"Peter A. Klein" wrote:
> Several people said that sending at high speed helped prepare the ear and
> mind for receiving at high speed. This is interesting, because it goes
> contrary to what everyone is advised when are *first* learning the code, so
> I had never considered it. One person mentioned sending "from your head,"
> rather than from paper. Another recommended mentally sending code to
> yourself--for example, driving along, reading highway signs and imagining
> the text on the signs in high-speed code.
Peter, an excellent response of which I have copied a portion above. I
did so because you reminded me that as a youngster of 15 with little
assistance in learning the code, I did most of the work by sending to
myself with a key and homemade audio oscillator setup. I actually learned
how to send code long before I could read very much of it and got fairly
proficient with the straight key. I also recall "sending from your head"
rather than from written copy. I probably also had my eyes closed much of
the time, but just don't recall . . . ;^) Reading signs, etc. and
banging out the dits and dahs in my head was part of the routine also.
Oddly, 55 years later, I find myself still doing that occasionally.
In any event, luck triumphed over science and I managed to finally get to
13 shaky wpm before appearing before the FCC and capturing the Class B
license. A few months later I was banging along on 20 cw with a bug at 30
wpm or so.
So, I suppose that my point here is that sending to yourself *does* work
at least for some people and might be a useful technique for increasing
overall capability at higher speeds. Sure worked for a kid who had
nothing else to listen to!
72/73, George AMA 98452 R/C since 1964
Amateur Radio W5YR, in the 54th year and it just keeps getting better!
AutoPOWER Systems, Fairview, TX (30 mi NE Dallas) Collin County
QRP-L QRP-ARCI FISTS NORCAL ZOMBIE ARS 10-X 33.2 N 96.6 W EM13RE
Later when I could afford a receiver - A Hallicrafters S20R - I finally
had something to listen to other than my own keying.
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