Yep, I agree, Bill. I would say use your whole forearm, but no real muscle effort should be required, of course. Keep your elbow and your wrist LOOSE. Even rubbery. Your forearm basically just gently bounces enough to flex your wrist. Your fingers do nothing but perch on the knob. If you don't tense any muscles, the keying is very fluid and it is easy to get into a rhythm which, it appears, you already know.
I really miss all the interesting fists you could hear on the ham bands in the years before electronic keyers. I remember an episode of MASH where a concert pianist lost his right arm. Winchester tried to get him interested in playing, by getting him some music written for the left-hand, but the young soldier was adamant that any career in music was over. I remember Winchester telling him, "I can play the notes...but I can't play the MUSIC." That's how I remember the old fists. They were individual and as recognizable as a musical style. The electronic keyers allow one to play the notes, but it isn't really music any longer. Eric KE6US www.ke6us.com -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bill Coleman Sent: Friday, December 23, 2005 12:20 PM To: Joseph Trombino Jr Cc: Elecraft Subject: Re: [Elecraft] SKN rigs On Dec 23, 2005, at 12:48 PM, Joseph Trombino Jr wrote: > > I'll be using a U.S. Navy flameproof hand key...for a couple of QSO's > before my wrist breaks down (grin)....hope the CW is intelligible. Now, if you have that key adjusted correctly, and are using it correctly, you should be able to send CW all day on a straight key without any problems or pain. About 30 years ago, 73 magazine had an excellent article about "glass arm" -- how telegraph operators would get it and it would put them out of a job. It also spoke of how to avoid it -- to use a rather wide spacing, loose trunnions, pivot on your elbow and have your whole arm move when you key. If you key just with the muscles of your wrist, you'll tire out in no time. Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!" -- Wilbur Wright, 1901 _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
