[CW] Positioning of any side to side key device and speed/fatigue during sending

[spud roscoe]

You got my attention Bill. Until I saw your call sign I felt you had been the radio officer in the Canadian Coast Guard Ship NARWHAL with call sign CGBP. He had a beautiful “bug fist” one could listen to and enjoy forever. I have not heard from Bill since he retired years ago and someone said he had won the lotto and taken off in a motorhome.

73
Spud VE1BC



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From: Bill Lanahan<mailto:wa2nfn at gmail.com>
Sent: August 18, 2020 5:21 PM
To: CW Reflector<mailto:cw at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [CW] Positioning of any side to side key device and speed/fatigue during sending

GM

I certainly might be wrong here but the vast majority of photos, videos, or seeing people send in person - my observation is whether straight key or not,
the key placement is pretty much at what I'd call 12:00 position, like a handshake - true?

The reason I ask is I saw a video a ways back with very young kids (old soveit bloc) sending so fast I could barely tell a dit from a dah (again I'm not a great judge)
but I noticed the paddle was at about 10:00 on the arc as if the palm was used to push it from 12:00 to 10:00. (assuming right-hand-sender)

I was wondering if this was how they could send so fast? My experiment without a device, is to place your sending arm at 12:00, then put your non-sending hand cupped over the deltoid of the sending shoulder. For ME, even at 12:00 there is a fair amount of deltoid tension. Going further toward 1:00 it goes up dramatically.
Conversely sweeping down to about 30 degrees or 10:00 (again assuming right handed)  - there is almost no tension.

>From some old martials arts days - no tension means faster muscle movement and less fatigue.

Any truth for telegraphy? I don't ever expect to be a spend demon, but would like to start out with the best habits.

Tnx, 73
wa2nfn - Bill




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