[Elecraft] Straight key first?

[John Ragle]

I like the keyer in the K3. Long ago, my straight key was all I had. For 
a while I used a "bug," but keeping it adjusted was a nuisance. As soon 
as Heath came out with their keyer, I built one and loved it. My own 
experience is that it becomes very hard to copy fast CW if the sender is 
careless about all aspects of sending, including letter and word spaces.

LIke Ed, I too learned code from an Instructograph, and it taught me 
what properly-sent code should sound like. I am perfectly willing for 
the keyer in the rig to clean up my sending a little, and although I 
seldom stray much above 25 wpm anymore, I do like the sound of clean CW. 
Somewhere amongst my souvenirs I have an ARRL 35 wpm certificate, and I 
used a keyboard for a long time, since my typing speed is in excess of 
100 wpm. I liked the keyboard buffer...it was a little like running 
PSK...load it up and then sit back and relax. Nowdays, my 78-year old 
body would not send very good CW with a straight key, and I agree with 
those who pegged the straight key as "nostalgia." For me it is a matter 
of practicality.

John Ragle -- W1ZI

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On 6/29/2011 2:47 AM, Edward R. Cole wrote:
> I learned CW in a high school night class with one of those
> paper-tape code machines.