MORSE REFERENCE
Koch and Farnsworth: two different practice choices
What each method changes
Koch practice starts with a small set of characters played at the intended character speed. As recognition becomes reliable, more characters are introduced. Farnsworth timing keeps the character sounds quicker while increasing the gaps between characters and words. One controls which characters you study; the other controls how much time you have between them.
They can be used together. A learner might study only two characters with extended gaps, then add more characters and reduce the extra spacing as accuracy improves. Calling one approach universally faster ignores differences in goals and practice conditions.
Choose a trainer with the right controls
To follow a progressive character course, choose a trainer that lets you restrict its character pool and record accuracy. To use Farnsworth timing, look for separate character-speed and effective-speed controls. An ordinary WPM slider slows both marks and gaps; it does not by itself provide Farnsworth timing.
This site currently offers individual-character visual or sound questions and ordinary-speed message playback. Those are useful exercises, but they are not an automated Koch syllabus or an independently adjustable Farnsworth trainer. Use the ARRL learning resource list to locate a dedicated option when those controls matter.
Make practice measurable
For a listening exercise, record how many answers you get right without replaying the sound. Keep a separate note for characters identified only after help. Review a confused pair, then try a fresh set instead of memorizing the order of the previous questions.
Use a written chart when checking notes or learning a symbol, and practice complete sounds when receiving by ear is your goal. There is no universal five-WPM ceiling caused by looking at charts, and no method guarantees fluency on a schedule. Track your own accuracy and comfort before increasing difficulty.
Example settings for a trainer that supports them
For a Koch session, begin with two characters at a recognizable character speed, for example 20 WPM, and add another after consistently copying the small set correctly. For a Farnsworth session, a dedicated trainer might keep character speed at 20 WPM while lowering effective message speed to 10 WPM through wider gaps. Those are example choices, not universal thresholds or controls offered by this site.
The main translator’s 10 WPM setting slows both marks and gaps together. It is therefore not equivalent to 20/10 Farnsworth timing. Use this site to check ordinary rhythm and a dedicated trainer when you need independently adjustable spacing.
Choose the control your practice needs
| Method | Character sound | Spacing / progression | Available here? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koch | Use a recognizable character speed | Begin with a small set; introduce another character after reliable copying | No automatic Koch progression; use the character practice and a separate Koch trainer |
| Farnsworth | Keep individual characters relatively fast | Lengthen the gaps to reduce overall message speed | No separate character/effective-speed controls in the main tool |
| Uniform speed | Marks and gaps follow one selected WPM | All timing scales together | Main translator speed control |
Worked examples
These patterns use International Morse. Spaces separate letters; / separates words. A slash in the original text is encoded as -..-.
- ET
- Try this message
. -0.42 seconds at 20 WPM - HI
- Try this message
.... ..0.78 seconds at 20 WPM