Are you ready to jump in? What’s the first thing you need to do to become proficient at Morse code?

Well, the first thing is attitude. We discussed that in Part One. You must have the right attitude. You must develop the passion to learn.

Did you see the movie Patton with George C. Scott? It came out in 1971. My dad loved that movie. He was a medic in WW II serving in General Bradley’s army alongside Patton’s men.

There’s a part of the opening speech in the Patton movie that fits right about now. It’s a little graphic, but it answers the question you may have about not knowing what to do when it comes to learning Morse code and making your first QSO.

As an adult you’re ego gets in the way. You don’t want to look bad in front of others. Small children don’t have egos. That’s why they jump into new things.

As an adult you erase fear and minimize ego barriers by knowing what to do when. The reason the young soldiers General Patton was talking to were nervous is because they had yet to experience what they were up against.

You feel that same fear about your first QSO. I know – I did too!

I recommend you listen to the entire speech, as it will help you hone your attitude about learning Morse code. But the part I want you to listen to starts at 2:43 into the video below.

I’ll apologize in advance, as the language and descriptions in the video are graphic. When George C. Scott says, ” … you’ll know what to do.”, you can stop the video.

What does this have to do with Morse code? You making your first QSO?

Everything.

If you STOP NOW and LEARN the letters, numbers and some of the punctuation, THEN you’ll KNOW WHAT TO DO.

I know this seems very basic, but a few people just want to jump in and get going. They want to get on the air. If this is you, slow down.

Let’s go to Part Three now. I’m going to show you how to learn the entire alphabet in just two weeks.

Did this blog post help you?

I invest time writing and taping videos to help other hams like you save time and lower their blood pressure. Frequently equipment manuals are lacking key details that cause frustration. I’m trying to fill in those gaps when I can.

If this post saved you some frustration, I’d appreciate it if you’d consider making a simple donation – even just a buck – using the PayPal button below. The more donations I receive, the more time I can devote to helping you.

Thanks in advance.