[CW] High speed sending...

[George, W5YR]

Folks, it just doesn't matter, now, does it? 

Each person has his own style of keying based upon his key, his keyer if
any, his experience, his goals, etc.

Detailed analyses of two "opposing" schools of thought on paddles is
pointless unless that is your interest in CW. If so, more power to you, but
don't end up like the centipede who found that he could no longer walk once
he stopped to think about how he did it . . .

If your CW sending is at the stage where you are consciously having to
think about what to do with your hands and fingers to send each character
of each word, then you have a long way to go. The worst thing that I can
imagine is to learn sending by defining a specific set of hand/finger
motions for each character. They just aren't that different. It sounds
almost like you would do better on a keyboard where there is a single
specific hand/finger motion for each character. 

But, I surely don't find any keyer that I have ever used to require
learning specific motions for each character and having to think about that
while sending.

And, by the way, let's all agree that a double-paddle keyer does NOT
require iambic or squeeze keying. I use a double-key paddle and never
consciously think about which paddle to press first, how long to hold it,
when to release, and all that. Perhaps some do, and derive great pleasure
and beautiful efficient code in the process. But it is not necessary. Most
of the discussion I have seen here seems to imply that a double-paddle key
must be used iambically - not so!

Another point that I do not understand is the insistance that dot and dash
memories add latency such that one is not hearing in real time what is
being sent . . . I have watched my keying (sidetone and r-f output
envelope) by the hour on a scope and cannot observe any discernible lag
between pressing a key and hearing the sidetone. Perhaps there is a keyer
or rig problem that is involved there?

Sending must be natural - a matter of muscle memory and a well-learned and
developed groove between your brain and your hand and finger muscles. You
think "the" and the word comes out without conscious thought because you
are busy thinking of the next word or sentence or even the next topic that
you want to cover. That is what makes good CW so demanding: multi-tasking
between the semi-automatic task of forming the characters of each word
while simultaneously lining up the next word, sentence, etc. and figuring
out how to spell each one when its time comes. Really a remarkable
achievement for anyone who can carry on a QSO at 25-35 wpm . . .

Concentrating on exact finger motion sequences for each character is the
best way I know to hold down your sending speed.

If you really want to make the conversation interesting, lets toss in the
differences and pros and cons between Mode A and Mode B keyers as used with
double- and single-paddle keys!   <:}

73/72/oo, George W5YR - the Yellow Rose of Texas         
Fairview, TX 30 mi NE of Dallas in Collin county EM13qe   
Amateur Radio W5YR, in the 56th year and it just keeps getting better!
QRP-L 1373 NETXQRP 6 SOC 262 COG 8 FPQRP 404 TEN-X 11771 I-LINK 11735
Icom IC-756PRO #02121  Kachina 505 DSP  #91900556  Icom IC-765 #02437


Mike Hyder -N4NT- wrote:
> 
> Letter Iambic keyer motions                              Single lever
> motions
> 
> A  dot, dash, release dot release dash (4)       dot, dash, release dash (3)
> C  dash, dot release dash release dot (4)        dash, dot, dash, dot,
> release (5)
> K  dash, dot, release dot, release dash (4)       dash, dot, dash, release
> (4)
> N  dash, dot, release dash release dot (4)       dash, dot, release (3)
> R  dot, dash, release dash, release dot (4)      dot, dash, dot, release (4)
> AR dot, dash, release dash release dot (4)     dot, dash, dot, dash, dot,
> release (6)
> 
> If you go through the alphabet with this analysis, you'll see that total
> movements are fewer with the single-lever because pushing it one way clears
> the opposite contact.
> 
> If the characters a, c, k, n, r, and + (/ar) are all the identical motions
> iambicly (and I'll concede they probably are), then it is no wonder my brain
> gets confused.  Each letter ought to be a discrete set of motions, shouldn't
> it?  I'd not only have to remember those identical motions, but I'd also
> have to be very precise in my timing and I wouldn't have a sidetone to help
> me because my motions are required to be ahead of the sidetone -- that's
> sending blind???
> 
> No, I do not see that the iambic keyer is doing a lot of the work for us.
> 
> About sending periods. . .  People who do that are one of my pet peeves.
> Most of the folks I talk with just pause a second if they want to pause.
> They send neither a period nor a BT.  But if they need to say "uh" then they
> might send BT.