so ive been a tech for about two years now and im finally thinking about going for my general and eventually extra, and i keep reading that learning cw is worth it even though its not required anymore. the thing is i have zero idea how to even approach it. like do people still use those cassette tape courses or whatever? i downloaded some app but it just felt like i was memorizing letters one at a time and then i read somewhere thats actually the wrong way to do it? something about learning the rhythm or sound of each character instead of counting dots and dashes. im pretty confused about what the right method even is. also how long does this realistically take before you can actually use it on the air, not just copy random practice stuff

yeah the counting dots and dashes thing is a trap, dont do it. what you want is the Koch method, basically you start with just two characters at full speed — like 20wpm — and you drill those until you can copy them reliably, then you add a third character, then a fourth and so on. the idea is your brain learns the sound as a whole unit instead of breaking it down. took me probably three months of daily practice, maybe 20-30 minutes a day, before i felt comfortable enough to actually call CQ on 40 meters. LCWO dot net is free and its pretty much the go-to for Koch training online, lot of guys use that. also just listening to QSOs on the bands helps a ton, even before you can copy everything you start picking out callsigns and common words like 73 and QTH without even thinking about it. dont rush it, thats the main thing i wish someone told me earlier

honestly the Just Learn Morse Code software was what did it for me back when i was starting out, not sure if its still being updated but it works on the Koch method like the other guy said. also there's a podcast called Morse Code Ninja that has like hours of practice material at different speeds which i found really helpful once i had the basic characters down. the jump from knowing the letters to actually copying real QSOs is the hard part nobody warns you about lol, real operators dont send perfectly and the rhythm gets weird. i'd say budget like 4-6 months before it clicks for casual on-air use, some people faster some slower