On Apr 1, 8:41 pm, notbob wrote:

I'm also looking for a GOOD straight key.

I want to invest in quality, but am not wealthy.
I was gonna buy a
Vibroplex Know Code key, but the reviews are
less than heartening.

There are lots of good straight keys out there. I've used a WW2
surplus J-37 since before I became a Novice in 1967. For my first 7
years as a ham it was the only key I had.

He claimed a straight key is not much
good for anything over 15 wpm. Yikes!

I can do more than 20 wpm on one, even today. That's about top speed
for most people.

What a straight key did for me was to help me learn timing. When I got
a bug in 1974 it was an easy transition.

Am I unnecessarily knocking myself out trying to
learn code at Just
Learn Code's default 20wpm?
Dropping down to 15wpm sure would speed
up the learning curve.

Most people learn best using a combination of the Koch and Farnsworth
methods.

Koch is studying two letters until you know them 90-95%, adding a
third, studying those three until you know them, adding a fourth,
etc.

Farnsworth is having the code sent with the characters fast but
exaggerated spaces between letters so you have more reaction time -
then reducing the exaggerated spaces.

If I want to eventually
make 20wpm and faster,
would I be better off with a less
expensive straight key in the
beginning and later investing
the money in a quality bug?

Yes. A decent straight key need not cost the earth.

I want
to go bug before paddles and keyers.

Then you need to get really good on a straight key (IMHO) because a
bug is not as forgiving as an electronic keyer.

I guess the bottom line is, do I
want to graduate to a bug as soon as possible
and maybe lower my
initial goals for a straight key. IOW, just get on the air?

Yes.

Speed is not the only Morse Code skill, in fact it's not even the most
important.

Any advice is appreciated.

Here are 12 steps to learning Morse Code:

1) Realize that Morse Code is a whole set of skills and they take a
while to learn. They cannot be learned by reading a book, watching a
video, or participating in online forums. They can only be learned by
doing.

2) Set up a place to study code. A good solid desk or table with no
distractions, lots of room to write, good lighting, good chair.
Source(s) of code (computer, HF receiver, tapes, etc.), key and
oscillator. Headphones are a good idea. I recommend starting out with
a straight key. It needs a good solid base and needs to be adjusted
properly.

3) Stay away from gimmicks like CodeQuick. Stay away from printed
charts with dots and dashes on them. Morse Code is sounds, not
printing on a chart or little phrases. Learning to receive consists of
nothing more than learning to associate a certain sound pattern with a
certain letter or number. There are only about 41 of them to learn.

4) Set aside at least a half-hour EVERY DAY for code practice. Can be
a couple of ten- or fifteen minute sessions, but they should add up to
at least a half hour every day. That means every single day, not just
weekends, holidays, etc. If you can do more than a half-hour some
days, great! Do it! But more on one day does not give you an excuse
for the next day.

5) If you can enlist a buddy to learn the code with, or find a class,
do it! But do NOT use the class or the buddy as an excuse to miss
practice or slow down your learning.

6) Download and read "The Art And Skill of Radiotelegraphy". It's free
and available from several websites. Search out other code-oriented
websites, articles, etc. and read what they have to say. But always
remember they're not a substitute for practice.

7) Practice both sending and receiving each and every day. A few
minutes sending is plenty, most of the time should be spent receiving,
but the two help each other. Practice receiving by writing it down.
Copying "in your head" comes later. I find a pencil and block printing
works best for me.

8) A combination of the Koch method and Farnsworth spacing is probably
optimum for most people. Read up on them, understand and use them –
but remember they are tools, not magic.

9) Discontinue ANYTHING that impairs your ability to concentrate,
focus, and learn new stuff. Only doctor-prescribed medications are
exempt from this rule. Eat right, get enough sleep and enough physical
exercise.

10) Put away your microphones, stay off the voice radios - all of
them. Besides the automated code generators, listen to hams actually
using code on the air. Copy down what they send. Learn how hams
actually use code. When you get to the point where you can send and
receive code, even slowly, get on the air and start making QSOs.
Remember that you are learning code to be an operator, not pass a
test, and that means you need the whole skill set..

11) If your HF rig doesn't have a sharp filter (400-500 Hz), get one
and install it. Read the manual about how to use the rig on CW. Best
operation usually requires turning off the AGC, turning the RF gain
down and the AF gain up. The S-meter and AGC won't work under those
conditions but that's no big loss; they’re not essentials.

12) Keep at it. There may be times when it seems as if you are making
no progress, and times when you make rapid progress. What matters is
that you keep practicing every day.

---

A bit of work, but well worth it IMHO, because all those steps make
learning the code easier. And the work is trivial compared to what you
can do with the skills once they're learned.

73 es GL de Jim, N2EY