Want to learn Morse Code? On this page, we’ll try to point you in the right direction.
There are several ways to go about learning Morse, and there seem to be three preferred routes:
Self-training through recognition
This involves memorising the letters and lots of practice at listening to code, recognising the letters and writing the word. The more you practice, the better you become.
The down-side to this approach can be that you learn a stilted form of Morse, as you miss the sublty of the rhythm. What do I mean by that? Taking the letter “K” as an example, this is written as “dash dot dash”, but when being sent in Morse, it’s “dah-di-dahh”. There’s an example of this in the video further down the page.
If you want tio try this route, there’s a basic guide here: Wikihow – how to learn Morse code
Self-training with software
There are dozens of software proghrams and apps tyhat can help to teach you Morse code. There’s a comprehensive list here: DX Zone Morse Learning Software. Got a recommendation? Please add a comment below, to help other readers of this page.
In-person training
One of the most effective ways to learn CW is with the help of an experienced Morse tutor. In Essex (which is where this article has been written), there is an excellent tutor who helps people in the local area. During 2020 Covid lockdown, the tutor has started online lessons via Skype – these are weekly lessons on a Thursday night. Whether you’re a complete beginner, his group can arrange for you to have your own “Elmer” to instuct and guide you. Andy appears in the following video to explain how his courses work.
If this route is of interest, make contact with a chap called Andy Kersey G0IBN from the Essex CW Club via the following address: g0ibn1@yahoo.com or morse2021@g0mwt.org.uk – you can also reach him on 07453-426087
More on learning Morse
The following 6 minute video is an interview with an Essex-based CW group, where the various learning methods are discussed
Other handy links
Any tips? links to good software? Recommended UK tutors? Please help make this page more useful by adding a comment below.
