NOT my tips... these came from qrz.com
1) It's important to understand what "learning the code" really means:
to become an Amateur Radio Operator who is skilled in Morse Code. That
means learning a set of skills, not just the one or two skills needed to pass a one-time test.
That skillset cannot be learned by reading a book, watching a video,
using other modes to talk about them on the air, or participating in
online forums. While those things can help, they are not the key to
learning the skills.
The needed skillset can only be learned by doing, and it takes time, practice, and an active
involvement on your part. This is what makes learning skills so
different from "book learning" - and why some folks find it so hard to
learn skills. You have to be actively involved - it doesn't happen passively.
2) Set up a place to study Morse Code. This doesn't mean it's the only
place you study code, just that it's optimized for learning code. A good
solid desk or table in a room with no distractions, lots of room to
write, good lighting, and a good chair. Source(s) of code (computer, HF
receiver, tapes, CDs, etc.), key and oscillator. Comfortable headphones
are a good idea. I recommend starting out with a straight key, you may
decide to go straight to paddles and a keyer. Regardless of what key you
decide to use, it needs a good solid base and needs to be adjusted
properly.
3) Avoid gimmicks such as CodeQuick and printed charts with dots and
dashes on them. Often such systems were designed to help a person learn
just enough code to pass the 5 wpm test, but resulted in habits that had
to be unlearned for practical operating. Morse Code as used on radio is
sounds, not printing on a chart or little phrases. They may work for some people, but, in general, I advise against them.
Learning to receive Morse Code consists of nothing more than learning to
associate a certain sound pattern with a certain letter or number.
There are only about 41 of them to learn. If you could learn to
recognize 41 words in a foreign language, you can almost certainly learn
Morse Code.
4) Set aside at least a half-hour EVERY DAY for code practice. Can be a
couple of ten- or fifteen minute sessions, but they should add up to at least a half hour every day. That means every single day,
not just weekends, holidays, etc. If you can do more than a half-hour
some days, great! Do it! But more time spent on one day does not give
you an excuse to miss the next day.
Some folks learn better if they do several short sessions, some learn
better if they do it all at once. You have to find out what works best
for you.
Yes, you may have to miss a day here and there, because life happens.
The trick is to keep such missed days to the absolute minimum.
5) If you can enlist a buddy to learn the code with, or find a class, do
it! But do NOT use the class or the buddy as an excuse to miss practice
or slow down your learning. The buddy and/or class are a supplement to
your study, not the center of it.
6) Download and read "The Art And Skill of Radiotelegraphy". It's free
and available from several websites. “Zen and the Art of
Radiotelegraphy” is also good. Search out other code-oriented websites,
articles, etc. and read what they have to say. But always remember
they're not a substitute for practice.
7) Practice both sending and receiving each and every day. Most of your
practice time should be spent receiving, but the two help each other.
Practice receiving by writing it down and by copying "in your
head". I find a pencil and block printing works best for me; you may be
better with a ballpoint, felt tip, etc. Or even a keyboard.
8) A combination of the Koch method and Farnsworth spacing is probably
optimum for most people. Read up on them, understand and use them – but
remember they are tools, not magic. They can make learning the code
easier but they will not make it automatic.
9) Discontinue ANYTHING that impairs your ability to concentrate, focus,
and learn new stuff. Only doctor-prescribed medications are exempt from
this rule; beer is not exempt. Eat right, get enough sleep and enough
physical exercise.
10) Put away your microphones, stay off the voice radios - all of them.
Besides the automated Morse Code generators, listen to hams actually
using code on the air. Copy down what they send. Have Morse Code playing
in the background while you do other things (but don’t count that as
practice time). Learn how hams actually use code. When you get to the
point where you can send and receive code, even slowly, get on the air
and start making QSOs. Get involved in CW contesting, rag chewing, DX
chasing, etc. Remember that you are learning Morse Code to be a Radio
Operator, not just to pass a test.
11) If your HF rig doesn't have a sharp filter (400-500 Hz), get one and
install it. Read the manual about how to use the rig on CW; usually the
default settings are optimized for SSB. Best operation usually requires
turning off the AGC, turning the RF gain down and the AF gain up. The
S-meter and AGC won't work under those conditions but that's no big
loss; they’re not all that useful on CW anyway.
12) Keep at it. There may be times when it seems as if you are making no
progress, and times when you make rapid progress. What matters is that
you keep practicing every day. Nobody was born knowing the skills you're trying to learn.
Practice can take all sorts of forms - listening to computer-generated
code, listening to recordings, listening to actual on-the-air QSOs,
making QSOs (rag chews, contests, DXing). Some of the practice should be
things you are comfortable with, some should be a stretch. Mix it up
and try different things.
Most of all: Don't practice until you get it right. Practice until you can't get it wrong.
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