[CQ-Contest] Learning Morse

[Steven Hanlon]

I loathed CW and only half heartedly learned it - all I wanted was to pass the 5wpm for entry to the sizzle of HF operation. Once on HF, I made contacts using CW, but could not send worth a darn and could only work stations from packet spots - decoding the callsign of the other station was more of a verification that the spot was correct. All I had to do was push a button and the computer sent my call and the exchange. It wasn't very "fun" for me, but I was logging DX that I could not find on phone and that's all that mattered at that point. Get them in the log! 

Jump ahead a few years and like many things, with age comes wisdom. At Dayton this year I picked up a CMOS-4 keyer to use to practice sending - a real stumbling point in my enjoyment of using code. With practice I have improved and now I have decided to mainly work stations using CW. I am echoing the days of the old Novice ticket I guess - a self imposed limit that should improve my CW skills and hopefully result in me being a better operator. There is a huge sense of satisfaction that comes after spending time to master a skill - I have yet to master it, but looking back at where I started, I feel pretty good about my progress and know that I am improving. Each improvement has pushed me to improve even more. CW is fun now. 

The key (no pun intended) is practice - both sending and receiving. I look at my key and see it as a musical instrument - I know the notes, now I have to create the music. Just like a piano, I can't expect to know the notes and sit down and play Mozart with it sounding natural and beautiful. Why would I expect a different result with my code key? 

-Steve, WM3O