Wanted: Straight Key

Submitted by KC3JTF on Tue, 03/31/2020 - 11:31
Forums: 
For Sale

Thought I might take this time during lockdown to TRY and learn code, might as well have something other than the 24 hour news cycle drive me nuts. Anyone have a half a dozen keys piled on a shelf collecting dust? Since toilet paper has become currency I have a few rolls I can part with. Thanks Mark KC3JTF 

N3ADF - Wed, 04/01/2020 - 19:33

 

Mark,

I have many straight keys that I'm not using.  More on those later.

I would suggest that you hold off getting a key until you know the code at about 5 wpm.  For this reason, when you have studied the code from a machine generated source, you get the correct sound into your head.  Then when you start sending you will send that correct sound back out. Just like a child doesn't start talking until he understands the words and then starts to speak them. 

The program that W3VPR uses to teach Morse Code is "JustLearnMorseCode.com"  Download it and set it up for a character speed of 18 wpm with a character spacing of 5 wpm.  Start off with the letters "A E N T"  This way you hear the complete sound of the character as opposed to counting the dits & dahs. You can type the characters you hear into the window and the program will let you know your correct rate and as you add more characters is will repeat those you need work on more offen. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me n3adf@w3vpr.org

73

Jim - N3ADF

KC3JTF - Thu, 04/02/2020 - 17:40

Thanks Jim, I will take your advice and begin there.