Since even before being licensed in Spring 2007, I’ve been struggling to learn the code at a rate sufficient to be useful in real life QSOs. I’ve been on-and-off using a software program called Just Learn Morse Code and I seem to have gotten stuck on the 31st character (out of 44 total — the letter B as it turns out) in my latest training push at 13 WPM with an 18 WPM character speed. Not that the letter B is that hard to get down, but my brain just looses it with so many different characters coming at me. I also have a bad habit of not letting go of a letter I don’t get instantly…which usually causes me to miss the next 2 or 3 letters that whiz by.
Today, I found a new piece of computer software called Morse Machine that takes a different approach. New characters start coming at you pretty quickly, and before you know it, you’re up against the whole set of characters. Well at least that’s how it was for me. Morse Machine is different from JLMC in that it doesn’t go on until you get type in the correct character, repeatedly sending if necessary. After going at it for 5 or 10 minutes, it becomes apparent (from the bar graph) which letters are shakier than the rest. The other difference with MM is that the minimum character speed is 20…so right out of the gate, you’re hearing characters at real world speeds.
Anyhow, I’m determined to keep at it and get through this. I want to join the QRP CW crowd, since homebrewing rigs and antennas is so high on my “favorite facets” list.