The thrill — and it has been a thrill — of some of the DX contacts and 25+ wpm local extended QSOs I have made on air after calling CQ at 25 wpm at Chris's prompting (even if these exchanges did feel like pretty nervous encounters at the time).
I didn’t really have much of a starting point. My copying skills were pretty much non-existent, and my sending was basic at best and not very clean. Now I’m copying callsigns and QSOs at around 22/12, and sending at about 22/15. My sending is definitely stronger than my copying at this stage, but both have improved massively.
One of my reasons for learning CW was to help me develop my interest in POTA. I'm on the cusp of going that way. With regard the course, I've had difficulty with Rx of code - something in my brain shuts off and panics, however with your encouragement I'm working on ways to overcome it, and am getting closer every day.
I tried a few online training courses and phone apps but found myself getting bogged down at certain points and also flagging motivation to keep the regular practice up. I was making painfully slow progress using this self training method. The CWA offered a methodology and structured environment that was supportive, encouraged regular practice and the opportunity to share my learning journey and the usual problems with both the instructor and my fellow students. I can wholeheartedly recommend the CWA courses and their excellent methodology, I doubt I would have every got on the air without it.
I started the course with a passion to get better at CW, I found it hard work, and just bit of a bother as I would get frustrated easily. I was probably running at 15 wpm and Farnsworth down to 10, so let’s call it 15/10. Only a few weeks prior to the course another operator reported me as 15/6. I can now report I am comfortable and getting good results at 25/15, and on a good day 25/18. I am really pleased about that, I know this will get better if I keep up the drills and head copy practice.
The thrill — and it has been a thrill — of some of the DX contacts and 25+ wpm local extended QSOs I have made on air after calling CQ at 25 wpm at Chris's prompting (even if these exchanges did feel like pretty nervous encounters at the time).
I didn’t really have much of a starting point. My copying skills were pretty much non-existent, and my sending was basic at best and not very clean. Now I’m copying callsigns and QSOs at around 22/12, and sending at about 22/15. My sending is definitely stronger than my copying at this stage, but both have improved massively.
One of my reasons for learning CW was to help me develop my interest in POTA. I'm on the cusp of going that way. With regard the course, I've had difficulty with Rx of code - something in my brain shuts off and panics, however with your encouragement I'm working on ways to overcome it, and am getting closer every day.
I tried a few online training courses and phone apps but found myself getting bogged down at certain points and also flagging motivation to keep the regular practice up. I was making painfully slow progress using this self training method. The CWA offered a methodology and structured environment that was supportive, encouraged regular practice and the opportunity to share my learning journey and the usual problems with both the instructor and my fellow students. I can wholeheartedly recommend the CWA courses and their excellent methodology, I doubt I would have every got on the air without it.
I started the course with a passion to get better at CW, I found it hard work, and just bit of a bother as I would get frustrated easily. I was probably running at 15 wpm and Farnsworth down to 10, so let’s call it 15/10. Only a few weeks prior to the course another operator reported me as 15/6. I can now report I am comfortable and getting good results at 25/15, and on a good day 25/18. I am really pleased about that, I know this will get better if I keep up the drills and head copy practice.
