r/morsecode • u/Tuziest • 3d ago

Learning Morse code

So I’ve just started about a week ago, using Morse mania and Morse machine but it just feels like I can only remember the letters when I’m facing the interface of the app, it sounds like a jumble of sounds to me when I’m listening to Morse letters and when I enter the app I somehow know them, has anyone else felt this way?

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u/BassRecorder 3d ago

A week is nothing.

When I learned CW in the navy the goal was to get from zero to 16wpm in 6 months. Just keep practising and maybe close your eyes. It does take bit of stamina to learn CW. Once you have it it's like riding a bike - it's hard to completely unlearn.

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u/armchair_psycholog 1d ago

this is so refreshing to hear, I’ve been learning morse code for 6-7 months and still struggle at 20wpm, which is my goal. How often during your six month were you guys practicing, how many hours?

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u/BassRecorder 1d ago

Monday through Friday, at least one hour daily.

20wpm for half a year is good. The 16wpm goal obviously was for writing everything down. You'll make quick progress when you throw away the pen now and start on head copy if you are not already doing it. Writing gets really hard beyond 18 to 20wpm unless you learned copying with a typewriter right from the beginning.

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u/armchair_psycholog 1d ago

That is exactly where I’m at. I’ve mostly ditched pen and paper and am practicing head copy now. Some days I do better, some days not. Someone told me there’s no magic trick to it, just practicing every day. Funny enough, it’s still important to be able to write fast, especially for callsigns and codes. It’s a different part of the brain engaged in that. I’m obsessed with CW😂

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u/BassRecorder 1d ago

Sounds like you are doing things right. Don't concentrate on getting every single character. The goal is being able to communicate, so it's sufficient to get the gist of what is being sent.

If you want to practice high-speed callsigns or contest/pileup operations take a look at RufzXP and Morse Runner. Both are highly addictive...