I agree 100%, but people aren't learning code sitting at their elmer's
knee anymore. They are buying a three dollar key and hammering away. I
hear all crap all the time. Then they try to go faster, or put a little
swing in it. Don't get me started.....
All of this is probably not a big deal for someone with many of hours of
CW under their belt. They can sort the wheat from the chaff and figure
it out. Often as not, I am struggling to understand them in the first
place. If they start running the letters together, I have to just turn
the dial, because I can't even start to make sense of them.
I agree standard wisdom in the past was to start with a straight key,
but if they are sitting down by themselves, with a straight key, how are
they supposed to know how to send good code? If they get good with a
paddle and keyer, then they might know what it sounds like, and they
will have a starting point from which to try to mimic the sounds with a
straight key. Back when whomever it was that said to start with a
straight key, there were probably many great brass pounders out there to
listen to. I have heard K4UK, from FISTs, send beautiful code with a
straight key. Many, including myself, cannot do that.
On the few times I do use a straight key, I take my time and try to make
it sound just like it does with the keyer.
As pointed out though, even a paddle doesn't stop them from running the
letters together. That really does drive me nuts.
I promise to stay off my soapbox for a while.
David Wilburn
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
K4DGW
K2 #5982
Brett gazdzinski wrote:
I never used a paddle or keyer, but have had hundreds of long QSO's
in the past, like 20 years ago.
Like everyone else, I think my sending sounds super....
I know what good CW sounds like, and there is a lot of very
poor stuff on the air, last night I heard someone who
always sent an extra dot on the letters S and H...
I have most problems coping when people do not separate the letters
but drool them all together.
I like a straight key, never used any sort of bug or keyer, and kind
of think that's cheating, I am not after DX nor will I be
entering any contests, and don't want to dazzle anyone with
my 95 wpm CW, I think you can do it with computers now, cant you?
My old VIC 20 with the AIR1 card did that I think.
(remember THEM?)
I will try cleaning my old key up, its been sitting for about 20
years, and don't think it was ever very quality...
Brett
N2DTS
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Hammond [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 1:25 PM
To: Brett gazdzinski
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Yahoo-o-o-o-o !!
Hi Brett:
Can anyone recommend a good basic key?
I have an old radio shack brass but the contacts
are shot I think, it acts a bit funky sometimes.
Are you looking for a STRAIGHT KEY, or a PADDLE?
If you plan to actually WORK CW and to improve your CW proficiency,
I'd not recommend that you invest too heavily in a straight key, but
something in the <$20 range might work well... UNLESS you fully
intend to NOT graduate up to using a keyer once you hit your limit of
sending speed with straight hand-sent CW. Most folks can send decent
straight-key-sent CW up to about 20-23 WPM, but then the arm/wrist
goes and quality begins to suffer... as does the body... and the ears
of the op on the other end.
If you intend up eventually switch to a keyer, then decide how much
you're willing to invest in a straight key... how long you plan to
use it... and whether the investment is well-amortized over the
length of time you'll use it.
Paddles are available for $20 on up. I'm not certain they get
terribly much BETTER with a significant increase in price... probably
a bit better, however. It'll be up to you to decide what
it'll be worth to you.
Morse Express ( http://www.morsex.com/ )offers a fairly wide range
of STRAIGHT KEYS/BUG/PADDLES in an even wider range of prices.
Of course, there are always all sorts of keys/paddles available on
the EHAM.COM FOR SALE site and in EBAY.
Regarding your R/S brass straight key:
1) Be sure that the bearings are properly seated and 'snugged'
down to the point that they make good electrical contact but
NOT so tight that the armature doesn't work smoothly!
2) Use a DOLLAR BILL between the contacts to clean them!!!
NEVER use anything which is abrasive!!! PERIOD!!! If the
contacts happen to be silver/ or gold plated, you'll succeed
in removing all traces of the plating with the 1st or 2nd
swipe!
A U.S. DOLLAR BILL has high rag content and does a wonderful
job of removing oxidation without removing plating (if any
exists).
3) TIGHTEN all electrical connection hardware (exc. the bearings).
4) Set the spring tension such that there is enough resistance to
your presses that you can feel the resistance. You should NOT
have to 'work' to close the contacts, but they should offer
some resistance
5) Set the contact spacing such that you get a bit of both tactile
AND audible feedback when you're sending. The thickness of a
business card is a good starting point for setting beginning
contact spacing.
6) PRACTICE A LOT
73,
Tom Hammond N0SS
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