CW
So, what's the deal with me & CW? Simple answer; I don't know. I started in Amateur Radio when the Novice License was available as the entry path to licensing. In the process of getting my Novice License(1957), and subsequently operating as a Novice, I began to enjoy operating CW. By January of 1958 I was able to pass the General Class exam at 13 WPM. I continued to operate using both CW & AM and by January of 1963 I was able to pass the Extra Class exam at 20 WPM. After that I continued to improve my CW skills until I was consistently able to operate at slightly above 40 WPM where I remain. I operate very little SSB except on 6 meters where that is the predominant mode. However, when it comes time to work the DX on 6, such as in the recent opening to JA, CW once again comes to the front as the mode of choice. If I were not a CW operator, I would not have worked the two JA's that I worked. The bottom line is that when the chips are down, CW is more effective than voice.
If you are interested in becoming a better CW operator, here, at least from my perspective, are a few ideas that will make you a good CW Op.
1) Practice, practice, practice. You will never become a better athlete by sitting on the sideline during practice, and you will never become a good CW op if you don't actively pursue it.
2) Strive to copy in your head, not on paper. For more years than I can remember I have written nothing except names, reports, times, etc. In fact, I can't copy 42 or 43 WPM on paper, but I can copy it in my head.
3) Wear headphones. This greatly improves the ability to concentrate on what you want to copy, and shuts out distracting sounds & noises from the outside world.
4) And now, this is the MOST IMPORTANT part of this discussion. You MUST, repeat, MUST, MUST, MUST, come to the point where you do not hear dots & dashes. You should hear letters coming out of the headphones, not dots & dashes. What you hear should register in your mind the same way as words in a voice conversation. How do you get to this point? Go back and read #1 above.
Finally, a little personal history. I was inspired by a next door neighbor, Guy Edwards, W5TVE(SK). Guy was an old navy operator. He copied code on a typewriter (called a mill in the Navy). Guy could copy code, talk to me, and smoke a cigarette all at the same time. He knew when the transmission was over, but didn't know what was on the paper. He had to read it afterwards. Using Guy as my example, I put a receiver and a pair of headphones (also called cans) by my bed. I would then lay down, with the cans on and tune the receiver until I could find a station that was a struggle to copy in my head. I would listen to that station until I could copy it solidly, and then tune around until I found one that was a problem for me to copy, and the process was repeated over and over. The code became a part of me and still is. Go, practice, enjoy.