This is the first Morse Corner of 2025. I received no comments on the last one of the year, not that I expected any. If anybody did read it and look at those videos I hope you enjoyed them. A very Happy and Peaceful 2025 to all who see this and I hope for a successful one as far as the Morse classes are concerned.
Just to show that some folk do take it seriously and stick with it, I received this from Les MM0UMH. Les was a student when he lived in Norfolk and is still doing very well. As I have pointed out, the more you do it the more natural it feels. Head copy improves, overall speed improves and a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction ensues.
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Here is the email from Les:
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I hope you are well and having a good Christmas.
I’m still bashing the brass and enjoying it very much. I don’t claim to
be an expert, but I am becoming more proficient, allbeit slowly.
Although I claim not to be competitive, I continue to take part in the
Fists Ladder and find it great practice. Once again, it looks like I
will be the top entry located outside DXCC entity 223 and I was only
five points short of the top of the ladder at the end of November, so
could still get the top spot overall.
CWOPs membership came rather suddenly thanks to being nominated by my
CWOPs advanced course tutor and then receiving a flurry of seconding
from my NARC pals. You dropped a heavy hint that I should return the
favour by taking part in the CWTs so, of course, I did. It took me a
while to get N1MM set up as I hadn’t used it for over ten years, but
once I did, I began to enjoy the CWTs. You will have seen my scores,
they’re not great, but they are getting better. What did surprise me,
although it shouldn’t have, was that the CWTs helped enormously with
improving my head copy at speed. Although I didn’t start until the
middle of March, I have been able to clock up 85 participation points
which will qualify me for a silver gong.
My other modest success this year was to finally achieve CW DXCC.
I have kept up my NARC membership, as there isn’t much point in joining
a Scottish club given that I am rarely on the Mainland. It is always a
pleasure to work another NARC member of course. I did work Stuart M0JKB
just over a year ago and was very sorry to hear of his passing. I got to
know him when we were both in your CW classes a good many years ago.
So all the best for 2025 Roger, give my regards to the gang, and thanks
again for all your helpful advice.
Best,
Les MM0UMH.
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It was very gratifying to receive the email and I hope it inspires others to carry on and do just as well.
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Morse Classes.
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THE FIRST BEGINNER’S CLASS WILL BE THIS WEEK, FRIDAY 3RD JANUARY
I have decided the new tactic will continue this week for the beginner’s class. I am doing something I have not supported before but since progress is slow anyway, it can’t hurt to try. I shall concentrate on the first five letters of the alphabet only and numbers 1 to 5 plus the four punctuation marks. I shall then progress through the alphabet like this and by the time we get to Z there should be NO thinking time. Copy should be instantaneous with no pondering!
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Repeating the same thing from last week: In order to progress, the Big P word is all important. Without that NO progress will be made. The tutor can tell if the student has done any Practice so stick with it and you will progress.
If you are considering learning Morse ( CW ) PLEASE join the beginner’s class. You will find it very difficult to make any progress without doing so. I have heard it said that ” I have listened to Morse, but nothing seems to sink in”. Of course it won’t. It is much like saying I listened to a good pianist on the radio but nothing sinks in!
It does not happen by miracle or hypnotism. It is the hard work that YOU as a student in YOUR time and nothing more that will produce results. You do need a tutor to report to each week in order for him to judge your progress and correct any errors you may incur along the way.
I felt it necessary to repeat this again because some people seem to think that just listening to Morse will enable them to copy it. It won’t! Constant Practice is the only thing that will solve that puzzle!
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There is still time for new beginners to join my class on Friday evenings. No need to worry even if you haven’t started yet. Please call in on GB3NB at 7.30 p.m. and I will be pleased to see you. Providing you do the necessary practice you can soon catch up.
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KEY OF THE WEEK
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This week I am featuring a straight key. It is an RAF Model D straight key. It is on a thick bakelite base and made of brass. It has a proper knob and skirt arrangement that every straight key should have to enable the proper technique when sending. If you can find one of these, grab it, they are a super straight key and command a good price too. It should have a case but many do not. I have one without the case.
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The NARC CW Monday Night Net.
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This now takes place on 3543 at 8 p.m. on Monday evenings. We have a Net controller each week and the idea is to encourage you to conversational Morse. If you can read and send at 23wpm, do come and join us. 23wpm is the speed at present and we may be increasing that as time goes by. The overs are short but protocol is adherred to and just a few comments from each attendee is all that is needed. Give it a try!
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Les G0DFC joins in each week again but is suffering from pain in his keying hand. If Les does not mind the few errors he makes due to his pain, surely there are a few more quite capable of joining the net to try your hand at conversational Morse. I think there are a number of locals who, although capable, use Morse to crack a pile-up with the use of macros and very rarely use a paddle in long QSOs.
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There is no need to be shy. Learning conversational Morse is a skill in itself. Anybody can work a DX pile-up by using macros or sending their call and 599 TU. Try holding a conversation for about an hour and see how you get on. If you aspire to CWOPS or FOC it’s the only way you will get in to those clubs, by showing and proving your proficiency with a paddle.
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Not only that, but it really is very satisfying to be able to hold a conversation for that long at around 25wpm with minimal mistakes. PLUS of course you can then monitor the CW end of the bands and hear just conversations and not just dits and dahs.
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CW OPS
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Propagation was rough again this week and the 3 a.m. session saw myself, Mike and Phil trying a run-through to make the necessary 10 QSOs. Luckily we all made it!
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I see I have dropped in the listing. I think the same will apply again this year but for most of the year I shall try to maintain the four sessions each week.
Glancing at the CW OPS listing for medallions I see there are quite a number coming to Norfolk! At least four gold a silver and a couple of bronze.
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General CW Operating.
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For those of a nervous disposition, try joining FISTS. FISTS caters for the more casual, laid back operator who does not feel comfortable at more than 23 wpm. They also have a LADDERS competition on 40m which is good practice. Actually for what you pay for membership it really is a great deal with a quarterly magazine too called Keynote. It contains lots of interesting articles.
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That’s it, open the cage, play the music.
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If you have any input, please email me.
73 de Roger, G3LDI GB2CW Coordinator. roger@g3ldi.co.uk May the Morse be with you.
Author Roger Cooke
