Learn Morse code: Koch method trainer

Why the Koch method works

Most people who learn Morse from a chart of dots and dashes end up counting elements in their head, and hit a wall at around 10 words per minute. The Koch method, devised by the German psychologist Ludwig Koch in the 1930s, avoids that by sending every character at full speed from the first lesson, so you learn each one as a single sound pattern. You start with two characters. Once you can copy a session with 90% accuracy, you add one more, until you know all 40.

Farnsworth spacing

Character speed is how fast each letter is sent. Overall speed includes the gaps. With Farnsworth timing, letters are sent at 18 to 25 WPM but with longer gaps between them, giving you time to recognise each one while still hearing its true rhythm. As you improve, close the gap by raising the overall speed until it matches the character speed. The timing follows the ARRL's Farnsworth formula, using the standard PARIS word.

How to practise

• Little and often. Two 15-minute sessions a day work far better than an hour at the weekend.
• Don't look at the chart while copying. Learn the sound, not the picture.
• Don't stop when you miss one. Leave a gap and catch the next character, as you would on the air.
• Practise callsigns once you know all the letters and numbers. They're the hardest part of a real contact.

When you're ready to try real signals, the Morse code translator can decode CW through your microphone to check your copy, and the beacon tracker tells you when the NCDXF beacons send their callsigns.

Questions