Copy Send

USING MCT

INCREASE THE FARNSWORTH SPEED TO 5wpm

Using Morse Code Trainer in Random Mode, select (A-Z), (0-9),

Question, and Slash

Make a list of the characters that cause you to pause and the ones

you get wrong.

Repeat this process several times to compile the list of

troublesome characters.

WITH EYES CLOSED

Send the alphabet (A-Z) and the numbers (0-9)

three times. If you make a mistake, finish the

alphabet and numbers, and then send the

alphabet and numbers again.

Note difficult characters that adversely affect

your sending.

Day 2

Copy Send

Using MCT in Random Mode, select only the individual

characters from your compiled list (from Day 1) – the characters

you struggle speaking quickly and correctly.

Begin the audio recording.

Do the same drill as in previous lessons.

Repeat this process until the troublesome numbers are

recognized and spoken as quickly and correctly as all others.

Practice sending the “Exercise” section of the

Daily Morse Code Scales (see instructions

above). Use your audio recorder and listen to

your sending. Be aware of your character

rhythm and word spacing.

WITH EYES CLOSED

Send call 10 consecutive times correctly.

Send name 10 consecutive times correctly.

ICR work with MCT will continue throughout the Basic course.

STARTING ON DAY 3, WE BEGIN USING MCT’s WORD LIST TRAINER

Word List Trainer enables practice with phrases.

Character Speed = at least 25 wpm. Set Effective Speed where you copy no more than 70% - 80%

Day 3

Copy Send

USING WORD LIST TRAINER

Practice the Following:

State Abbreviations

- Headcopy and speak each one aloud.

- Ignore the ones you miss! Let them go! Don‟t stop it.

Practice sending Pangrams (sentences that

include every letter of the alphabet).

Use your audio recorder, listen to your sending,

and be aware of your character and word

spacing – the „copy-ability‟ of your sending.

13

Session 5 Preparation MCT (Day 1) - Effective Speed = 6wpm

WORD LIST TRAINER (Day 2 & 3) – 2-Letter Words and Phrases

Day 1

Copy Send



Keep recording your sessions (speaking the characters) and keep

refining / updating your list of troublesome characters.

Focus your practice on those characters – improve your ICR.

Repeat this process until troublesome characters are recognized

and spoken as quickly and correctly as all others.

WITH EYES CLOSED


five times. If you make a mistake, finish the



Note difficult characters that affect your

sending.

Day 2

Copy Send



2-Letter Words

- Headcopy and speak each word aloud.

- Ignore the ones you miss! Let them go – don‟t consider

missing characters as failure! Relax and accept missed

characters. This is very important in developing your

„Letting Go Skill‟.

Practice sending the “Drill” section of the Daily

Morse Code Scales (see instructions above).

Use your audio recorder and listen to your

sending. Be aware of your character rhythm

and word spacing – the copy-ability of your

sending.

WITH EYES CLOSED

Send call sign 10 consecutive times correctly.

Send name 10 consecutive times correctly.

Day 3

Copy Send



2-Letter Phrases

- Headcopy and speak each phrase aloud.

- Ignore the ones you miss! (Letting Go Skill)

Practice sending 10 times the following

pangram:

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy

dog.

Pay particular attention to character spacing and

rhythm, and word spaces.

Record your sending.

Playback and check rhythm and spacing.

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WORD LIST TRAINER (Day 2 & 3) – 3-Letter Words

Day 1

Copy Send



Repeat Day 1 of Session 5

WITH EYES CLOSED






sending.

Day 2

Copy Send



3-Letter Words


- Ignore the ones you miss! Develop that all-important

“Letting Go Skill”.

Practice sending the “Warm-up” section of the




rhythm and word spacing – the „copy-ability‟ of

your sending.

WITH EYES CLOSED

Send your call 10 consecutive times correctly.

Send your name 10 consecutive times correctly.

Day 3

Copy Send

Repeat Previous Day


pangram:

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs

Pay particular attention to character spacing and

rhythm, and word spaces.


Playback and check rhythm and spacing.

15


WORD LIST TRAINER (Day 2 & 3) – 1-3 Letter Words and Phrases

Day 1

Copy Send




WITH EYES CLOSED






sending.

Day 2

Copy Send



1-3 Letter Words


- Ignore the ones you miss! The „Letting Go Skill‟ is a

critical part of good head copy.

Practice sending the “Exercise” section of the





your sending.

WITH EYES CLOSED



Day 3

Copy Send



1-3-Letter Phrases

- Headcopy and try to speak each phrase aloud.

- Ignore the ones you miss! Let them roll on by.


pangram:

We promptly judged antique ivory buckles

for the next prize

Pay particular attention to rhythm, character

spacing and word spacing.


Playback; analyze your rhythm and spacing.

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MCT (Day 1) - Effective Speed = 7wpm

WORD LIST TRAINER (Day 2 & 3) – 1-4 Letter Words

Day 1

Copy Send




WITH EYES CLOSED

Send the lyrics to a favorite song, poem, story,

nursery rhyme, or other material that can be

head sent with eyes closed.

The idea here is to send from your mind.

(thoughts to code). Try to think of words as a

whole unit; avoid intra-word pauses.

Day 2

Copy Send



1-4 Letter Words


- Ignore the ones you miss! Let them go – this is an

important skill!






your sending.

WITH EYES CLOSED



Day 3

Copy Send

Repeat Previous Day

WITH EYES CLOSED


five times.

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Day 1

Copy Send




Note Effective Speed

WITH EYES CLOSED

Send the lyrics to a favorite song, poem, story,

nursery rhyme, or other material that can be

head sent with eyes closed.

The idea here is to send from your mind

(thoughts to code). Try to think of words as a

whole unit, thus avoiding intra-word pauses.

Day 2

Copy Send



1-4 Letter Words








your sending.

WITH EYES CLOSED



Day 3

Copy Send



1-4 Letter Phrases


- Ignore the ones you miss! (Have we mentioned this is

important?)

WITH EYES CLOSED


in Morse code five times.

Throw in the 4 punctuation marks for good

measure

18



Day 1

Copy Send




WITH EYES CLOSED

Send both sides of a conversation. Think and

send.

Record your sending and listen. Analyze your

character rhythm and word spacing.

Day 2

Copy Send



1-5 Letter Words



Repeat yesterday‟s sending practice.

Day 3

Copy Send

Repeat Previous Day

WITH EYES CLOSED


five times.

19



Day 1

Copy Send





WITH EYES CLOSED

Send both sides of a conversation. Think and

send.

Record your sending and listen. Analyze your

character rhythm and word spacing.

Day 2

Copy Send



1-5 Letter Words


- Ignore missed characters

Repeat Day 1 Send Practice.

Day 3

Copy Send



1-5 Letter Phrases


- Guess what! Ignore missed characters

Repeat Day 1 Send Practice.

20



Day 1:

Copy Send




WITH EYES CLOSED

Send your callsign, name, and QTH faster than

you can accurately send….. If you don‟t make

mistakes, increase your speed until you do.

- Correct your mistakes.

- Record your sending.

- Check your rhythm and word spacing.

- Check your correction methods.

Day 2

Copy Send



1-5 Letter Words


- Ignore missed characters

WITH EYES CLOSED

Send your callsign and name a dozen times. If

you make a mistake, hear it and correct it.

Think of what you might say in a conversation

and send that…. the weather, your busy day,

etc…. things you would say to a friend if they

called on the phone… . Think it and send it.

If you can‟t think of anything to say, send, “I

can‟t think of anything to say.”

Day 3

Copy Send

Repeat Previous Day

If you have any recordings from previous

sending sessions, listen to them and be very

aware of your sending. Notice where spacing

should be improved, your overall rhythm and

timing, and whether incorrect characters were

noticed and corrected. Have fun listening to

yourself and enjoy your improvement!

21



Day 1

Copy Send





WITH EYES CLOSED



mistakes, increase your speed until you do.

Correct your mistakes.

- Record your sending.

- Check your rhythm and word spacing.

- Check your correction methods.

Day 2

Copy Send



1-6 Letter Words


- Ignore missed characters.

WITH EYES CLOSED









Day 3

Copy Send



1-6 Letter Phrases


- Ignore missed characters.

WITH EYES CLOSED

Pick a sentence, callsign, (anything) and send it

over and over. Listen for your errors, correct

them, and keep going.

22

Preparing for the Final Stretch

We are approaching our final four sessions. You have noticeably improved your Instant Character

Recognition (ICR). Regardless of how you plan to enjoy CW, ICR skills are important for all aspects.

As we enter the final quarter, we‟ll be doing the following:

- Staying focused on continuing the Instant Recognition exercises (Smart Practice).

- Head Copy: Short Stories and QSOs. Practice files have been provided.

- Head Sending : Focus on improving your sending rhythm with good word spacing (eyes

closed).

Keep a positive attitude!

However, keep challenging yourself. Push a bit past your comfort zone and don‟t be discouraged when

some content passes you by. Remember – the „Letting Go Skill‟ is critical! Let those missed characters,

words or phrases roll on by. Relax and simply resume where you can. For the purposes of the Basic class,

copying or not copying should be viewed as emotional equals –NOT SUCCESS OR FAILURE. This

attitude greatly enhances your ability to improve your Letting Go Skill.

Keep up the great work!

23


Practice Files on the Basic Class Webpage - (Day 2, 3) Short Story and QSO Practice

Day 1

Copy Send



Repeat Session 5 – Day 1


WITH EYES CLOSED



mistakes, increase your speed. Correct your

mistakes.

Day 2

Copy Send

Listen to Short Story SS-P01 at 20wpm Effective Speed.

DO NOT try to copy – just hear the rhythm.

After a few minutes, select the 10, 13 or 15 wpm version and

begin head copying. Eyes closed. No writing or taking notes.

Copy what you can… even if you miss characters and words.

This is GREAT practice.

If something is missed, instantly let it go and refocus on

upcoming content. Work on your „Letting Go Skill‟.

Repeat the process with Short Story SS-P02

Repeat the process with Short Story SS-P03

WITH EYES CLOSED






called on the phone… Think it and send it.



Day 3

Copy Send

Listen to QSO Practice QSO-P01at 20wpm Effective Speed.

DO NOT try to copy – just hear the rhythm.

After a few minutes, select the 10, 13 or 15 wpm version and

begin head copying. Eyes closed. No writing or taking notes.

Copy what you can… even if you miss characters and words.

This is GREAT practice.

If something is missed, instantly let it go and refocus on

upcoming content. Improve your „Letting Go Skill‟.

Repeat the process with QSO Practice QSO-P02

Repeat the process with QSO Practice QSO-P03

WITH EYES CLOSED

Pick a sentence, callsign, (anything) and send it

over and over. Listen for your errors, correct

them, and keep going.

24

Session 15 Preparation GETTING ON-THE-AIR, Reporting Results

Day 1

Copy Send Practice

You are ready to get on the air.

Watch Dave Casler‟s Anatomy of a CW QSO

Make at least one QSO today (more if you like) on the air.

Remember – Head copy but try to note the station‟s call sign,

name and RST if you wish. Note the time and frequency.

The only requirement is that you trade call signs, RST and op

names with another station. Don‟t worry about missed copy!

This can be a contest QSO, or conversational QSO.

Be prepared to report your results to the Class.

WITH EYES CLOSED



mistakes, increase your speed. Correct your

mistakes.


Check your rhythm and word spacing.

Check your correction methods.

Day 2

Copy Send Practice

Make at least one QSO today (more if you like) on the air.

Remember – Head copy but try to note the station‟s call sign,

name and RST if you wish. Note the time and frequency.

The only requirement is that you trade call signs, RST and op

names with another station. Don‟t worry about missed copy!



WITH EYES CLOSED






called on the phone… Think it and send it.

Day 3

Copy Send Practice

Make two or three on-air QSOs today on the air. Again, head

copy but note the call sign, op‟s name, RST, time and frequency.

Same requirements as Day1 and Day2, but try to have a short

conversation. Ask for his/her age or what rig they have. He/she

will likely send their power and antenna info with their rig info.

Head copy - relax about missed copy (Letting Go Skill).

Try to make these more conversational QSOs.


WITH EYES CLOSED

Pick a pangram sentence and send it over and

over. Listen for your errors, correct them, and

keep going.

Now send the pangram from memory (head

send). Notice how different it feels from

reading and sending.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY6Q9_Qmk8Q

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Session 16 Preparation GETTING ON-THE-AIR, Reporting Results

Day 1

Copy Send Practice



Try to have a short conversation. Ask for his/her age or what rig

they have. He/she will likely send their power and antenna info

with their rig info. Reply with your rig, power and antenna info.


Try to make these more conversational QSOs.

Be Prepared to Report your Results to the Class.

WITH EYES CLOSED

Send anything you want…. Send at a speed

slightly (1 wpm) above your ability and stay

there.

Don‟t dial it back to your comfortable speed

(stretch your sending ability).

Day 2

Copy Send Practice



Try to have a short conversation. Ask for his/her age or what rig

they have. He/she will likely send their power and antenna info

with their rig info. Reply with your rig, power and antenna info.



Be Prepared to Report your Results to the Class.

WITH EYES CLOSED







Day 3

Copy Send

On-air-practice yields (by far) the greatest improvement – and fun! Keep enjoying the journey.

Congratulations - You’ve completed the CWA’s Basic class!

Get-on-the-air whenever possible and make new friends. Your skills will continue to improve with

on-air activity.

Please be prepared in the final Session of class to give your feedback. We NEED to hear

constructive criticism.

Be proud of your accomplishments!!! MOST OF ALL…. HAVE FUN WITH CW!!!!

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Basic Class - Appendix

Notes to Advisors (and Students)

Some may think this curriculum is unusual. Effective speed is intentionally slow in the beginning

to provide Basic students time to discover and define which characters they are slow to recognize.

These non-ICR characters are the cause of most of the struggles as we try to increase our head

copy speed. This curriculum intentionally steps back to allow each student time to define which

individual characters to work on (Smart Practice). Instant Character Recognition (ICR) is the

foundation of head copy proficiency.

Definition of Instant Character Recognition (ICR)

How is Instant Character Recognition quantified? Ask every student which character(s) are

recognized the fastest. Most will say “e” and “t.” Use those characters as a baseline for all others.

When the student can recognize all the characters as quickly as “e” and “t” they have achieved at

least the initial level of Instant Character Recognition.

Instant Character Recognition is a skill necessary for whatever route the student chooses to enjoy

CW (Contesting, Ragchewing, DXing, etc.). While this curriculum does not focus on any ultimate

destination for the student, it certainly provides them with the ICR tools that they need.

Tips and Notes

Early in the Class Process

- Every Advisor should become familiar with the use of the tools as described in the curriculum.

Experienced CW operators must work hard to connect with the student experience. Each Advisor

must also use MCT and practice ICR at speeds that challenge them (fast character speed, and

perhaps somewhat slower effective speed), speaking the characters, recording themselves and

playing back the audio to discover which characters come slower than others. Everyone has

characters that lag others in recognition time. If you are not already aware, become familiar with

your own list.

- As the class begins (perhaps even before, one-on-one), emphasize that this class will take a serious

level of commitment and self-discipline. Students should know that their practice (or lack of it)

will be on display in-class through joint practicing. Of course, the intent is to never embarrass

anyone but rather to encourage everyone to “keep up with the group”

- Early in the course, once MCT and ICR have been introduced, ask at least one student to share

their MCT screen and demonstrate the correct usage to the rest of the class. This will help avoid a

problem with the student unwittingly wandering off the path. It also encourages accountability.

At any time during the course, students need to know that they may be asked to demonstrate their

progress.

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- Improvement is the students‟ responsibility – not the Advisors‟. The role of the Advisor is not to

teach the code, but rather to teach the students how to learn the code. Never work harder than

the student.

- This curriculum puts speed controls in the hands of the students with Morse Code Trainer.

However, emphasize to the students that once they have achieved proficient levels of ICR, they

should push themselves to the next speed just beyond their comfort zone (but not into the

impossible zone). Learning & improvement happens best beyond the comfort zone.

Instant Character Recognition (ICR) – Student Experiences

- At ALL times students are to keep their eyes closed while copying. While sending, eyes are to be

closed unless sending from text. This method eliminates the use of decoders, pencils, etc.

Turning off the visual distractions allows the mind to focus on the aural-only experience of the

code.

- Students tend to focus on speed, as do most of us. However, speed is dependent upon ICR

proficiency. Speed will come with practice. This course takes the emphasis off speed and places

it on proficiency of recognizing the characters. It emphasizes focused Smart Practice in a

direction that produces speed as a result, or side-effect.

- A student should move to the next step in the effective (Farnsworth) speed when they have

achieved ICR to a level of approximately 90%. One can always hope for better during QSOs, but

during practice they should not exceed 90%. They likely have vastly improved on the other 10%

anyway, and when 90% character and word recognition is reached, it‟s time to increase the

effective speed.

- A common struggle for students is “letting go” of missed content (characters, words, etc.).

Emphasis must be placed on developing this all-important “Letting Go Skill” during class

discussions. Whether correct copy happens or not, each outcome (copy/not copy) should be

viewed as emotionally equal for the purposes of the Basic class. Students must put missed

characters behind them quickly to enable focusing their concentration for the next word. Students

that achieve this vital “Letting Go Skill” sooner will succeed at a faster pace (and vice versa).

- Commonly, students will increase the Effective Speed (Farnsworth) beyond where they are

capable of demonstrating Instant Character Recognition. When that happens, ask the student to

share their MCT screen and demonstrate their justification for increasing their Farnsworth speed.

If they are justified, encourage them. Otherwise, they should return to a speed that is challenging

but appropriate for ICR training.

- ICR is emphasized throughout the course. Keep the students focused on Instant Character

Recognition (Morse Code Trainer) even though they have probably already progressed to more

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advanced methods of copy practice. The ICR practice is rigorous and not the most enjoyable type

of training. A student‟s tendency may be to wander to more “fun” stuff. Therefore, balance the

course work with the fun material during class (copying words, abbreviations, QSO practice, etc.)

but be aware of this tendency to forego the rigors of ICR.

- At some point in the Instant Character Recognition process, the effective speed will be too fast for

the students to speak the characters aloud (probably around 8-12 wpm). At that point, they should

be encouraged to silently head copy but maintain a cognitive awareness of which characters have a

delayed recognition time.

- When the course introduces character strings (abbreviations, words, call signs, etc.), an effective

suggestion is for students to listen to code faster than they can copy – just listen – don‟t try to

copy. Then they can slow the speed to their challenging head copy speed. It “tricks” the brain

into making their „push‟ speed sound easier / slower.

Request for Comment

- If you have any questions / concerns / recommendations, PLEASE feel free to contact Glenn

(W4YES) ([email protected]). This curriculum is a work-in-progress and a culmination of

significant effort and evidence-based results. However, we are aware that constant improvement is

good. Feedback is important to the process. Thank you! Good luck with your classes. 73… de

W4YES… Glenn

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Practice Instructions and Homework Assignments For the ......The assignments that follow are based on a twice weekly ZOOM schedule (usually Monday and Thursday). The assignments are