LICW Partnership
Lessons:
- BC1 (Beginners Carousel 1)
- BC2 (Beginners Carousel 2)
- BPT (Beginners Proficiency Training)
- Intermediate
- Kids
Introduction:
Welcome to the Long Island CW Club (LICW) section of Morse Code Ninja. Our club was founded in 2018 and has become a premier CW training organization. We have over 3,100 members from all 50 US states and 47 countries. We hold over 80 classes weekly on Zoom. Class size averages 15-30 students, which promotes an optimal learning environment where individualized instruction is received, and friendships are made.
Our club mantra is preparing students to get on the air. Our curricula, reflecting that goal is a unique blend of vintage training methods further modernized with techniques and exercises based on our collective teaching experience.
Our Beginners Carousel Curriculum is based on extensive research and study of historical documents written by leading 20th century scholars of Morse Code, such as Biegel, Jost, Koch, Lipmann, Seashore, Spragg, and Taylor. We have incorporated the Koch Method of character introduction ensuring our students learn CW as total acoustic patterns and not by visual reference to a chart. We have come to realize the references to Koch today are in many cases misquoted and misinterpreted and we have done our best to interpret Koch correctly.
Our students learn CW using a unique character sequence developed based on the frequency characters are used in the QSO protocol. This unique methodology allows us to tightly integrate QSO language and protocol into the curriculum. Our students learn how to communicate with CW as they learn the code. We teach the code at 12 words per minute, a radical departure from popular training methods, but a speed actually recommended by Koch and found optimum for making first contacts on the air.
Learning the CW characters is fundamentally different than learning to increase CW proficiency. We developed a suite of advanced techniques and exercises designed to increase CW proficiency and embedded them in every lesson. We call the compilation of our club’s best and most effective practices "The LICW Method." It includes advanced techniques such as Head Copy, Head Sending, Adverse Copy, Variable Speed Training, Morse Ninja practice sets developed specifically for our curriculum, Instant Character Recognition, Instant Word Recognition, and Progressive Word Building. Combined, these are an effective method of increasing copy speed and breaking through plateaus. We also have our own CW trainer. It is web-based and has our curriculum and the advanced exercises embedded for ease of practice.
LICW is much more than a place to learn the code. It is a community of like-minded hams with a culture of kindness and respect. Our weekly forums and presentations with visiting speakers are a place to broaden your education and have fun. Daily we have forums on topics ranging from SOTA-POTA, QRP, boat anchors (vintage gear), Dxpeditions, antennas, satellites, Internet CW, all aspects of bugs-keys-paddles, kit building, electronic theory and topics on radio and related technology. Besides Zoom, our club is active locally with frequent portable outings and luncheons.
If you would like to become a member, please go to our Membership page and click on the ‘Apply for Membership’ button. We hope to see you in our classes and forums.
Beginners Carousel 1:
In the Beginners Carousel 1, lessons are taught in a continuous loop. It is not necessary to wait before starting the carousel. Start at the current LICW lesson being taught and continue with Carousel 1 until you reach your starting lesson. Then move to Carousel 2.
The following practice set is only part of the suggested curriculum. Below is Speed-Racing practice at 18, 16, 14, and 12wpm.
If you would prefer to have audio files to listen to on your device, you may download the licw-beginners-carousel1.zip file. The ZIP file contains MP4/M4A files encoded with AAC. These files will playback on current operating systems and handheld devices. But Android users may need to download a compatible player from the App store. There are several free players available for Android devices. To be most useful, your player should save your spot and allow you to continue when you come back to it.
| Lesson 1 | R E A | Single |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| R E A U W B H O F | Single | |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| Lesson 2 | T I N | Single |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| T I N R E A U W B | Single | |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| Lesson 3 | P S G | Single |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| P S G T I N R E A | Single | |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| Lesson 4 | L C D | Single |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| L C D P S G T I N | Single | |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| Lesson 5 | H O F | Single |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| H O F L C D P S G | Single | |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| Lesson 6 | U W B | Single |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| U W B H O F L C D | Single | |
| Dual | ||
| Triple |
Beginners Carousel 2:
The following practice set is only part of the suggested curriculum. Each file includes the three new characters plus the 18 from BC1. Below is Speed-Racing practice at 18, 16, 14, and 12wpm.
In the Beginners Carousel 2, lessons are taught in a continuous loop. It is not necessary to wait before starting the carousel. Start at the current LICW lesson being taught and continue with Carousel 2 until you reach your starting lesson. Then move to the Intermediate class.
The following practice set is only part of the suggested curriculum. Below is Speed-Racing practice at 18, 16, 14, and 12wpm.
If you would prefer to have audio files to listen to on your device, you may download the licw-beginners-carousel2.zip file. The ZIP file contains MP4/M4A files encoded with AAC. These files will playback on current operating systems and handheld devices. But Android users may need to download a compatible player from the App store. There are several free players available for Android devices. To be most useful, your player should save your spot and allow you to continue when you come back to it.
| Lesson 1 | K M Y | Single |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| Lesson 2 | 5 9 Comma | Single |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| Lesson 3 | Q X Y | Single |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| Lesson 4 | 7 3 ? | Single |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| Lesson 5 | <AR> <SK> <BT> | Single |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| Lesson 6 | 1 6 Period | Single |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| Lesson 7 | Z J Slash | Single |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| Lesson 8 | 2 8 <BK> | Single |
| Dual | ||
| Triple | ||
| Lesson 9 | 4 0 | Single |
| Dual | ||
| Triple |
BPT (Beginners Proficiency Training):
The purpose of the Beginner's Proficiency Training lessons is to improve the student's ability to copy longer groups, words, and phrases at a straight 12 wpm.
If you would prefer to have audio files to listen to on your device, you may download the licw-beginners-proficiency-training.zip file. The ZIP file contains MP4/M4A files encoded with AAC. These files will playback on current operating systems and handheld devices. But Android users may need to download a compatible player from the App store. There are several free players available for Android devices. To be most useful, your player should save your spot and allow you to continue when you come back to it.
| Review of Letters and Numbers | Single |
| Dual | |
| Triple | |
Intermediate:
Intermediate students in the 12 to 16 and 16 to 20 classes should use the Morse Code Ninja speed racing practice at 15 wpm or above depending on their proficiency. If you would prefer to listen on your device, you may download the files or listen to them using an audio podcast. Otherwise select the speed and type below to jump to the selected YouTube video.
Kids Class:
| Class #1 | Standard | 20 22 25 28 30 wpm |
| Speed-Racing | 20 22 25 wpm | |
| Class #2 | Standard | 20 22 25 28 30 wpm |
| Speed-Racing | 20 22 25 wpm | |
| Class #3 | Standard | 20 22 25 28 30 wpm |
| Speed-Racing | 20 22 25 wpm | |
| Class #4 | Standard | 20 22 25 28 30 wpm |
| Speed-Racing | 20 22 25 wpm | |
| Class #5 | Standard | 20 22 25 28 30 wpm |
| Speed-Racing | 20 22 25 wpm | |
| Class #6 | Standard | 20 22 25 28 30 wpm |
| Speed-Racing | 20 22 25 wpm | |
| Class #7 | Standard | 20 22 25 28 30 wpm |
| Speed-Racing | 20 22 25 wpm | |
| Class #8 | Standard | 20 22 25 28 30 wpm |
| Speed-Racing | 20 22 25 wpm | |
| Class #9 | Standard | 20 22 25 28 30 wpm |
| Speed-Racing | 20 22 25 wpm | |
| Class #10 | Standard | 20 22 25 28 30 wpm |
| Speed-Racing | 20 22 25 wpm |