On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 11:22:58 -0700, Jack Twilley
wrote:

In my limited experience, I learn more characters faster with
Farnsworth spacing, but I'm concerned that I'm building a lookup table
instead of reflexes. It's the difference between "dahdidah, hmm,
that's K, dahdah, hmm, that's M" and "dahdidah (K) dahdah (M)". I
learned eight or nine characters with Farnsworth spacing, but I can't
repeat the performance at full speed, so I fear that I'm learning
something that won't be useful if I continue to use Farnsworth
spacing.

Imagine it's like exercising or setting a goal to enter a marathon.

You don't do 500 push-ups, 100 arm curls, and run 26 miles a day. You
work up to that goal of running and finishing the 26 mile Boston
Marathon, a little at a time, 3 days a week.

It can be done. Takes practice, a lot of practice and patience.

My suggestion is, limit yourself to 3 times a day (if you can fit into
your schedule), every day. That will keep from being overwhelmed and
feeling of frustration at least to a minimum.

It took me a little over 6 months to go from nothing to 20 WPM. I
passed the 20 WPM code before I took the General written exam.

In article , S. Hanrahan
writes:

Imagine it's like exercising or setting a goal to enter a marathon.

You don't do 500 push-ups, 100 arm curls, and run 26 miles a day. You
work up to that goal of running and finishing the 26 mile Boston
Marathon, a little at a time, 3 days a week.

Exactly - but to finish a marathon takes more than 3x a week practice. Your
basic point is valid, though - marathoners don't start out running anything
like the marathon distance or pace. They work up to it over time.

It can be done. Takes practice, a lot of practice and patience.

And the *right* training.

My suggestion is, limit yourself to 3 times a day (if you can fit into
your schedule), every day. That will keep from being overwhelmed and
feeling of frustration at least to a minimum.

I'd say the most important training rule (for both Morse and marathoning) is to
have a consistent schedule that is challenging but not frustrating. And to
realize that not every workout is going to be easy or better than the last one.

73 de Jim, N2EY

(veteran of 2 Philadelphia Independence marathons, 20 or so half marathons, and
more 10 milers, 10Ks, and 5 milers than I can recall right now)

S. Hanrahan wrote in message . ..
On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 11:22:58 -0700, Jack Twilley
wrote:



It took me a little over 6 months to go from nothing to 20 WPM. I
passed the 20 WPM code before I took the General written exam.

When I "did" my Extra ya had to pass both the writtens and the code
test at the same sitting or wait a month and go back and do *all* of
it all over again. Dinosaur? Who ME?

w3rv

(Brian Kelly) wrote in message . com...
S. Hanrahan wrote in message . ..
On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 11:22:58 -0700, Jack Twilley
wrote:

It took me a little over 6 months to go from nothing to 20 WPM. I
passed the 20 WPM code before I took the General written exam.

When I "did" my Extra ya had to pass both the writtens and the code
test at the same sitting or wait a month and go back and do *all* of
it all over again.

Heck yes. In fact it went something like this:

First, ya had to have a General or Advanced for at least two years
before they'd even let ya try the Extra.

Then ya had to pass the receive test with at least 100 correct
consecutive legible characters. No going back and fixing things after
the code stopped, either, after the last dit it was PENCILS DOWN or ya
flunked right there.

If ya passed the receive, they let ya try sending with their straight
key or *your* speed key. You sent until the examiner was satisfied.

Only then did they let you try the written. Mess up at any point -
even one character or question - and it was "go home and study some
more and don't come back for at least 30 days". No CSCE, no partial
credit, nada, do it all first try at one sitting or it doesn't count
at all.

Dinosaur? Who ME?

Naw.

73 de Jim, N2EY

In article ,
(N2EY) writes:

Heck yes. In fact it went something like this:

First, ya had to have a General or Advanced for at least two years
before they'd even let ya try the Extra.

Then ya had to pass the receive test with at least 100 correct
consecutive legible characters. No going back and fixing things after
the code stopped, either, after the last dit it was PENCILS DOWN or ya
flunked right there.

If ya passed the receive, they let ya try sending with their straight
key or *your* speed key. You sent until the examiner was satisfied.

Only then did they let you try the written. Mess up at any point -
even one character or question - and it was "go home and study some
more and don't come back for at least 30 days". No CSCE, no partial
credit, nada, do it all first try at one sitting or it doesn't count
at all.

Dinosaur? Who ME?

Naw.

73 de Jim, N2EY

Jim:

Ah, yes, the good old days. Challenging licensing requirements and
uncompromising testing procedures. Of course, all that is waaaaay too
PoliticKally IncorrecKt today, since someone with a particular ethnic
origin, skin color, religion, "gender," or a hangnail might not be able
to pass the first time or two. This certainly won't do in these
enlightened times. After all, it might "exclude" someone who is, in
reality, a nascent technical genius who just needs the ability to talk
on the HF phone bands in order to find the inspiration to create the
next fabulous new invention which will revolutionize electronic
communication for the rest of all time!

73 de Larry, K3LT

In article , ospam
(Larry Roll K3LT) writes:

In article ,
(N2EY) writes:

Heck yes. In fact it went something like this:

First, ya had to have a General or Advanced for at least two years
before they'd even let ya try the Extra.

Then ya had to pass the receive test with at least 100 correct
consecutive legible characters. No going back and fixing things after
the code stopped, either, after the last dit it was PENCILS DOWN or ya
flunked right there.

If ya passed the receive, they let ya try sending with their straight
key or *your* speed key. You sent until the examiner was satisfied.

Only then did they let you try the written. Mess up at any point -
even one character or question - and it was "go home and study some
more and don't come back for at least 30 days". No CSCE, no partial
credit, nada, do it all first try at one sitting or it doesn't count
at all.

Dinosaur? Who ME?

Naw.

73 de Jim, N2EY

Jim:

Ah, yes, the good old days.

With all due respect, Larry - were you there?

Did you have to take a sending test?

Did you have to pass all of the elements to upgrade at the same time?

Did you have to wait 2 years to even try the Extra?

Challenging licensing requirements and
uncompromising testing procedures.

They've been "compromising" forever. Back before WW2 the exam was all blue book
essays. Before 1960 there was diagram drawing. The tests I took in 1967-70 were
"dumbed down" compared to those because my tests were all multiple choice.

Of course, all that is waaaaay too
PoliticKally IncorrecKt today, since someone with a particular ethnic
origin, skin color, religion, "gender," or a hangnail might not be able
to pass the first time or two. This certainly won't do in these
enlightened times.

None of that had anything to do with the license test changes.

Incentive Licensing came about in LBJ's time

Dick Bash did his stuff (and got away with it) when Nixon and Ford were in
office

The change to the VE system happened under Reagan

We got medical waivers because a "king" wanted a favor from George Bush 1.

We also got a nocodeham license because of GB 1.

Etc.

After all, it might "exclude" someone who is, in
reality, a nascent technical genius who just needs the ability to talk
on the HF phone bands in order to find the inspiration to create the
next fabulous new invention which will revolutionize electronic
communication for the rest of all time!

Or something like that.

Don't hold yer breath waiting for it, tho.

73 de Jim, N2EY

In article , (N2EY)
writes:


With all due respect, Larry - were you there?

Jim:

Obviously not. Point?

Did you have to take a sending test?

No, but I could have easily passed one.

Did you have to pass all of the elements to upgrade at the same time?

No. You got me there.

Did you have to wait 2 years to even try the Extra?

No. Ditto.

Challenging licensing requirements and
uncompromising testing procedures.

They've been "compromising" forever. Back before WW2 the exam was all blue
book
essays. Before 1960 there was diagram drawing. The tests I took in 1967-70
were
"dumbed down" compared to those because my tests were all multiple choice.

Yeah, I know, and that's my point. However, the level of "dumbing-down"
that has occurred just in the last few years is way out of porportion to that
which took place from the beginning of FCC testing and the time you and I
became licensed.

Of course, all that is waaaaay too
PoliticKally IncorrecKt today, since someone with a particular ethnic
origin, skin color, religion, "gender," or a hangnail might not be able
to pass the first time or two. This certainly won't do in these
enlightened times.

None of that had anything to do with the license test changes.

Oh, really? Prove it.

Incentive Licensing came about in LBJ's time

Dick Bash did his stuff (and got away with it) when Nixon and Ford were in
office

The change to the VE system happened under Reagan

We got medical waivers because a "king" wanted a favor from George Bush 1.

We also got a nocodeham license because of GB 1.

Etc.

Damn those Republicans! OBTW -- who was President when the
"Restructuring" took place?

After all, it might "exclude" someone who is, in
reality, a nascent technical genius who just needs the ability to talk
on the HF phone bands in order to find the inspiration to create the
next fabulous new invention which will revolutionize electronic
communication for the rest of all time!

Or something like that.

Don't hold yer breath waiting for it, tho.

Trust me, I'm not.

73 de Larry, K3LT

In article , ospam
(Larry Roll K3LT) writes:

In article ,
(N2EY)
writes:

With all due respect, Larry - were you there?

Jim:

Obviously not. Point?

That the same complaints you have about today's tests can be made by some of
those who came before you.

Did you have to take a sending test?

No, but I could have easily passed one.

"could have" and "did" are not the same thing.

Did you have to pass all of the elements to upgrade at the same time?

No. You got me there.

Did you have to wait 2 years to even try the Extra?

No. Ditto.

See?

Challenging licensing requirements and
uncompromising testing procedures.

They've been "compromising" forever. Back before WW2 the exam was all blue
book essays. Before 1960 there was diagram drawing. The tests I took in
1967-70 were "dumbed down" compared to those because my tests were all
multiple choice.

Yeah, I know, and that's my point. However, the level of "dumbing-down"
that has occurred just in the last few years is way out of porportion to that
which took place from the beginning of FCC testing and the time you and I
became licensed.

Those who had to do essays and draw diagrams might disagree.

Of course, all that is waaaaay too
PoliticKally IncorrecKt today, since someone with a particular ethnic
origin, skin color, religion, "gender," or a hangnail might not be able
to pass the first time or two. This certainly won't do in these
enlightened times.

None of that had anything to do with the license test changes.

Oh, really? Prove it.

Just look at the records and the old regs. Nothing in there about ethnicity,
skin color, religion or gender. I dunno about hangnails.

Incentive Licensing came about in LBJ's time

Dick Bash did his stuff (and got away with it) when Nixon and Ford were in
office

The change to the VE system happened under Reagan

We got medical waivers because a "king" wanted a favor from George Bush 1.

We also got a nocodeham license because of GB 1.

Etc.

Damn those Republicans! OBTW -- who was President when the
"Restructuring" took place?

That would be Slick Willy Clinton.

After all, it might "exclude" someone who is, in
reality, a nascent technical genius who just needs the ability to talk
on the HF phone bands in order to find the inspiration to create the
next fabulous new invention which will revolutionize electronic
communication for the rest of all time!

Or something like that.

Don't hold yer breath waiting for it, tho.

Trust me, I'm not.

Me neither.

So, have you commented on each of the 7 petitions now before FCC?

73 de Jim, N2EY

ospam (Larry Roll K3LT) wrote in message ...
In article ,
(N2EY) writes:

Heck yes. In fact it went something like this:

First, ya had to have a General or Advanced for at least two years
before they'd even let ya try the Extra.

Then ya had to pass the receive test with at least 100 correct
consecutive legible characters. No going back and fixing things after
the code stopped, either, after the last dit it was PENCILS DOWN or ya
flunked right there.

If ya passed the receive, they let ya try sending with their straight
key or *your* speed key. You sent until the examiner was satisfied.

Only then did they let you try the written. Mess up at any point -
even one character or question - and it was "go home and study some
more and don't come back for at least 30 days". No CSCE, no partial
credit, nada, do it all first try at one sitting or it doesn't count
at all.

Dinosaur? Who ME?

Naw.

73 de Jim, N2EY

Jim:

Ah, yes, the good old days. Challenging licensing requirements and
uncompromising testing procedures. Of course, all that is waaaaay too
PoliticKally IncorrecKt today, since someone with a particular ethnic
origin, skin color, religion, "gender," or a hangnail might not be able
to pass the first time or two. This certainly won't do in these
enlightened times. After all, it might "exclude" someone who is, in
reality, a nascent technical genius who just needs the ability to talk
on the HF phone bands in order to find the inspiration to create the
next fabulous new invention which will revolutionize electronic
communication for the rest of all time!

73 de Larry, K3LT

Larry, instead of complaining all of the time about others, why don't
you relate to us how you've revolutionized radio communications?

BTW, how's your WAS coming?

Saw in QST where a ham had 48 states in 1957, then completed WAS with
Hawaii and Nevada in 2003. No doubt another revolutionizing operator.

In article ,
(Brian) writes:


Larry, instead of complaining all of the time about others, why don't
you relate to us how you've revolutionized radio communications?

BTW, how's your WAS coming?

Saw in QST where a ham had 48 states in 1957, then completed WAS with
Hawaii and Nevada in 2003. No doubt another revolutionizing operator.

Brian:

I *have* worked all 50 states; however, I've never received a QSL card from
North Dakota. BTW, I worked all 50 mainly from the mobile HF station I
had in my '78 Plymouth Horizon while stationed at Andrews AFB, MD. And,
in case you're wondering, it was mainly CW, with some SSB contacts.
BTW2: It was done between Sept. 1981 and Feb. 1983, so it took me a
whole 18 months. Sorry to disappoint you.

73 de Larry, K3LT