My journey to learn Morse code (so far)

     Long before I had an interest in amateur radio, I was fascinated with Morse code. My earliest memory, or so I believe, of Morse code comes from sitting on a bench at Disneyland and hearing the distinctive sounds of a railway telegraph being tapped out from the New Orleans Square train station. A YouTube video posted by Space Mountaineer showing the message can be watched here. I think that was the seed that got planted in my brain and slowly took root. The portrayal of Morse code in various movies and video games only strengthened my desire to learn this secret code.

    My first exposure to learning actually began with a simple Google search. Funnily enough, a Google program was the top result. The Google Experiments program was designed to teach people Morse code. It gave me the foundation I needed to learn the alphabet, though not without some shortcomings. The way in which it teaches you is through word association, which, if you have ever attempted to learn Morse code, you will know that it is a hard habit to break once you learn that way. But, nonetheless, this program allowed me to pick up the alphabet pretty well. Then... nothing. I didn't try to learn any more or for quite some time. You can read more about the program here.

      After reading through the ARRL license manual in preparation for getting my technician license, I was reexposed to the concepts of Morse code. Though brief in explanation, the ARRL book reignited my interest in Morse code. So, yet again, I turned to the internet. I found a few online Morse code chat rooms that allowed the sending and receiving of messages. Through chatting with some kind strangers on the interwebs, I was able to begin to work on my sending. By the nature of these chat rooms having decoders, I wasn't really training my ear and was unable to decode on my own. Another piece of software that I found was CWCom, which was a great step up from the online chat rooms. The software allowed for finer control of keyer characteristics and the ability to disable the decoder. You can read about more CWCom and find install and setup walkthroughs on MorsePower. 

    Finally, in 2023 with general class privileges, I was looking to really learn Morse code. I knew that I needed to reinforce my foundation, so I downloaded the MorseMania app (available on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store) and committed to relearning the alphabet. By breaking old habits and learning the letters by their sounds and not by any sort of association, I began to be able to decode things that were sent very slowly. After a few weeks of using the app and having progressed through most of the levels, I felt ready to try communicating in Morse code. I knew, though, that my abilities would not allow me to have a full-blown conversation, so instead, I looked into contests or other things that followed a very short and concise exchange. I found two things that I felt I would be able to do: the K1USN Slow Speed Test and the Parks On the Air (POTA) program. Both of these required me to be able to understand a CQ call and respond with my callsign in return. No extensive conversations for me to have to follow were required! On the 23rd of June, I made my first CW contact by hunting a POTA activation. From then on, I was hooked! I continued to work different POTA stations and participate in the Slow Speed Test as often as I could. 

    An indispensable resource during the time leading up to, and following, my first time working CW were the excellent resources that Thomas, K4SWL, provided on his YouTube channel and his blog. Most notable, I would say, is a video by Thomas that explains the exchange that is made in a POTA contact. That video got me better attuned to what I would be listening for and expected to say in an exchange. Additionally, simply watching his videos where he would go out and activate allowed me to follow along and practice my head copying. I was beginning to gain some confidence, enough, in fact, to want to try activating a park for myself.

    I think that just about brings you up to speed. I am able to pretty confidently copy callsigns and simple contest exchanges at about 20 words per minute, though if people "go off script," I tend to lose track therefore, I often hang out at around 16 words per minute. My goal going further down this journey of Morse code is to be able to have conversations; that is to say, things don't follow so strictly of an exchange. It is a very valuable skill that I think will be very rewarding should I be able to accomplish it.