[Elecraft] [OT?] Changing which hand you send with

[Fred Jensen]

A survey taken here on the list a number of years ago found that:

~25% of hams considered themselves left-handed
~all of them considered themselves to be engineers or retired engineers
~50% of them learned to send right to 1) keep the log, and 2) be able to 
guest op
~0% of northpaws learned to paddle left

I'm a southpaw, I learned to paddle right early, for the above two 
reasons.  We live in a right-handed world ["Tyranny of the Majority"], 
so it's probably easier for us to learn to do things right than it is 
for you to do things left, we do it all the time.  Try a manual can 
opener left-handed. [:-)

You can learn however, I know several who have switched to left. Some 
paddle left with the paddle set to left [dots on thumb] and some do it 
the other way.  I have two paddles, often switch off as I get older ... 
and older.

73,

Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County

On 3/18/2018 5:56 PM, Dave Cole (NK7Z) wrote:
> I have tried once, but it was difficult...  However if you invert the 
> paddle it gets a lot better!
>
> One other trick, send the same thing with both hands, it makes it 
> easer to send lefty for me.
>
> 73s and thanks,
> Dave
> NK7Z
> https://www.nk7z.net
>
> On 03/18/2018 05:50 PM, kevinr wrote:
>> Have any of you attempted changing dominant hands?  My left hand has 
>> very few broken bones in it and rarely has the pain I have in my 
>> right one.  How difficult would it be to learn to send with my 
>> non-dominant hand?  I came very close to giving up CW a few years ago 
>> when I had nerve damage in my right arm.  I have gotten marginally 
>> better since then but hate hurting peoples' ears with my sending.  A 
>> friend of mine was able to learn to bow her cello left handed and 
>> went on to Juilliard.  But I don't have anywhere near her skills. Any 
>> thoughts you may have for my dilemma?
>>     73,
>>        Kevin.  KD5ONS