CW, Morse Code - Spark Plug Technology...
When I went through the stepped licence process, the foundation licence gives you an 'introduction' to CW by getting you to decipher and then send a small amount of code. There is no time limit and it really is just a very basic tester. When I participated in the process I was unimpressed with CW. I thought very much that it was 'spark plug' technology and decided that it wasn't for me. In fact if there had been a CW requirement to get my ticket I probably wouldn't have bothered. As a person who knows a little about computers, I had my first radio the FT-897, hooked up the computer which is broadband enabled. This basically means that I have taken full advantage of playing with different data modes and maintain an electronic log. When I was playing with the highly directional Moxon rectangle I was able to use the DX Cluster sites to chase DX and had some good contacts. I increasingly became aware that I had no logged contacts in CW mode..........This got me thinking a bit.
Early in 2005 I managed to pick up a couple of keys and started self teaching myself CW with the Koch program. A couple of members of my local club gave me encouragement in getting to know the CW mode. After about 8 weeks I had a basic understanding of CW and started to make some rudimentary contacts. A few weeks on and I have made dozens of contacts. It really is very different to ssb. The QSO's last longer as it is slower to send code than have a voice conversation. I tend to think more about what I am saying rather than just blurting it out. There are a whole set of new abbreviations to learn. The operators I have contacts with are polite - even those operators chasing DX that I have called, have had the courtesy to slow down their reply to me sending "DX only" in reply!! My callsign M0MRR using the phonic alphabet is a bit of a tongue twister - in CW, its actually quite a good callsign to have as its fairly identifiable.
You can read more about my ideas and suggestions about learning the code by following this link.
I have also found that there are some real collectable and wonderful examples of craftmanship relating to CW. I acquired a Begali Magnetic Classic paddle which is as stunning as the pictures show. The CMOS-4 keyer, I bought as a kit from Idiom Press, it was easy to assemble and is a great aid for CW.
There is some real skill in being able to pick out a station callsign calling cq in CW. To then answer that station on something as fabulous as the Begali paddle makes me feel really happy. I think this mode of transmission is great. Anyone who has a slight interest in CW should pursue it. Nothing in life is for free and CW is not for everyone. But after some hard work in learning the code, I can't get over the happy feeling that I now have using this mode.
They say there are 4 levels of competence; 1. Subconsciously incompetent, 2. Consciously incompetent, 3. Consciously competent, 4. Subconsciously competent. I hope to reach level 3 by the end of the year with sending and receiving CW. If you hear me calling, please give me a shout.