so ive had my technician for about 8 months now and i keep hearing people talk about CW and how great it is and honestly it sounds kind of cool but i have no idea how to even approach learning it. i downloaded a couple apps but they all seem different and i dont know if im doing it right or building bad habits or whatever. like do you learn the letters individually first or just dive into words? and how long does it realistically take before you can actually have a QSO? i feel like everyone who does CW has been doing it for 30 years and i dont know if its even worth trying as someone who just got into the hobby

okay so first thing, dont try to learn by counting dots and dashes. that was the old way and it will absolutely kill you later when you try to go any faster than like 5wpm. you want to learn the sounds, each letter has its own rhythm and you need to just internalize it without thinking about the pattern visually.

the method most people recommend now is Koch method, theres a free program called LCWO dot net that walks you through it pretty well. starts you with just two characters at full speed, like 20wpm, and only adds more when you can copy those at like 90% accuracy. sounds counterintuitive but it works because your brain learns the sound not the pattern. i wish someone had told me this when i started instead of letting me fumble around with flashcards for two months.

as for how long, honestly it varies a lot. some people are copying simple QSOs in 3 or 4 months if they practice every day even just 15 minutes. others take longer. dont worry about comparing yourself to anyone else.

im in basically the same boat as you, started trying to learn maybe 6 weeks ago. what helped me was just listening to a lot of CW on the bands even before i could copy it, just getting used to the sound i guess. also there's an app called Morse Mania that i use when im on the bus or whatever, its not perfect but its something.

the 30 year veteran thing is kind of intimidating but ive seen people on here say they got to 10wpm in a few months so i think its doable. still cant really copy much myself yet but the letters are starting to sound more familiar which feels like progress i think