[Elecraft] Paddles in General

[Paul Heller]

Jim Sheldon wrote:

>I learned on a bug first back in 1961, before I even got my ham license
>(Army radio operator) and when Hallicrafters came out with the HA-1 keyer, I
>bought one and didn't look back for several years.  
>
I got my license in '61 and used a straight key (surplus J-38) for a 
couple of years, and then got one of those Japanese bugs that Lafayette 
Radio sold in those days - wow, what a difference!  I got pretty good 
with it, and used the bug for several years.  Then I built a homebrew 
version of the TO keyer, and was converted instantly - never went back 
to the bug.  Now I've got a good-sized collection of paddles and keyers. 

Last year I dug the bug out of storage and decided to give it a try 
again - after all, I was OK with it in the '60s.  I almost got to the 
point where I'd be willing to go on the air with it, but after 40 years 
I've definitely lost the knack.

The other thing I did last year was set up a straight key for SKN - 
eeek.  I never was very good with a straight key, and after all these 
years of non-straight-key-use, I've lost nearly all traces of that 
particular skill. 

Thank heaven for keyers.

I used to worry that we'd all wind up sounding the same, what with the 
near-perfect code you can send with a keyer, but there are still enough 
little differences in fists even with keyers that you can recognize many 
individuals after listening for a few seconds.

/Paul
 W3PH


-- 

 /Paul Heller
  ph at his.com
  http://www.his.com