Guest Editorial – CW: What’s the attraction in today’s high tech world and how does one learn it?

by Howard Bernstein, WB2UZE
VP, Long Island CW Club

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Howard, WB2UZE in his shack, operating CW

Before I can answer the question why CW would be of interest to any ham in today’s high tech world, let’s spend some time first on how it all got started back in the day of the telegraph.

The telegraph was developed in the 1830s-1840s by Samuel Morse (1791-1872) and other inventors. It was a revolutionary long distance communication done by transmitting electrical signals over wires between stations. Morse invented a code (Morse Code) that assigned a set of dots and dashes to each letter of the English alphabet, which gave an understandable format to the electrical signals.

The first telegraph transmission in 1844 was between Washington DC and Baltimore and by 1866 an oceanic line had linked the USA and Europe.  By the end of the 19th century telegraph communication became the backbone of our country.  Yet with the invention of the telephone, telegraph lines became of less importance in the early part of the 20th century.  However Morse Code (CW or continuous wave) continued to be used with newly developed radio transmitters of that era. Even with the advent of AM transmission and later SSB, CW was the preferred mode for ship to shore, commercial and military applications through the 1950s due to its effectiveness to get through in poor atmospheric conditions and with compromised equipment.  With the coming of microwave, fax and satellites, CW use waned but maintained its major use amongst the amateur radio community.

So is there value in CW today or is it a lost art of the past?  Let’s take look back to what it was like when I first got my license in 1965 when CW was still required by the FCC.  The FCC required all entry level Novices to be able to copy 5 words per minute.  Back then there were no computers, internet or software for learning CW so an aspiring Novice had to seek out a local ham to help with learning CW and theory. That local ham would also give the Novice exam and code test. There were no repeaters so most all hams were HF active and imparted these skills to their eager students.  So there was a direct connection between aspiring Novices and established HF operators.  Seeing the experienced operators handling CW at high speeds was fascinating and motivating. There was also something very engaging about hearing CW over what we now call Boat Anchor radios. When one tuned one of those vintage radio and saw the glow of tubes, it felt like real solid equipment which we developed admiration and respect for.  For some older hams today, the need to own those very rigs is due to this same connection made years ago.

Once we became Novices, we were not allowed to have VFO privileges and we worked off crystals.  This meant we were stuck with a handful of individual frequencies.  Our first receivers were not the best and we had to learn to receive CW with drifting receivers, poor sensitivity and no selectivity, the very things we take for granted in modern radios.  These challenges made us excellent listeners and with that our speeds and CW skills increased as we progressed in the hobby.  Back then to get a General license 13 words per minute was required and 20 for the Extra. As we became more proficient to reach these required speeds we developed head copy and CW became a language and not a series of dots and dashes.  This is why many of the older hams are still preferring CW to voice and digital as they have developed a strong connection to the CW mode.  To me there is nothing more satisfying in the ham radio hobby than having a CW QSO at a rapid speed with the challenge of copying in poor conditions, making few sending mistakes.

So getting back to the original purpose of this article: why should we be interested in CW today?  I can list a host of reasons as follows:

  • CW can get out better when the ham has a compromised antenna or low power.  CW is ideal for QRP and portable operations.  With weak signals it’s harder to comprehend SSB than it is CW so CW has a clear advantage.
  • CW can be copied easier in today’s poor atmospheric conditions 
  • Sometimes it’s nice to operate your radio and not have to physically talk
  • CW bands are less crowded than the SSB portions so there is less competition to make a contact
  • The challenge to send CW well is always there.  We call that ‘having a good fist’ 
  • CW is like a language and it’s no doubt good exercise for one’s cognitive health and hearing
  • Knowing CW requires a good knowledge of operating techniques and protocols which will challenge the individual ham

So one might ask, why CW if we have FT8 or other digital modes which can also get out in poor conditions.  The digital modes leave most of the skill to a computer where CW is 100% the skill of the operator.  To me it is truly more rewarding to make a CW QSO than sit idly by a computer and have it done for you, yet this is for any ham a personal choice.

Since CW was eliminated from the FCC license requirements in 1991, exams have been issued by Voluntary Examiners.  In many cases after the exam, there is no longer any connection between the examiner and the new licensee. Most new hams think that our hobby all revolves around an HT and repeaters.  Some have no idea of the thrill of operating on the HF bands or the attraction of CW.  Unfortunately a lot of these new hams become inactive as they are not engaged. And with this deficit of active hams, when it comes to contests like Field Day and other special events, the demand for CW operators far exceeds what is available today.

So what is there to do about this?  I myself along with my friend Rich K2UPS decided to make a difference. In 2018 we established the Long Island CW Club (longislandcwclub.org).   We teach CW via an internet video conference platform at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Students get actual QSO training also by video conference for honing technique and increasing skill.  We have found the interest very high from the students and everyone is having a lot of fun. The retro-ness of CW is very appealing in today’s fast moving world and it’s nice to make a connection to the bands with art and skill. It does take some dedication to learn CW and this commitment, like learning any language is not for everyone.  So how does one learn CW?

  • Using a combination of what is called the Koch and Farnsworth method, we send the CW at 20 words per minute character speed but the spacing between letters is 5 words per minute.  This will acclimate the student to higher speeds from the beginning and prevent the counting of the dots and dashes which will only slow the learning curve
  • We teach 11 classes of 1 hour per week at various levels. For the beginners, the student is needing to practice 15-20 minutes daily using G4FON cw software and 4 letters and or numbers are taught per week.
  • Sending skills are honed along the way
  • QSO skills are taught live as soon as a student can send their call sign and 599. We feel it’s important to get students on the air quickly to help mitigate any fears and to see the value of their studies.

Like the learning of any language, I must admit there is a dropout rate as some students find out they don’t have the time or commitment. However for those who stick it out, they are rewarded by carrying on a skill and tradition that is most enjoyable and unique. 

I hope after reading this article, hams that were considering to learn CW or had it on the ‘back burner’, will now spring into action.  See you on the lower part of the HF bands! ∎