[Elecraft] Suggested key/paddle for CW for a the K3 and others (not expensive)

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Very interesting Barry. 

I'm not a high speed operator (my best is 35 wpm) and 99% of my operating is
15 to 25 wpm. I also use my whole arm, rolling it side to side to operate
the paddles and find it very comfortable at those speeds for very long
periods at the key. Indeed, many of the guys working at commercial stations
used the same technique for entire work shifts sending long messages. 

I'm aware that many non-US operators do *not* rest their forearm on the
table. I can see how moving one's whole arm would be extremely tiring doing
that. Indeed, I can't picture using a straight key that way, much less
paddles. You didn't note whether that was what the guys like EU1KI do. 

When I moved onto an Iambic keyer, I kept the same motion rolling my forearm
resting on the table top. I have never used very tight spacing with tiny
movements of thumb and fingers. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of us old
"bug" operators do the same. 

Also, I kept the standard orientation of dashes with thumb, dits with index
finger. Been pounding brass that way for >60 years now. 

My point is that the rarified world of 50 wpm and above obviously has its
special demands on the operator, but few of us actually "live" there.

73, Ron AC7AC

-----Original Message-----

Bill W4ZV wrote
> If you've ever used a bug, the Single lever will be much easier to learn. 
> IMHO they are also easier to use at QRQ speeds (most HST Champions use 
> Single levers).
> 73,  Bill  W4ZV

Bill - I agree with your first statement about the transition from bug to
keyer.  However, having competed in 3 HSTs myself and winning 3 medals (one
each, gold, silver, bronze), there is a footnote needed re the HST Champs
and single lever paddles:

The single lever style that the top HST guys (and gals)  use is completely
different from how we do it.  First, they reverse the dit and dah paddles. 
Second, they use large contact spacing.  Third, they put their entire arm
into the keying motion.  IMO, this works for short-term (one minute) keying
as in the competition events, but would cause WAY too much fatigue for
traditional QSO-type use.  As a matter of fact, the team leader of the
(usually first place) Belarus team, Andrei Bindasov, EU1KI, who is in the
Guinness Book of Records for the fastest sending speeds, no longer competes
because of arthritis.  I don't know his exact age, but he looks to be in his
mid-late 30s, and could be mistaken for a gymnast from his appearance.  He
told me it was caused by too much practice.

Personally, I tried a single lever paddle before HST 2011, but having used
iambic for so many years, I just couldn't get the hang of sending
didadidadidah, so I stuck with the dual lever paddles.  In the competition,
I turn off the iambic function in my keyer, but use the dual lever paddle,
when sending numbers only.

Barry W2UP