[Elecraft] start with straight key or paddles?

[Tom Arntzen]

Hi John!
In 1989 we started listening to tapes with speed from 8-15wpm.
After that programs was available for pc.
For me it didn't matter what I was using.
When I went to bed I used tapes while falling asleep to have the rythm in 
the ear.
Copying cw is like training for a marathon.
Your brain has to be used to perform over time to pass a cw test.
As other gentlemen here has stated , copy cw is the most important thing.
As for methods , some like to adjust slowly up in speed , while others like 
to copy just above testspeed starting with
more space between the letters and slowly compress the spaces until normal 
is reached.
Me to would advise to buy a straight key before advancing to paddle.
I started with straight key and sended with my writing fist then went to a 
paddle , that went good.
But.... there is a but , I converted to send with my left fist so I could 
have my writing fist ready with the pen.
This gave me more smooth operation , so today I paddle with my left fist and 
straight keying with my right fist.
My left fist would never give good code with straight key because it tired 
out and sounded like jamming after short while.

If you have a good friend that can code a book for you into a mp3 player 
that would give you some satisfaction trying to decode it.
Also 5 by 5 letter code would be good to have.

Good luck John.
73 de LA1PHA

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <jferg977 at aol.com>
To: <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2005 9:55 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] start with straight key or paddles?


> Comrades,
> I'm working on my code to get my licenses soon.  I will want to do CW with 
> the k2 I will buy and build on board our trawler.  1st mate and CFO 
> watches expenses like a hawk and will catch me if I (gasp) buy two things 
> which appear to do same thing. You can't hide much from her on the 36 boat 
> we live on. I intend to get the $80 MFJ code reader because some of you 
> have convinced me that it is a good detector of unreadable output.  I'm 
> hoping to get my speed and accuracy up by sending to the MFJ.
>
> If I ultimately intend to use paddles as most of you appear to be doing, 
> why is it a bad idea simply to start with a set?  I can understand that 
> what I'm really wanting to do is to train my "fist" and ears, but it looks 
> like paddles involve somewhat different monkey motions and maybe it would 
> make more sense just to buy a set and get on with it.
>
> comments?
>
> regards,  John Ferguson - M/V Arcadian (now in Norfolk,VA waiting for wave 
> amplitude reduction in Chesapeake Bay before continuing northward)
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
>
>