Which Key to start?

[Anonymous]

Hello,

My ham radio goal this spring is to become proficient enough in CW to begin making contacts by Field Day.  I’m slowly getting there but now it’s time to consider buying a key.  What’s a good key to start with?  I don’t have anything yet and I’d like to use the same key for practice and eventual use on the air.  What should I expect to pay?

Thanks,

Bob KC1PEZ

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

Following.  Just curious, are you using straight key or paddle?  I know nothing of CW at this point but I want to learn and I’ve been looking at different types to learn on.  And, like you, grow into once somewhat proficient.

[Hamilton]

Hello Bob,

We are all different, for me the best choice was a paddle. I bought a used Bencher BY-1 off QTH for around $60. I also started practicing with my left hand due to a mild  tremor in my right. I’m right handed. Letting the keyer handle the dit, dah, and space lengths let me focus on what I was sending.

I found sending to be easy. In a few short weeks I could send well with almost no prior experience.  Learning to receive took two years before I had a basic skill and another two years to feel comfortable.

I sold the Bencher and got a Begali. I like the Begali but I can say you will be fine starting with the BY-1 or similar.

I found lcwo.net to be very helpful to learn to receive.

Now on the lighter side 6 months after I got my license and before I ever touched a key I worked CW at my first field day. I set up the 80m CW tent and Fred gave me a couple pointers. I logged a number of CW QSOs at 2 points each. There is an article describing the experience on this site… With 6 months to get ready you will do fine.

73

Hamilton K1HMS

 

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

Hi Bob,

Start with a strait key. Learning to to send with good timing will enhance your copy ability. Here’s a good inexpensive starter key from CW Morse (https://cwmorse.us). Once you get your copy ability above about 15 WPM, then it’s time to switch to a bug or paddles.

Another advantage of using a strait key is that you can get on-the-air and start making contacts with the SKCC group (https://www.skccgroup.com). Joining SKCC will give you lots of opportunities to get on the air with slow-code (QRS) contacts.

Don’t make the mistake of becoming a “professional student” and using only machine generated code to build up your copy skills. Getting on-the-air and making contacts under “real” band conditions (QSB, QRM, QRN, etc.) will build copy skill much, much faster than just using training apps like G4FON. Once you can recognize all the 40 essential characters from the sound the code, ditch the apps and turn on your rig.

If you really want to amp up your learning, consider joining either CWOps academy (https://cwops.org/cw-academy/) or the Long Island CW Club (https://longislandcwclub.org). Full disclosure, I’m a member of both and an instructor for LICW.

TU ES 73! DE K1OKD <dit> <dit>

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

Wonderful you’re interested in learning the secret code. I have been sending CW for 62 years and this is what I’d like you to know. Speed is NOT the goal, but sending a complete idea to the other station and being understood is!

1. Learn the letters, numbers and punctuations, of course. You will not learn these in one day, or two, but I must encourage you to repeat each character until you can recite them in your sleep. When I first started out, I went to sleep repeating the complete alphabet in my mind night after night until each was letter was pretty normal without having to second guess what I remembered. I dreamt of the following sentence: THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPED OVER THE LAZY DOGS BACK. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 times.” Only then did I fall asleep. It was repeated (dit/dah) 4 to 5 times every night. It worked. I learned the code quickly

2. I started learning CW and used a straight key for about 15 years.  I got to be pretty fast, but peaked at 13 to 15 WPM. I was trapped at this speed because after sending for 2 to 3 hours at a clip … my wrist got tired. Okay, I fought it, but it was there and a straight key is sloooow.

3. Right now, AVOID using a straight key. Please do not buy and use a “Bug” because it looks cool. Too, too many guys do not know that using a Bug requires spacing and is absolutely difficult to copy. Lordy. It is not the way to go and pass-off what others tell you. It isn’t fun to copy and makes for a dead-end QSO.

4. Buy a used “paddle” at first and learn CW knowing your dits & dahs will be perfectly spaced. W1AW has practice code and is sent with perfect spacing. Emulate their sending and you’ll be loced by many.  A brand new iambic paddle on today‘s market will cost $150 to $400. And remember, they all do the same thing. Mine is made (engineered) in Germany and costs $350. I am a serious CW operator.

5. I said speed is not your first priority,  however, SPACING is extremely important.  You must space between letters enough so one character doesn’t crash into another. Now, you MUST space between words. Time and time again I have to send back reports that I can’t understand what was sent because the entire transmission was one long word. Pheeeeew. Space (big space) between words and eventually your rhythm and speed will improve. I cannot emphasize spacing between words, numbers, and punctuations.

6. Q-signal. QRQ means send faster. QRS means send slower. When you miss 3/4 of a transmission,  it’s not fun. Make CW fun time,  and not one you’re guessing what was sent. I say to a bad station … “TU es 73.”

These are only a few ideas I have picked up along the way and I have more, but not at this time. I expect to hear you on the air using good standard procedures,  plus I want to QSO with you when you’re ready.

Dennis K1LGQ
Brookline NH

[email protected]

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[Anonymous]

Hello Fleet,

 

I haven’t bought a key yet.  I’m leaning toward the straight for learning and moving to a paddle when my ears can receive at the faster speeds.

I play guitar and mandolin so my right hand is pretty good at keeping time which I think will translate well to the straight key.  The paddle seems like someone picking the strings for me and means I’d have to learn two skills at the same time.

 

[Anonymous]

Hello Hamilton,

What a great story.  I hope I can contribute a few points to the club on field day.

73,

Bob KC1PEZ

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

Hi Bob,

Sounds like a plan.  Timing skills from flat picking would be helpful, I’d think!  Of course, my picking skills are less than stellar so I hope that doesn’t work against me, lol.

Fleet

[Hamilton]

Just a note on Niece’s weekly sloooow CW net. All are accepted from 0 wpm up to 5 wpm.  If you can tap out your call sign you can copy using AIM in net logger. Many boobies lurk for weeks before they jump in.

SLOW CW NET SUNDAY 8 pm est freq: 7.045 netlogger.org

K1ULN – Please confirm all qso’s

BLOG: KA1ULN.BLOGSPOT.COM

 

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you to everyone who posted.  You were all a great help in moving me along this journey.  I ended up getting a CW Morse 3-D printed straight key joined LICW and SKCC a couple of weeks ago.  Between the LCWO website and LICW I’m up to about 20 characters and hope to have the next 20 by mid April. I’m hoping to start making QSOs right after that.

TU 73

Bob KC1PEZ

[Author]

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