I’ve tried learning a couple of times on my own and failed. I suffer from depression and anxiety and can at times get stuck in my own head.Because of this I ‘ve worried about leaning in a class environment,but I’ve been learning CW with CWOPS (just completed the beginner classes ) and found the classes hard work but very welcoming, and great fun. Your in a competition with your self,not the other people in the class.I’m not the fastest learning in class but your told it doesn’t matter (and it doesn’t).As long as your improving that’s all that’s matters, and I’ve really enjoyed myself😊
You hit the nail on the head! You are in a competition with yourself. You have to allow yourself to learn the code. Allow yourself to miss stuff. It happens to everyone. Best of luck in your CW journey. If you believe you can do it, you will succeed.
I hear ya. You are the second to mention that. Here is my take on it (right or wrong) Learning Morse Code is learning just the code. Learning CW is about learning to operate using the CW mode which is more than just the morse code part. My 2 cents on it anyhow.
I do love POTA and SOTA, but my own #1 reason is the pure romance of doing amazing things with minimal stuff. And although there are exceptions, I find the CW community of operators to be well behaved and considerate, something not always true of other modes.
Great list. It's well thought out, and I agree with every point. It's funny, because when I first got my license I had absolutely no interest in CW......now I operate almost exclusively CW. It's funny how that works.
100mW all around the europe. 3W from YO (Romania) To US. And all that I had was KX3 (with internal batteries with 3D printed key) and a homeade 49:1 bal-un (small) and 10m of wire (under 1Kg). And the music of CW...what other reasons you need to learn?
You missed the biggest point for me. Back in the early 80's I learned enough CW to pass the extra exam at 20 WPM. After that I never touched a CW key for more than 20 years. Since retiring I recommitted myself to ham radio. My main activity is chasing DX. I soon discovered it is much easier to bust pile-ups with CW. Andy, AE8J
This is a just a long way to say "Please learn this outdated language that absolutely no one knows anymore because I had to do it and it sucks that my skill is useless."
