[Elecraft] Getting Started With CW

[Terry]

Well not being really old or really new to CW, I take a path of thought 
that has not been touched on, but trampled all around.  I started on a 
J-38 and I like it and us to this day, but I really prefer my keyer and 
single lever paddle.

I started with the J-38 because that is all I had and keyers were out of 
sight for me financially.  I learned CW with the J-38 but getting to 20 
WPM was hard that way.  I finally built the accu-keyer from the handbook 
and got together the money for a Vibroplex paddle.  It was single lever 
because the dual-lever stuff didn't exist at the time.

Things happened and I tried the another keyer and dual-lever and never 
seemed to get the command of CW like I had with the first keyer and 
single-lever paddle.  I tried another keyer or two loaned by others who 
left CW and had become phone only or near only ops.  I found each keyer 
did things a little differently and each time I had some relearning to 
do.  During this time I had a burglary and my single-lever was among the 
missing and the dual-lever was the in thing.  I got a new keyer and a 
dual-leveler paddle.  I tried and I tried squeeze paddles and I just had 
too many CW habits by then.  I just started using the dual-lever paddles 
as if they were single-lever ones and the world got pretty good.

I also used a variety of rigs with built in keyers and each one seemed 
to have different charismatics and different things that could be set.  
I'd have to spend time with each rig to get it to my settings.  This was 
all a pain in my sitting down spot.  So I decided to solve that problem 
once and for all.

I decided on one keyer (Super CMOS III Memory Keyer kit version) and one 
paddle (Single-lever Kent).  I just use that combo and set the rig I 
chose to use for a straight key and go to work.  There is no fooling 
around with settings and I am always in familiar territory.

The moral of the story is you tend to like what you first learn.  With 
that in mind, I'd pick one set-up I think would be around for a really 
long time or one you could maintain and go with that one.  Mine has 
become the Super CMOS keyer and the single-lever Kent.

I use it on all of my rigs.  For special events I still use the J-38 
when I play SK-night and SKCC or FISTS games, all the rest get the Super 
CMOS Keyer and Kent single-lever combo.

Regards & 73,

Terry, KQ5U