| CW is a language. When spoken correctly it is a very elegant form of expression. People who communicate with CW like to run at a comfortable pace, about 20 WPM, more or less. Getting your CW feet wet by pounding away at 5 WPM on the air is not productive. Your time is better spent increasing your speed. A 30 minute session once or twice a day copying CW at a rate that is slightly difficult to keep up with will increase your speed much faster than pounding away at 5 WPM on the air. If your rhythm with CW sending is not good, get an automatic keyer that will force the proper dit and dah length. Spacing of characters and spacing of words is important. Listen to W1AW and copy their spacing. Get and use free CW learning software programs for your practice. Copy W1AW CW broadcasts for practice - it is proper CW. Good Luck! |
