Martin:
After a while, you will just learn to keep the first part in mind. Something that may help, is to make use of your current ability to get shorter words. Often you will get several shorter words in a row. When this happens, get the first one and then, while the second one is coming, try to keep tucked in your mind what the first word was as well. Gang this up for several short words, and that is the equivalent of keeping several syllables of a long word.

I'm not sure what's going on in my head when I'm doing head copy at 35-40 wpm, but somehow it sticks. I guess now its almost like the letters accumulating on a computer screen as you type: the image just sits there. I don't know if it grows letter by letter or small grouping by small grouping: it just grows. Something will happen to work for you just as long as you keep trying. And dealing with longer words is actually easier at speeds much faster than 20 wpm because you get 'hit' with and can process more in a shorter period of time.

Another thing: keep your head wrapped around the code sound. If I can say something that may make no sense at all: keep your head wrapped on the code sound from "on top", i.e., where your head is hearing the sound while still alive for the sounds yet to come. Do not try to process the sound with your head "from below", i.e., where you are trying to push or burn the code translation of the current letter into your head. It is this processing that distracts from the code coming up.

You will also hear the advice never to stop to try to figure something out, just keep going ahead. This is good advice, and is just another way of saying what I just said above; keep your head on top of the code, hearing what you just heard but alive for what's coming up. Don't get under it to analyze it; you'll then be dead for what's coming up.

Interestingly, once you are able to keep your mind "on top of the code" you will find that you can simultaneously keep hearing and processing the new code while integrating it (and even further processing) the old without blowing your concentration.

   As always when it comes to such matters: YMMV.

best wishes, and good luck -- keep it up and don't give up -- it may take a long time, but its well worth it -- good head copy is the real break through for truly fun and satisfying cw.

dave belsley, w1euy



On Jun 16, 2004, at 6:39 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:





Hi to all, sorry this is a bit off topic but I know there are a lot of good
CW ops on this list. I am currently working on CW head copy at around
20wpm. I get most of the smaller words (say up to 5 letters) with no
problem but miss many of the longer ones, I forget the first few letters by
the time I get to the last few. However, the real question is should I
"visualise" the letters (like imagining a typewriter with my eyes shut) or just sort of recognise the letters in an abstract sort of way leaving the
brain to piece them together in the background so to speak (hard to
describe this bit). I am aware of both methods happening but not sure
whether to force the "visualising" method in case it will slow me down
later on. The "visualising" does help me to get some of the longer words
but maybe it's not good in the long term. The  "art and skill of radio
telegraphy" book doesn't seem to offer any pointers here. Maybe it doesn't
matter much either way but your expert opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks
Martin
M0KWV
K1 #1534




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