CW Military Training
Walter Scott
Is anyone familiar with these training programs?
How long do they take for X words/min proficiency?
What methods do they use for code instruction?
How many hours a day, etc.?
There might be some information here that would help us learn code.
Obviously, no classified information.
Thanks,
-Scott
Karl Oyster
>
> The U.S. Army, Navy, etc. have code schools for teaching Morse code.
>
> Is anyone familiar with these training programs?
> How long do they take for X words/min proficiency?
>
I learned CW in the Navy in 1971 at Pensacola, Fl. We went from
no code whatever to 35wpm with random blocks of letters and
40 wpm random blocks of numbers in about four and one-half months,
working from 7:00 am to noon and 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm five days
per week, and then two hours of mandatory "night school" each
evening and on Saturday.
While I was there they introduced a computer-focused learning
system to teach the code. It increased the speed at which
people learned the code, but when those people were then
exposed to recorded tapes of real people sending code, they
had a great deal of difficulty in copying. Seems the perfect
code with no static or other noise, as sent by the computer,
was a little different than trying to copy the real McCoy!
To my knowledge, that school ones like it for the Army and
Air Force still exist. The Navy has not taught radiomen CW
for about ten years or so now, and I don't know of other
schools which teach sending CW in the military. You can figure
that one out for yourself.
In regard to the gent who was a Keesler AFB and the "ditty-bops"
left before "passing local water," I would suggest that this was
pretty unusual. In the front of the room where I heard my first
"official" CW (sent by a crusty old Warrant Officer, with a
hand-key at about 5 WPM, with everybody yelling out, "ALFA!")
there was a sign about six feet wide and a foot high with bright,
red letters. It stated, in usual Navy brevity: YOU FAIL, YOU SAIL.
Word was that if you flunked out (and about 40% did, by the way),
you were issued a paint chipping hammer on the way out the gate.
To graduate from the school you had to copy CW pretty well. They
sent a block of fifty five-leter (or five-number) groups. They
substacted two points for each incorrectly copied letter/number,
and one point for each missed character (represented by a period
on the your paper in the correct spot). Passing was 85 "percent"
but if you incorrectly copied eight letters/numbers out of 250,
you failed. That works out to a passing score of more than
97%, if my math is right (which is anything but a "sure" thing!).
When we left school and went to our first duty station, the
first thing we were taught to do was "really learn how to copy
CW accurately and at some reasonable speed." In my case that
meant about 45-50 WPM on HF circuits with no errors. Never quite
got to the point I could copy with no errors, but I could stand
for the CT program to work at above 50 WPM in the contests!!
Long, drawn out response, but it brought back a lot of memories
for me, too!!
Karl, NQ1W
Rick H. Kennerly
Well, I was in the Army Security Agency (worked those "secret overseas
listiening posts" Jack Andersen is always writing about).
We had a 10 week basic morse code school at Ft. Devens, MA, and had a
particular code speed you had to make every week. If you missed your
speed twice in a row, they called you out of Friday afternoon formation
and sent you down the road to the infatry batallion. I had no problem
cranking out 30 wpm, but I think the required was about 24 to graduate.
Didn't keep me out of Viet Nam, but it did keep me out of the bush.
Rick - NH2F
Ron Miller
: The U.S. Army, Navy, etc. have code schools for teaching Morse code.
: Is anyone familiar with these training programs?
: How long do they take for X words/min proficiency?
: What methods do they use for code instruction?
: How many hours a day, etc.?
: There might be some information here that would help us learn code.
: Obviously, no classified information.
: Thanks,
: -Scott
I was a nuclear submariner from 1979-1983. The RMs onboard who'd been
to code school graduated at 5wpm which they promptly forgot.
The only people who could do code were myself and a QMCS - both of
us were hams. (We discovered this fact one day during drills when
I called CQ with the mic button on the sound-powered phones.)
Occasionally we'd get 'rider's who were intel specialists who listened
to the other sides' comms. They could do code too.
15 years later, I'll bet code school class sizes are pretty small.
Ron Miller
NW0U
bo...@delphi.com
radio operator. From nothing to 20 to 25 wpm in just over 3 weeks, if my
memory serves me right. 6 to 7 hours a day, 5 days a week. The idea that
if you weren't real motivated, you'd end up inthe Nam was a bit of a joke...
if you were real motivated, did real good, you might go to Fort Gordon, GA
for 05C school/radioteletype operator.
I was one of the real motivated ones, so I got to go to Fort Gordon, where
before I even saw a rtty shack, I was copying more code on a 'mill'. After
succeeding at that, and the rest of 05C school, what did I get?
A PRC25, and later a PRC77 radio on my back, an M14 rifle and a chance to
talk long walks in the hot sun, accompanied by some of the finest men
America was willing to sacrifice, in a place called the Iron Triangle.
Thanks (?) for the memories?
Gary Coffman
Well, look at it this way, Bob, at least they let you carry a real
rifle instead of the Mattel toy. So maybe radio school was worth
something after all. Or maybe they figured that if you were dumb
enough to carry that heavy pig of a radio they could saddle you with
a heavy rifle too. Take your pick.
Gary
--
Gary Coffman KE4ZV | You make it, | gatech!wa4mei!ke4zv!gary
Destructive Testing Systems | we break it. | emory!kd4nc!ke4zv!gary
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Lawrenceville, GA 30244 | |
Eugene Kang
>The only people who could do code were myself and a QMCS - both of
>us were hams. (We discovered this fact one day during drills when
>I called CQ with the mic button on the sound-powered phones.)
um, what's a sound-powered phone?
Tony Angerame - Sun SE
who also had a bad leg. He used a cane and would beat the cane on his desk to the rythym of "frf juj" ( the basic
typing exercise). Anyone at Keesler during that time who remembers Mr. Macy??
Tony WA6LZH
Ron Miller
It's the headset and chest microphone you see in so many of the films
from WWII when they show the Navy at work repelling kamikaze attacks.
The system is basically passive and extremely reliable for internal ship comms.
(which is why it is still in use today)
Basically I was using background noise as the carrier which I modulated
with my mic button.
Ron
Bob Morrow
(personal comments deleted.)
--
Bob Morrow N7PTM
USAF Tops In Blue http://www.msn.fullfeed.com/bobm/tib.htm
Karl Beckman
Scott) wrote:
> The U.S. Army, Navy, etc. have code schools for teaching Morse code.
>
> Is anyone familiar with these training programs?
> How long do they take for X words/min proficiency?
> What methods do they use for code instruction?
> How many hours a day, etc.?
>
> There might be some information here that would help us learn code.
>
> Obviously, no classified information.
>
> Thanks,
>
> -Scott
With DoD completely abandoning Morse Code and, further, banning its use on
military comm circuits October 1, 1996, I doubt that any classes have
existed for the last few years. That's not to say that there aren't a few
OT RMCSs in the Navy who do still use Morse, albeit without official
approval.
--
Karl Beckman, P.E. < If our English language is so >
Motorola RNSG Pvt Data < precise, why do you drive on the >
Schaumburg, IL / Parma, OH < parkway and park on the driveway? >
** Opinions expressed here do not represent the views of Motorola Inc. **
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Amateur radio WA8NVW NavyMARS NNN0VBH @ NOGBN.NOASI
Larry Carr
selected for radio training when I enlisted in 1960. Attended 051 (later
changed to 05B) tng at Ft. Jackson, SC in 1961. Seems like requirement
was to pass 15 WPM to graduate. I managed 20wpm in time alloted for cw
tng. I was assigned to Korea near the DMZ and immediately given an
AN/PRC-25, a rifle, and followed a Major around the Korean country side
for two weeks. I was in the Army 20+ years as a radio operator and
later a Comm Chief. When I retired here at Ft. Gordon I got a job as an
instructor at the Sig School. It was a sad day when we finally phased
out cw training a few years ago. The MOS is still around as 31C Radio
Operator/Maintainer, but no code and no RadioTeletype.
73 de AA4DU
Stephen Baker
1950's (WN1BOT). It took me forever to get to copy 5wpm for that novice
ticket, when I got to 05bravo training I hadn't copied cw in 10 years and
in 2 weeks of 5 character random code groups for 6 hours a day, 5 days a
week I was copying 25+ wpm. I NEVER got the Sky King award (for saying
"over" and "out" together), all that authentication training and those
military HF rigs ! I'd LOVE to do that again (except for those jerks
yelling in your face). I too got sent to Ft. Gordon GA for 05Charlie
training (RTTY and crypto) but ended up doing 31Mike, multiplexed UHF
radio relay and carrier in Ft. Hood. I wish I could getmy hands on
one of those portable towers, a generator trailer and a mobile shack
on the back of a deuce-and-a-half for Field Day. I also wouldn't mind
having hot meals choppered in on a huey like back then, though we used
to prefer C ration "s'mores" melted on the generator exhaust manifolds to
the mess hall desserts.
Good memories.
--
Stephen P. Baker phone: (508) 856-2625
Lecturer in Biostatistics (508) 856-3131 fax
Department of Academic Computing (413) 253-3923 home
University of Massachusetts Medical School e-mail: stephe...@ummed.edu
55 Lake Avenue North -.- -.. .---- .--. ..-.
Worcester, MA 01655 www: http://stats.ummed.edu/
GAT/MA(CS)d+/-p-c++lu++e++m--(++)sn+h---fg+w+t+r-y+(*)
Mark Monninger
...
>I had been guaranteed an electronics school, since I aced the
>preliminary test at the recruiting office, twice (they thought I might
>have cheated the first time),...
I remember those tests. I took one for the Air Force in 1966 or 67...the AFQT,
I think. They had some real interesting questions on the one I took...like
showing a drawing of a screwdriver and asking which end is the handle
(honest!). And which tool would you NOT use to change a tire: A. Jack, B. tire
iron, C. Cutting torch. I aced mine too (some of the guys sweating it out
never did finish it). I think I selected jet engine maintenance but then I
failed the physical and was classified 4F. Oh well...
From what I hear, they selected people with an aptitude, like Doug said. Then
they put you in a class and gave you an incentive...learn the code or end up
carrying an M16 and slogging through the mud with people shooting at you. It
was pretty much hammered into you.
Mark AA7TA
Dave Ennes
Guard had there last CW transmission this year.
N7DTD
S. Sampson
>In article <R7BF7E...@delphi.com> bo...@delphi.com writes:
>>I was one of the real motivated ones, so I got to go to Fort Gordon, where
>>before I even saw a rtty shack, I was copying more code on a 'mill'. After
>>succeeding at that, and the rest of 05C school, what did I get?
>>
>>A PRC25, and later a PRC77 radio on my back, an M14 rifle and a chance to
>>talk long walks in the hot sun, accompanied by some of the finest men
>>America was willing to sacrifice, in a place called the Iron Triangle.
>Well, look at it this way, Bob, at least they let you carry a real
>rifle instead of the Mattel toy. So maybe radio school was worth
>something after all. Or maybe they figured that if you were dumb
>enough to carry that heavy pig of a radio they could saddle you with
>a heavy rifle too. Take your pick.
I had an Air Force room mate at Kingsley Field who came back from a one
year all expense tour to Asia. He was a "switchboard operator." Yea, they
plugged and routed calls. When he got to Saigon they assigned him to an
Army unit as a radioman. I asked him what kind of training he got, and he
just looked at me funny. I guess you just squeeze the pickle and talk :-)
I have a good friend who joined the Navy so he wouldn't get drafted into
the Army. He figured he'd get a big ship and spend his 4 years at sea. You
guessed it, he was assigned to the Mekong Delta as a UH-1 door gunner.
He was lucky. He lasted 6 months before getting hit in the butt. It was a
lot of hospitals and therapy, but he did get back the use of his legs.
But it is ironic how you plan real hard to avoid something, only to get
that something anyway, but even worse!
---
Not that this has anything to do with CW...