• Start! Whether you use  CDs, computer software, or a partner to send and receive, you won't get anywhere until you get started.
   
• As a small child learns first to crawl, then to walk, and finally, to run, you, too, must learn in steps. Learning Morse code (CW) properly requires both self-study, and the help of someone sending CW to you.
• Learn each character as a sound. Morse code is a language of sounds. Never write dots and dashes.
   
• Repetition is the key to remembering anything, including Morse characters. Some folks master it in days, others in months. All who keept at it, get it.
   
• The Farnsworth Method is recommended. With the Farnsworth Method, you learn each character at 15 words per minute with large spacing in between characters. This has been proven to be the best method for long-range development. Once the characters are learned, copying speed is easily increased by decreasing the spacing between each character.
   
• Practice, practice, practice. No matter if you learn quickly, or slowly, the key to learning is practice. With enough practice, just about anyone can learn Morse code. Sometimes, skipping a day or two of practice is helpful, and can get you back on track.
   
• Take advantage of all available practice. Your local area may offer Morse code practice through a 2 Meter Repeater, which you can copy with a scanner. If you have a rig or shortwave receiver, you'll benefit from any CW you hear. Just listen and copy as many characters as you possibly can. Once again, practice will pay off. The more you listen, the more you'll be able to copy and understand. After a while, you'll be copying more characters than you are missing. While driving down the road, I would translate road signs to Morse code in my head - the faster the better.
   
• One of the best ways to practice, is to use the "Buddy System." Get a friend, spouse, relative, or anyone willing to share their time, to learn along with you. Enlist the aid of an experienced CW operator for answering questions, and making sure you don't develop any bad habits.

Rather than using dots and dashes, it is best to learn the Morse code alphabet by the way it sounds: dits and dahs. Here is the Morse code dit/dah alphabet.

Numbers

Punctuation

Special Characters

• Beginner's Guide to CW: By Jack Wagoner, WB8FSV
• ARRL provides Morse code training on audio CDs
• W1AW Code practice files
• W1AW Code Practice: Schedule of times, frequencies and speeds
• NuMorse and NuTest: Morse Code Trainers By Tony Lacy, G4AU
• CWGet software
  

  A program to decode morse code (CW) via sound card to text. It can work as a narrow-band sound DSP-filter also. All you need is a receiver and computer with a sound card. A 30-Day Trial is available.

• K9OX Ward Cunningham's multiple-platform Morse training program (use on Mac, Linux, Windows, DOS and even Palm)
• G4FON Morse Training Program
• LEARNING THE CODE WITHOUT A PENCIL BY FRED WAGNER, KQ6Q
• AA9PW  MORSE CODE PRACTICE
• The Official RufzXP Homepage
• Learn CW Online
• CW Abbreviations
• Downloadable Code Practice Program from Jack Purdum, W9NMT

Other resources for Morse code practice include Morse Code for Radio Amateurs, by Roger Cooke, G3LDI and Ham University--Extra and Morse Code Edition.

Samuel F. B. Morse (1791-1872) was a painter and founder of the National Academy of Design. In 1832, while on a ship returning from Europe, he conceived the basic idea of an electromagnetic telegraph. Experiments with various kinds of electrical instruments and codes resulted in a demonstration of a working telegraph set in 1836, and introduction of the circuit relay. This made transmission possible for any distance. With his creation of the American Morse code, the historic message, "What hath God wrought?" was sucessfully sent from Washington to Baltimore.

The Morse code used in those days differed greatly from that which is used today. Morse code originated on telegraph lines and the original users did not listen to tones but instead to the clicking sounds created by sounders. They used the American Morse code as opposed to today's International Morse. When sending dahs (Morse code is composed of dits or short key closures, and dahs or longer key closures) the user simply sent two close-together dits. This was created by using a conventional code key.

With the advent of radio communications, the international Morse became more widespread. Users of the international Morse created dahs with a longer key closure, instead of two close-spaced dits. In order to increase transmission speed on early landline circuits and later on radio circuits, semi-automatic "bug" keys were invented in 1902 and were widely adopted. Bug keys used a vibrating pendulum to create dits and the user still manually creates the dahs.

In more recent times, the user can employ keyers that electronically create dits and dahs. Lambic keyers have a memory so that the user can operate a mechanical "paddle" quicker than the keying rate of the keyer. This makes for very comfortable and nearly effortless keying.

Today experienced operators copy received text without the need to write as they receive, and when transmitting, can easily converse at 20 to 30 words per minute. Morse code will always remain a viable means of providing highly reliable communications during difficult communications conditions.

Kids and adults alike enjoy building their own practice oscillator to begin the adventure with Morse code. Here are some suggestions:

• One Hour No Solder Oscillator from WA8SME and K7CCC
  
• World's smallest code practice oscillator
• W8WG's Cheaper Beaper
• Code-Practice Oscillator (beginner)
  ARRL Now You're Talking pp. 11-1 to 11-2
  This is a complete oscillator that mounts on a small piece of wood. The circuit board for this project can be ordered from FAR Circuits.
  CPO Construction Steps.ppt  Pictures of an oscillator being assembled.

The National Security Agency's website for kids which includes games, activities and other student resources about code.

CryptoKids

A great “beginners” electronics kit! Ideal for ARRL members, Amateur Radio newcomers, clubs, instructors and teachers seeking a classroom kit-building experience.

For more information and how it works view supplementary tutorial for ARRL's Morse Code Oscillator (in PDF format). Also available: Morse Code Key.

Produced for ARRL by MFJ Enterprises.
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