[CW] iambic mode

Sun, 19 Jan 2003 16:20:23 -0500

Tom,

One definate advantage to dual lever paddles is the ability to shorten the
"change around time" from sending dots to sending dashes.

At high speeds (where the coordination of the fingers starts to be less than
the amount of time needed to change over from dot to dash) there is usually
a added delay to send a "following dash".

This is also the reason that the double lever bug enjoys a good reputation
at high speed.

Most high speed professional morse operators developed a great fondness for
the MODE-A type of Curtis keying.  (Curtis Electro Devices of Mountain View,
CA developed this system).

Curtis yeilded to others wanting a variation and made two "flavors" of
sending.  Mode A and Mode B.  The rights to the Curtis chip are held by
Marty Jue of MFJ Enterprises who still sells the chips.

The basic difference is that MODE-A does NOT release an extra dot when the
dot lever is not held after sending a dash. MODE-B will do this.

In MODE-A you always have to "send" a dot, either by insertation (tapping
the key) or holding the key.  It is never sent without deliberately making
the key send a dot by holding the dot lever.

Best Regards,

David J. Ring, Jr., N1EA
http://www.qsl.net/n1ea

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Pennebaker" <[email protected]>
To: "Richard Hamlin" <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2003 10:29 AM
Subject: Re: [CW] iambic mode

> Is either mode A or B clearly superior? If I am going to go back into CW
> training, I would like to do it "right" (Okay, okay, I'll relearn single
> lever bug as well...sheesh!) thanks! rich WA7KMA
>
>
> Rich, read this, then forget about iambic. Not worth the trouble.
(Opinions
> will vary I'm sure!)
>
> http://home.att.net/~jacksonharbor/modeab.pdf
>
>
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