{"id":4608,"date":"2019-12-02T15:56:59","date_gmt":"2019-12-02T20:56:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncocra.org\/WordPress_v1\/?p=4608"},"modified":"2025-03-15T16:26:18","modified_gmt":"2025-03-15T20:26:18","slug":"morse-code-classes-via-a-uhf-repeater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncocra.org\/WordPress_v1\/2019\/12\/02\/morse-code-classes-via-a-uhf-repeater\/","title":{"rendered":"Morse Code Classes via a UHF Repeater… starting January 8th"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steve Jackson, KZ1X<\/span><\/p>\n

revised December 29 2019 ….
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The way that most people learn Morse Code best is in a classroom style setting. From roughly 1840 through about 1970, this was the manner in which most people learned Morse Code.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a variety of reasons, beginning in the early 1980s, a trend began where people either did not have the opportunity to attend a classroom setting and \/ or took it upon themselves to try and self-teach the skill. The former is unfortunate; the latter, many times more challenging.<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, amateur radio certainly has changed in the ensuing decades but what has not changed is the desire among many hams to be able to use Morse Code on the air.<\/span><\/p>\n

Due to practical limitations such as the lack of a suitable classroom venue, the geographically diverse nature of potential students, busy lifestyles, and availability of instructors, it is not likely we will see a return to regularly scheduled, local, sit-down type Morse Code classes.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, for those who do wish to learn in a class-styled environment, and who already hold a Technician or higher grade of amateur license, there may still be an alternative for a group-oriented Morse Code learning environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Proposal<\/h1>\n

OCRA maintains a wide coverage UHF repeater. Like the majority of repeaters over the past 15 years or so, it is inactive most of the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

This terrific and underutilized resource could easily host a scheduled <\/span>on-the-air<\/b><\/span> Morse Code class for students already holding amateur licenses. This document describes such a class.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conceptually, the idea is simply to move a traditional sit-down classroom experience to one conducted in real time via a repeater. By making it interactive, on the repeater, the class will train participants to communicate over-the-air in Morse Code.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, that’s it. The sole goal of the class is conferring the demonstrable ability to send and receive Morse Code on the air.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Before you ask:<\/h2>\n

There is no sending or receiving speed goal for this class<\/b><\/span><\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Setting such a goal was important in an era when there was a standardized FCC test to pass. Teaching to receive at a given speed did not serve students well; it only helped the test proctors. Moreover, without a sending test, the underlying Morse communications skill of the student is not certain. <\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, a fixed-speed goal is not appropriate for a Morse Code class taught in 2020. Think of this class instead like “Marconi meets Montessori.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Anticipating your next question:<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

What speed are the lessons sent at? <\/span><\/p>\n

The answer is:<\/h3>\n

Since the class goal is to be able to make practical use of Morse Code on the air, the so-called speed for lessons is actually a more complicated issue than a simple number. <\/span><\/p>\n

The speed of the dots and dashes for lessons is set at the natural rhythm rate, such the listening part of the brain will not try to ‘count’ these symbols. Instead, each letter’s acoustic pattern gets interpreted by the brain as a unique musical sound. Thus, the same part of the brain used to remember the first notes of a favorite song is activated to memorize the letters. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is also why significant effort has been put into making the tones used in the class have musical integrity (pitch, tonality, and harmonic content are controlled).<\/span><\/p>\n

In turn, the space between the letters is artificially lengthened from the expected spacing, so that the student will have time to write down each letter sent. <\/span><\/p>\n

Focusing on “how fast?” as the sole metric for success is great for horses, not for people. This is about recognition, not rate. Once one knows all the letters and digits, increased speed is then only a function of experience and desire.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Will The Class Work?<\/h1>\n

A class participant will learn Morse code over a period of approximately two months. The letters of the alphabet, the ten digits, and certain punctuation and procedural signals are introduced to students each week, in a graduated process. <\/span><\/p>\n

Materials used are a combination of a Windows software application by G4FON, the K1EL Morse Tutor keyer kits, and a weekly over-the-air interactive instructor-led lesson. The software is used to make the letter introductions, and to help weekly home practice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dividing the 26 letters into four groups allows one to learn the more frequently used letters first. In turn, this allows the most rapid progress towards forming words. Quickly thereafter, students can create simple sentences.<\/span><\/p>\n

The class design is interactive because student participants both receive <\/span>and<\/b><\/i><\/span> send in each class, and draw upon each other’s success. All of this occurs exactly as it would in a ‘live’ in-person setting. It is therefore vitally important that the students faithfully complete each week’s homework and come prepared for the next class.<\/span><\/p>\n

Classes, Equipment, and Software<\/h1>\n

Classes<\/h2>\n

The class itself consists of eight on-the-air lessons,\u00a0 plus preparatory work. <\/span><\/p>\n

Preparatory work consists of using the software to practice and learn the assigned new letters each week. Most people find that this will take from 1 to 3 hours per week. (Weeks 2 and 4 are hardest.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Each on-the-air lesson will be roughly 30-45 minutes in length. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is a fixed curriculum. One cannot ‘skip’ any lesson, nor are there any make-up lessons possible. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is in part because the lessons are not simply recordings. They are interactive, and, each lesson builds upon the previous one. In addition, students are <\/span>active participants<\/i><\/span> in the learning process <\/span>for and with<\/i><\/span> other members of their cohort.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each over-the-air lesson consists of a student-<\/span>listening<\/b><\/span> portion, and a student-<\/span>sending<\/b><\/span> portion. <\/span><\/p>\n