I’m a CW novice and accept I will be for some time….

I’ve read articles and sat on the edge of conversations about QRP operating and the magic properties and performance of CW mode. 5 watts, 1 watt, milliwatts – to be frank, it seemed like unicorn farts and fairy dust – something theoretically possible but rare and unlikely in the realm of mortal operators.  And that’s where this aspect of amateur radio stayed for me, for the first two years of my  radio life.

Fast forward to Winter Field Day, 2023, at Eisenhower State Park in North Texas.  We organized, declared three stations; Phone, Digital, and CW. Our club was billeted in a cluster of screened shelters and while making my “Howdy Do’s”, I found KW5CW, James Frank, in a shelter set back from the others, Shelter #34.  The screen walls leaked the frenetic beeps and boops of serious goings on.

Ducking inside to offer courtesies, I found James casually standing over a table and rattling a gadget – absolutely fanning it with thumb and forefinger – the source of the racket I’d heard outside. After a brief chat, I made my excuses and moved on, but a seed was planted.  In that moment, I decided to learn Morse code and to operate on CW at the next winter field day, 2024. Piece a cake, right?

I did everything we’re not supposed to do. I memorized the dot-chart then the mnemonics we’re supposed to avoid. I eventually discovered the Curt Zoglmann videos on YouTube – and I fiddled around with learning the code.  I joined the LICW Club and sat in a few beginner’s Zoom classes and studied with their online tool.  I even made a few very slow QSOs on the air but didn’t really copy. I’d memorized the sounds but couldn’t put it together.  I wasn’t “getting it”.

In walks James, again.  At our club’s annual event at the Eisenhower Birthplace in Denison, TX, I listened to James as he made some CW contacts for the event.  Excitingly, I could make out some letters, the CQ call, and the 73 at the end.  I could hear the club’s special event callsign and pick out some letters from the noise but the rest was like hail on a barn roof.  Now or never, I casually asked if he might let me join him on a CW park activation.  He agreed without hesitation.

That afternoon, on a picnic bench at Eisenhower State Park, James talked me through as he made contact after contact. He explained some abbreviations and prosigns like UR, BK, AR, and SK and this was significant.  These patterns weren’t  characters in my memory and they were getting stuck in my ear, blocking everything that followed.  I went home to hunt parks from my kitchen table.  Him explaining and demonstrating these combinations of letters that weren’t letters went a long way in “unjamming” my copy.  Within a day, I could copy and participate in the contest-like POTA QSO. So I hunted.

I discovered K4SWL, Thomas Witherspoon, on YouTube and followed along, looking over his shoulder and listening to his video activations – not only copying along, but hearing the structure and rhythm of the POTA QSO over and over. In effect, I was activating with him.  I consider Tom a great mentor and friend who’s guided me into POTA CW – we’ve never met.  New-world Elmers.

A few weeks later, James agreed for another play date and by the time he got to the table, I was four QSOs in to my activation.  I’m proud to say he was speechless.  From his perspective, this dude said he wanted to learn then a few weeks later was doing it.  I’ve explained it’s not the case, that I’d been studying for some time, but I think the joy of successfully bringing a new operator to this challenging and exclusive club is still there. 

I operated CW at the 2024 Winter Field Day – alongside my Elmer KW5CW James – box checked!

P.S.  And I still can’t copy more than a few characters at a time.  I’m still not very disciplined in my practice but do try…sometimes. I’ve made a bit over 1000 CW contacts for POTA and have “rattled” a key in the park near 75 times.  This experience has inspired other club members and James is offering a structured beginner’s course with intermediate and advanced to follow.  I attend.

CU AGN ES 73,

KA5TXN Mark
DitWit