[Elecraft] Yahoo-o-o-o-o !!

Mon Apr 2 15:25:32 EDT 2007

I agree 100%, but people aren't learning code sitting at their elmer's 
knee anymore.  They are buying a three dollar key and hammering away.  I 
hear all crap all the time.  Then they try to go faster, or put a little 
swing in it.  Don't get me started.....

All of this is probably not a big deal for someone with many of hours of 
CW under their belt.  They can sort the wheat from the chaff and figure 
it out.  Often as not, I am struggling to understand them in the first 
place.  If they start running the letters together, I have to just turn 
the dial, because I can't even start to make sense of them.

I agree standard wisdom in the past was to start with a straight key, 
but if they are sitting down by themselves, with a straight key, how are 
they supposed to know how to send good code?  If they get good with a 
paddle and keyer, then they might know what it sounds like, and they 
will have a starting point from which to try to mimic the sounds with a 
straight key.  Back when whomever it was that said to start with a 
straight key, there were probably many great brass pounders out there to 
listen to.  I have heard K4UK, from FISTs, send beautiful code with a 
straight key.  Many, including myself, cannot do that.

On the few times I do use a straight key, I take my time and try to make 
it sound just like it does with the keyer.

As pointed out though, even a paddle doesn't stop them from running the 
letters together.  That really does drive me nuts.

I promise to stay off my soapbox for a while.

David Wilburn
dave.wilburn at verizon.net
K4DGW
K2 #5982

Brett gazdzinski wrote:
>  
> I never used a paddle or keyer, but have had hundreds of long QSO's 
> in the past, like 20 years ago.
> 
> Like everyone else, I think my sending sounds super....
> 
> I know what good CW sounds like, and there is a lot of very
> poor stuff on the air, last night I heard someone who
> always sent an extra dot on the letters S and H...
> 
> I have most problems coping when people do not separate the letters
> but drool them all together.
> 
> I like a straight key, never used any sort of bug or keyer, and kind
> of think that's cheating, I am not after DX nor will I be 
> entering any contests, and don't want to dazzle anyone with 
> my 95 wpm CW, I think you can do it with computers now, cant you?
> My old VIC 20 with the AIR1 card did that I think.
> (remember THEM?)
> 
> I will try cleaning my old key up, its been sitting for about 20
> years, and don't think it was ever very quality...
> 
> Brett
> N2DTS
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Tom Hammond [mailto:n0ss at earthlink.net] 
>> Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 1:25 PM
>> To: Brett gazdzinski
>> Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Yahoo-o-o-o-o !!
>>
>> Hi Brett:
>>
>>> Can anyone recommend a good basic key?
>>> I have an old radio shack brass but the contacts
>>> are shot I think, it acts a bit funky sometimes.
>> Are you looking for a STRAIGHT KEY, or a PADDLE?
>>
>> If you plan to actually WORK CW and to improve your CW proficiency, 
>> I'd not recommend that you invest too heavily in a straight key, but 
>> something in the <$20 range might work well... UNLESS you fully 
>> intend to NOT graduate up to using a keyer once you hit your limit of 
>> sending speed with straight hand-sent CW. Most folks can send decent 
>> straight-key-sent CW up to about 20-23 WPM, but then the arm/wrist 
>> goes and quality begins to suffer... as does the body... and the ears 
>> of the op on the other end.
>>
>> If you intend up eventually switch to a keyer, then decide how much 
>> you're willing to invest in a straight key... how long you plan to 
>> use it... and whether the investment is well-amortized over the 
>> length of time you'll use it.
>>
>> Paddles are available for $20 on up. I'm not certain they get 
>> terribly much BETTER with a significant increase in price... probably 
>> a bit better, however. It'll be up to you to decide what 
>> it'll be worth to you.
>>
>> Morse Express ( http://www.morsex.com/  )offers a fairly wide range 
>> of STRAIGHT KEYS/BUG/PADDLES in an even wider range of prices.
>>
>> Of course, there are always all sorts of keys/paddles available on 
>> the EHAM.COM FOR SALE site and in EBAY.
>>
>> Regarding your R/S brass straight key:
>>
>>   1) Be sure that the bearings are properly seated and 'snugged'
>>      down to the point that they make good electrical contact but
>>      NOT so tight that the armature doesn't work smoothly!
>>
>>   2) Use a DOLLAR BILL between the contacts to clean them!!!
>>
>>      NEVER use anything which is abrasive!!! PERIOD!!! If the
>>      contacts happen to be silver/ or gold plated, you'll succeed
>>      in removing all traces of the plating with the 1st or 2nd
>>      swipe!
>>
>>      A U.S. DOLLAR BILL has high rag content and does a wonderful
>>      job of removing oxidation without removing plating (if any
>>      exists).
>>
>>   3) TIGHTEN all electrical connection hardware (exc. the bearings).
>>
>>   4) Set the spring tension such that there is enough resistance to
>>      your presses that you can feel the resistance. You should NOT
>>      have to 'work' to close the contacts, but they should offer
>>      some resistance
>>
>>   5) Set the contact spacing such that you get a bit of both tactile
>>      AND audible feedback when you're sending. The thickness of a
>>      business card is a good starting point for setting beginning
>>      contact spacing.
>>
>>   6) PRACTICE A LOT
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Tom Hammond    N0SS
>>
> 
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