LEARNING MORSE CODE

The purpose of this page is to help anybody who wants to learn Morse. A lot of people think of morse as being unnecessary and outdated.  Yet once Morse has been achieved, it opens up a hole new world to the amateur radio hobby. Morse Code is still a requirement in the U.K. for the class A (12 WPM) or A/B (5 WPM) HF licences. 

There have been many different techniques for learning Morse over the years which differ greatly. There is no single correct way, and as individuals, some people learn faster than others.  A few people become proficient in a fraction of the time required by a greater number who find the early stages rather difficult or impossible. I would like to show you the technique which I have used to successfully pass my Morse test at 12 WPM on the first attempt.

Morse Tutors

There are many different learning aids.  These include Morse tutors, CD and cassette tapes which you can buy from the RSGB and elsewhere, there are programs which you can download free off the internet, as well as commercial  programs with more features.

I used the MFJ-418 Morse pocket tutor.  It has many different settings. You can change the speed, tone, and format, Random letters, Words, numbers, punctuation.  It also simulates proper two way QSOs.  One handy extra on this unit is the earphone jack.  This enables the user to practice while not disturbing others.

MFJ-418 Pocket Morse Code Tutor.

If you do not have a Morse tutor, you can download some programs off the net, I can recommend nu Morse click here. 

You can build your own practice oscillator, my construction page has a circuit diagram and component list.

MEMORISING THE CODE. 

Many books refer to Morse as dots and dashes a .- b-... c-.-.etc, however Morse characters are sound patterns and should not be thought of as dots and dashes.

Try to refer to them as dits and dahs (not symbols) as this is like the sound pattern you hear when listening to the radio.  If you learn them as dots and dashes you will really slow your progress down.  For ease of pronunciation dit is shortened to di unless it appears at the end of a character, and dah is pronounced as dar. 

I would recommend not to rush into it, take your time and learn all the letters first, I first learnt each of these groups:

MORSE  A-Z

I would recommend that you keep your practice sessions short, a maximum of 20 minutes.

I used to practice for 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes at night.  Two short 15 to 20 minute periods per day are much more effective than say a single two hour lesson. 

Never study when you are tired.

When you have familiarized yourself with the alphabet it is a good idea to try and think of everyday things you see such as newspaper headlines or a car registration as Morse, for example if you see a car registration VNK say to yourself di di di dah, dah dit, dah di dah. If you see or think of the letter A, call up from your memory the sound pattern di dah, this is a very important part of learning the code.

Another good tip is when you are sitting down reading a book and thinking in Morse rest your hand on your knee and move your thumb and first two fingers up and down in relation to the dits and dahs, this simulates the pressure you will put on a Morse key.

Next step is to learn the numbers, learn 1 to 5 first then 6 to 0 rather than all together.

MORSE NUMBERS

PROCEDURE SIGNALS

PUNCTUATION

READING MORSE

When it comes to reading Morse, I have found it better to use the Farnsworth setting.  This is where Morse tutor compresses each character as if it was being sent faster but the spacing between the characters are left longer to give you more time to think.  As you get more confident in the code, the spacing and speed can be adjusted accordingly as you progress.

When you are listening to Morse write it down on a piece of paper so you can check for any errors later on.  Use Block Capitals as this will be much easier to read for the examiner when you take your test.

One common mistake in learning Morse, is when you think you know what character is coming next and write it down, only to find out you are wrong.  Do not mentally jump ahead, write down only what you hear. 

When you are listening to a QSO, if you miss a character or get confused don't stop.  Leave a space and carry on, you will probably be able to fill in the missing character when you are finished.  If you hesitate you may miss the next two or three characters and this will throw you well of course.

Always try to listen to Morse at a speed slightly faster than you are comfortable with, or your progress may stand still.  Wait until you are comfortable at listening to Morse from a tutor before listening to the radio (or hand sent Morse) as it would be impossible for you as beginner to establish between good and bad sent Morse.

There are slow Morse transmissions throughout the country organised by the RSGB  between 1.8 and 144MHz and details are available from the RSGB headquarters.

SENDING MORSE

Learning to send Morse is the final stage of learning Morse code.  It is better to wait until you are confident at receiving at at least 5 word per minute, so that you know what correctly formed Morse sounds like.

You will then be able to recognise your own mistakes. When practicing your sending, get into the habit of correcting any error with the eight dits and repeat that letter group.

You will need a good quality key which can be adjusted to give different gaps and tensions until you feel comfortable. A reasonable gap of about 1mm and a medium spring tension will help you to develop a steady rhythmic style of sending. Try to get a key with a good heavy or sturdy base so that the key does not move around when you are sending.  It is a good idea to occasionally send to someone who is experienced and can check to see if your spacing is correct.  Most radio clubs will be more than happy to help you learn with practice overs. 

Morse tests are in the format of a typical  QSO between two stations so you will need to be familiar with some of the abbreviations. I have listed below some of the most common abbreviations.

I hope this page has been of some use if you are learning  the Morse. This method worked for me.  I would like to wish anyone who is taking the test good luck and thank you for taking the time to read this web page.

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