From: a-kevinp@microsoft.COM (Kevin Purcell, Rho)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: RE: Morse code upgrading
Date: 17 Dec 92 17:25:20 GMT
Organization: UCSD Usenet Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucsd.edu
Originator: daemon@ucsd.edu

I have done a fair amount of work on researching the psychology of 
Morse code (taking advantage of the University of Washington's 
excellent library). I should write it up both for this list and for a 
ham rag too.

The forgotten method (and the one that has resulted in the fast 
training time -- 25 hours for 12wpm) was developed by a German called 
Koch. in the 1930s.

His technique:

Generate Morse at whatever speed you require (say 18wpm characters at 
13wpm group rate for the 1B test) but limit the number of distinct 
characters set. This technique is based upon the premise that it is 
difficult to speed up your word rate (in the "Farnsworth" method this 
is reducing the space between the characters which is easier than the 
old method which also increased the character speed!).

First start of with 2 characters (say A and B) and send one or the 
other randomly. When you can copy these with 90% accuracy then you add 
an extra character (so now your sending A, B and C) and so on until you 
have learnt the whole character set you require. At which point you can 
also receive at full speed!

This is an easy technique to implement even in BASIC -- why not try it!

There are quite a few extra improvements you can make to this 
technique, but the basic idea is very simple and distinct from the 
Farnsworth technique (which wasn't invented by Farnsworth! The 
technique that bears his name is not the one that he invented).

Though there was a little research on this technique during WW II (only 
an abstract exists in the open literature, but there was a lot of 
reports declassified after the war that I have not found yet. If you 
have any of them please let me know). As far as I have found there has 
been only one commercial implementation of this technique by AEA in the 
early to mid-1980s. Their BP-1 and BP-1P Morse trainers used this 
technique. For some reason it wasn't included in the later AEA Morse 
products (like the MorseMan) which I think is a shame.

This method is just unknown, and given the popularity of computer 
programs to generate Morse I find this a little strange (perhaps its 
all follow the leader!) as its easy to generate. I'm working on a 
prototype (for the Mac) using the "Morse" hypercard stack. I shall work 
on an application after the prototype looks good. I also have a few 
other interesting ideas for the "ultimate" Morse code trainer.

The bottom line from my research is that:

1. Almost anyone can learn the code -- but some people take longer than 
others. Intelligence, musical ability, age and almost any other factor 
have no effect on your ability to learn the code.

2. The rate at which you learn the first few characters is a good 
predictor of who long you will take to learn the code to the speed you want.

3. Regular practice and a positive attitude make a huge difference. If 
you believe you can't learn the code you probably won't.

4. Listen to faster code than you can copy -- it makes your "regular" 
speed seem slow.

5. Plateaus are a figment of the imagination but changes in learning 
rate probably indicate a change in the way you learn the code e.g. from 
"dit counting to "character sounds".  You can avoid plateaus if you 
lean the sounds of the characters. I have a reference to a paper which 
discusses the origin of "plateaus" in psychological research, makes 
interesting reading.

6. Training with random groups shows no better performance than traing 
with word, but subjects trained with random groups could recive randome 
groups better and vice versa! This probably means it doesn't matter too 
much, but that listening to real QSOs could be beneficially.

7. Learning Morse appear to be like riding a bicycle. If you lay off 
but have learnt some of the characters sounds then when you return you 
will rapidly pick up speed again. If you did give up try again, perhaps 
with a different technique.

If anyone has any references, papers or reports on learning the code 
I'd really be pleased to hear from you. I especially need a copy of the 
articles about morse training in 73 July 1988 or copies of articles 
from Morsum Magnificat.

73 de Kevin Purcell N7WIM/G8UDP (Seattle, WA)          a-kevinp@microsoft.com
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