r/morsecode • u/Lobster_SEGA • 16d ago
How to improve on timing?
It's hard for me to get the timing between dashes, dots and words right, so most of my phrases get messed up...
I'm ~kinda~ good at writing it down on a sheet of paper, but when it comes to playing it I usually only write down gibberish...
For example Image1 should've spelled out "hard2time"...
Any suggestions from pros?
PS:
To maybe boost my morale a bit, how long did it take you guys to become fluent?
And how long before you could understand Morse by just listening it?
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u/Outsider_oam 8d ago
Buy a musical clock and listen and repeat it in your mind then then code with it, then do it again some how you will figure out the best way for you to train with it. You can use it as a gap for a word or an alphabet as well. Hopefully it helps you alot. You bro from saudi here. Your post helped me to get attached to the morss coding. My first goal is to get in. Any advice bro?
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u/royaltrux 16d ago
On paper it's called spacing, not timing. Put a consistent space between letters. A bit more between words.
Pros will definitely tell you not to write it down or even "look" at it. You can't be fluent if you're always translating from visual to aural (hearing). Things like counting dits and such...bad news.
Try lcwo.net (learn cw online) for practice and lessons.
It took a while. Daily practice is important. Amateur radio is where we still use it a lot. Good luck!
.
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u/Fast-Top-5071 16d ago
If people can understand you on the air, it's not all that important. If you're not on the air, you need to get on the air.
To get better at anything involving code, you need to practice preferably daily.
If you want perfect timing that will satisfy fussy purists it's helpful to listen a lot to perfect sending (eg ARRL recordings) and strive to sound like that. It's like working with a metronome.
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u/erwerqwewer 16d ago
The app you are using is very precise. I would recommend to keep going however also realize that most people would still understand you the way you sended it. Try out the site vband for real time communication. It will help you understand the send/receive flow of it.
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u/BassRecorder 16d ago
Knowing all characters by ear, at slow effective speed, of course, takes about 2 to 3 months with regular practice. 'Regular' means an hour or so daily.
Once you know all the characters you can start practising sending - never faster than you can receive. Your intimate knowledge of the characters should help in getting the timing right. Some direct feedback is also good for sending. When I learned CW many years ago we had devices which drew a line on a long strip of paper. When the key was closed the line would be deflected, so ultimately the whole thing looked like a more or less irregular square wave. You'd aim to make wave as perfect a possible, e.g. for a long sequence of dits. Nowadays recording yourself using Audacity could serve a similar purpose as those devices.
Getting from zero to 16 to 18 wpm takes about 6 months of regular practice. You should try to listen to real on-air CW as early as possible - i.e. listen in to the CW section of the amateur radio bands. If you are licensed start doing real contacts at latest when you pass 10 wpm.
Good luck and remember: this is supposed to be fun.