A tip I was given in my KNovice days was to set the gap on a straight
key by putting three sheets of notebook paper between the contacts.
I could do 18 wpm all day long.
Ron
K3MIY
PS Don't forget to remove the sheets:-)
Quoting Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP <Rick@DJ0IP.de>:
> BINGO! Excellent, Al.
>
> When you learn on a straight key, "you" learn the rhythm of Morse code.
> You must learn the timing as well as the dits and dahs.
> If you learn using a keyer with any kind of auto-completing, you don't worry
> about timing, and you don't learn to have timing.
>
> I've had about 25 years of listing to the young(er) ops whining at multi-op
> events when the keyer didn't have exactly the one type of keying or the
> other. I could never understand what all the whining was about. I can send
> with anything, even touching two wires together. Some of these guys were
> much better CW ops than me but if they had the wrong keyer or paddle, they
> botched the job or gave up entirely. I always wondered why.
>
> On the other hand, a couple of my old buddies, like me, could send good
> Morse code on any key, paddle or keyer we sat down at. I never understood
> that. Now I do.
>
> Al, you dad nailed it!
>
> So as I see it, if you want to learn code for the test (which is no longer
> necessary anyway), use any crutch you want, but IF YOU WANT TO LEARN IT
> RIGHT, LEARN IT ON A STRAIGHT KEY.
>
> I found 15 wpm pretty easy on the straight key, but I could never keep up
> sending at 20 wpm. My right arm would get real tight, like when arm
> wrestling. You said 18wpm. So somewhere in that range is probably a limit
> for most people, but you can get plenty of mileage out of 15 wpm.
>
> However, I don't want to be guilty of telling James how he should do it and
> insisting my way is the only way. I think it's outstanding that he is so
> dedicated to learning it at all.
>
> 73
> Rick, DJ0IP
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: tentec-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com]
> On Behalf Of Al Gulseth
> Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2012 3:05 PM
> To: Richards; Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] new to CW dxing
>
> One other thing (which can be a source of controversy for some folks): I was
> emphatically told (by my now SK dad who was first licensed in 1934 and
> served as a seagoing radio op in the Coast Guard during WWII) that I needed
> to master the straight key first (i.e. being able to send smooth
> mistake-free 18WPM or so code) before trying to use a bug or keyer. If you
> think about it, it makes sense: a self-completing electronic keyer will
> cover up very sloppy timing, whereas with a straight key the least bit of
> inconsistency will immediately be obvious.
>
> >From what I've been able to glean from other sources this concept goes
> >back a
> long way and was probably SOP for the military.
>
> (Just my $0.02 worth....)
>
> 73, Al
>
> On Mon July 2 2012 11:09:11 pm Richards wrote:
> > That is consistent with what other guys are telling me.
> >
> > I have been following a learning plan laid out by an old ham friend,
> > Bob, N1KPR, who wrote a short book on learning the code....
> >
> > I am equally fortunate to have already accumulated a few high quality
> > keys - One is the Limited Edition Ten-Tec 40th Anniversary/Bencher
> > iambic paddle, Serial No. 006 (which I have yet to take from the box).
> > Another is my most recent acquisition, one of the very first Vibroplex
> > Vibrocube dual iambic paddles ...
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