Why is there so much just plain bad sending on the bands? A lot seems to be from badly set up bug keys. I had a call from what I thought was a W8 the other day, turned out to be an EW8 with such short dots the first one was inaudible! This morning I simply gave up on a reply to my CQ on 20M. There was just no proper spacing of the characters. Later I worked an ex-merchant navy R/O on 40M. What a pleasure! Proper sending.

I like to think I'm reasonably competent on the key, or maybe I'm not after all.

Been using the key for over 20 years.

Rob.

I knocked morse on the head in 2001 because of to many people sending rubbish.

Whilst there is no doubt that the standard of CW one often hears is pretty abysmal, I for one would rather work someone with bad morse than have nobody to work at all in that mode!

73

David G4NRT

I tend to see others bad sending as a bit of a challenge for me to copy,stuff sent on a bug key or even a straight key can at times be excruciatingly bad from some operators,other times its just about within what the cw filter in my head can cope with.

However just like drivers,most cw ops think they are great at what they do, so I just do my best to copy what I can,and if I cant copy it I just give up and spin the VFO !

And before anyone asks...yes I have been known to do it mid QSO

I've always looked on Morse as a skill to be proud of. It doesn't matter how good you are, you can always put a bit more polish on it.

Yes, maybe I should look upon some of the odd sending as a challenge. Try to be positive!

Anyway, seems I'm not the only one to grumble.

Last person I worked with really didgy sending trined out to be 98 yeras old

Bit like my typing thought he was doing rather well tbh


not all dodgy sending is down to bad habits and badly adjusted bugs etc anyone here ever work G5UM on cw
it took some listening to but after a while it was quite musical but he was long in the tooth and still very keen on 2mtrs

I remember working Jack on 144Mhz with his distinctive cw.

Its not very often that I have to give up but some of it I really have to concentrate on,especially if its sent on a bug or straight key where the ratio/length of dots and dashes can vary considerably especially when its got no percievable rhythm to it.

Anyway to answer the original poster NO you are not alone,and I also agree with you that CW is a skill to be proud of,Im still trying to master it to the point where its effortless,maybe one day I will get there.

Some days it feels like me and my key are one,and other days I cant seem to string a QSO together

I cant imagine ever knocking morse on the head its the best mode for cracking pile ups and working DX by miles in my opinion.

I'll be pleased if I'm still breathing at 98, let alone using Morse code!

Have to admit the bands are full of crap . I used to speak to a French station who used a bug , nice bloke but it was hard work as his dots were far too fast for the speed at which he was sending the dashes BUT I always managed to sus out what he was saying albeit hard work .

I think there's a world of difference between simple bad sending and little "quirks" people may have , hanging on a dah on the N when sending KN for example is one I heard a lot of . It can be very frustrating when you get reply after reply of utter shit thrown at you after calling CQ though .

As a newbie CW operator , i am dismayed by some of the comments posted in this thread. The original post stated that it was pleasure to work an ex R/O. well of course it would be as he/she was a professional radio operator, and in that lies the key to all this, we are, after all, AMATEUR radio operators.
GØUOO mentions that he has 20 years on the key, i wonder if his sending was space perfect when starting out on CW ?.
I can manage around 15wpm copying and yes i have made a lot of mistakes sending, but a major problem i find is that even on a QRS frequency someone will come back to me at 20/25 wpm and i don't stand a chance !
The OP you are listening to may be sending poor CW, but it could be their first attempt at a CW qso, how would you know ?. So please do not spin the dial halfway through a QSO !!
So my plea to to you is a little less knocking and a bit more understanding, the person sending the bad morse, may well become a polished operator given time and encouragement
My instructor is an ex Chief Merchant Navy R/O, and is a model of patience and understanding, something that is sadly lacking in some of these posts, and indeed on the bands.

73
Neil

Well said Neil! As I mentioned, I am more than anything anxious to keep CW on the bands ....

73 de David G4NRT

Just to make it clear,I spin the VFO if I cant understand a single word thats being sent.

In my opinion if you are new or not makes no difference to reasonable morse being sent.It does not have to be 25wpm it can be 5 wpm as long as it can be understood its fine,most ops can tune in even if the spacing or rhythm is a bit suspect.

If you are a newbie just call, and most ops will get it if your morse is anywhere near reasonable.

However the truth is there are some out there who cant send intelligible CW.

Im not going to waste time and effort trying to copy the uncopiable with no hope of deciphering a thing, after all a conversation has to be a two way thing.

Its not just in morse Gentlemen.
The written English in some of the posts not just
on Junk Sale but others sites too has degraded over the years.
If they can't write in the proper English language how can we
expect them to TX in CW

nt sur wot ur gettin at abbr was used in cw lng b4 txt speke was thgt of / hw? bk

And look what that has done to the English language. Kids leaving school who can't read or write proper English. CW ops were using INTELLIGENT abbreviations long before texting was invented.
Regarding sending of proper morse: if your code cannot be read, you won't get many QSOs, and as a morse examiner, one of the factors I have always applied when assessing a candidate is 'would I like to have a QSO with this person?'. Don't forget, practice makes perfect, but please make sure it is readable before inflicting it on others - use a tape recorder to record your sending and then play it back and see how much of it you can copy.
There, I've said my twopennorth!
73 de Ken G3RFH