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| There is much debate in CW circles about
the best way to learn Morse code, the value of Morse code, etc. Presented here for
your study use, are the questions that we are most commonly asked, and the best answers
(in our experience) about how to take and pass the amateur radio Morse code exams. Do I need to learn Morse code to get my ham radio license? No. You do not need to learn Morse code to become a ham. The basic entry level license, the Technican class, requires only a simple theory test with no Morse code requirement. This license grants you all priveleges on 50 MHz and above. These bands will give you a normal day-to-day operating range of typically 50 to 100 miles. You do need to take a Morse code test to get access to the amateur shortwave (HF) worldwide bands, which offer you the ability to talk to hams all over the world. What's the best way to study Morse code? There is no best method for everyone. Whatever method you choose to use, you should ensure that it emphasizes learning the -sound- of the letters. You should learn to recognize that the sound ditdah is equivalent to the letter A. You should NOT try to learn dots and dashes or count them on your fingers or in your head. What's better: tapes or a computer program? There are certainly good points to both. Tapes generally provide a good introduction to the code, so we generally recomend that people begin to learn Morse by starting with tapes. The problem with tapes is that they quickly become repetitive. By the fourth time you listen to a tape, you have likely memorized most of the code runs and the tape is of little value. The advantage of the computer programs is that they are able to randomly generate an infinite number of random code runs and simulated on the air QSOs. What is the Farnsworth method? Do you recommend using it? The Farnsworth method is a way of studying Morse code that sends the letters at a very fast rate (usually 18 or 23 words per minute) and then leaves a long pause between to sent letters to space the practice out to the proper WPM speed. We definitely recomend using Farnsworth for study, as it will really help you to improve your code speed quickly. However, not all VECs test using the Farnsworth method. The W5YI VEC is one of the larger VECs that does use the Farnsworth method for all of its testing. Always make sure before purchasing a tape or signing up with a VE to take a test that they are using the same method (either normal or Farnsworth) that you studied using. Otherwise, the code will not be as easily recogonizable. Should I practice sending? Whether or not you practice sending is up to you. Some people report that sending Morse code helps them in their code comprehension. In our experience, we have found sending Morse code to be of little value in studying to pass the amateur radio exams. So, while it can't hurt, we recomend that if you do choose to incorporate sending Morse into your practice, that you make it a small part of your overall study program. What is the format of the test? Before the test you will be sent about one minute of code in order to make sure that the volume is loud enough, etc. After that one minute, the examiners will make sure that you were comfortable with the CW. Then, they will begin the exam. The exam begins with a series of Vs followed by about 5 minutes of sent Morse code, mimicing an on-the-air conversation. Copy as much as possible. If you miss a letter just keep going. Put a little tick mark on your paper so that you can tell that you missed a letter. At the end of the five minutes, you will have the chance to go over your paper and fill in as many missed letters as you can. For instance, if you copy "my n_me is bob" you can easily fill in the missed letter to make the sentence "my name is bob." After you've had a chance to fill in any missed copy, you will be given a 10 question multiple choice examination which asks questions about the items on the test. For instance, you may be asked: What was the operator's name? You must get 7 out of 10 questions right in order to pass. If you don't, then the VEs will look over your copy to see if you have 100% copy for 1 minute. If so, you will still pass. |
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See our
amateur radio equipment website at www.adi-radio.com |
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