RE: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles
Ya know, I don't by the movement counting that I sometimes see posted regarding single lever vs. iambic keying. Do we count muscle movement or joint movement? Is it one motion to squeeze or two? Do we count close and open motions or only closing motions? There is a lot of gray and subjectivity. I've even seen the counting applied unevenly (e.g. releasing is counted as a motion for iambic but not for single lever). I think the only sane way to look at is by looking at switch closures. How many motions and how many muscles are involved in closing the switches is a far more complex and subjective subject. Switch closures are very concrete and countable. Looking at it from a switch closure perspective, we have the letter A requiring 2 for iambic and 2 for single lever. I say that is one squeeze or grasp motion on iambic, others say it is 2 or 3 separate finger motions. Doesn't matter, we can both agree that it is 2 distinct switch closers. K requires 2 on Iambic but 3 on single lever. C requires 2 on Iambic and 4 on single lever. Regardless of the amount of joint / muscle movement, the iambic keyer requires less switch closures. The thing that makes Iambic tougher is that those switch closures must be precisely timed. That timing is easy at slow speeds and doable at moderate to fast speeds. At competition speeds, suspect the competitors use to single lever paddles because of the nearly impossible timing requirements of iambic, not because of any savings in motion. Having said all that, I do CW for fun, not efficiency. I know that Iambic requires less switch closures but I hardly every use the paddles. I use a bug or straight key most of the time simply because they're more fun. After all, this is a hobby - Keith N1AS - - K3 711 - -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of n4lq In fact when you consider the entire alphabet, less finger movement is required with the single lever paddle. This came as a shock to me. Check the letter C. On a single lever we swing left, right, left, right. That's 4 movements. With duals, we (push left and hold), (push right and hold), (release left), (release right) for letter C. So we have the same number of movements with either paddle. Now let's do A. With single lever we swing left, swing right, release. 3 moves. With duals, we push left and hold, push right, release left, release right. 4 moves! It all happens so fast that you don't realize you are doing it. Steve Ellington [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ 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
RE: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles
I agree 100% Keith. Willis 'Cookie' Cooke K5EWJ, K3 1025, SKCC 4077T --- On Tue, 9/2/08, Darwin, Keith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Darwin, Keith [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Tuesday, September 2, 2008, 8:47 AM Ya know, I don't by the movement counting that I sometimes see posted regarding single lever vs. iambic keying. Do we count muscle movement or joint movement? Is it one motion to squeeze or two? Do we count close and open motions or only closing motions? There is a lot of gray and subjectivity. I've even seen the counting applied unevenly (e.g. releasing is counted as a motion for iambic but not for single lever). I think the only sane way to look at is by looking at switch closures. How many motions and how many muscles are involved in closing the switches is a far more complex and subjective subject. Switch closures are very concrete and countable. Looking at it from a switch closure perspective, we have the letter A requiring 2 for iambic and 2 for single lever. I say that is one squeeze or grasp motion on iambic, others say it is 2 or 3 separate finger motions. Doesn't matter, we can both agree that it is 2 distinct switch closers. K requires 2 on Iambic but 3 on single lever. C requires 2 on Iambic and 4 on single lever. Regardless of the amount of joint / muscle movement, the iambic keyer requires less switch closures. The thing that makes Iambic tougher is that those switch closures must be precisely timed. That timing is easy at slow speeds and doable at moderate to fast speeds. At competition speeds, suspect the competitors use to single lever paddles because of the nearly impossible timing requirements of iambic, not because of any savings in motion. Having said all that, I do CW for fun, not efficiency. I know that Iambic requires less switch closures but I hardly every use the paddles. I use a bug or straight key most of the time simply because they're more fun. After all, this is a hobby - Keith N1AS - number of movements with either paddle. Now let's do A. With single lever we swing left, swing right, release. 3 moves. With duals, we push left and hold, push right, release left, release right. 4 moves! It all happens so fast that you don't realize you are doing it. Steve Ellington [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ 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
RE: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles
In my shack: On my left hand: iambic B ,if possible with auto character space (depending on keyer used K3, K2, deluxe keyer late 70's, super-keyer late 90's, Winkey) On my right side: vibroplex bug (only one). In the middle a keyboard connected to N1MM and winkey for contesting (but that does not count :-) ) Never mix those three types up and can change my keying any time. Doing that for 33 years now (of course the keyboard came in later). 73 Arie PA3A == When I learned Iambic keying I had to *break* that habit so I could squeeze. And I found Iambic keying very natural, smooth and efficient. When I went back to a bug I had to relearn the roll the hand technique. Personally, I doubt if I ever could send text at 15 or 20 WPM for half an hour by moving my fingers, which I had to do a *lot* when sending traffic. I wonder how many CW operators who worked commercial circuits (I was Army) use their fingers instead of rolling their fists. I can understand Hams learning to do that. After all, we don't usually send nonstop for more than a few minutes. Indeed, if I was in a long-winded rag chew I'd notice myself getting stiff using an Iambic key, even though the paddle pressure was very light and the contact spacing very small. But I can still sit down and send a whole page from the phone book, names, addresses and phone numbers of perhaps 150 people on the bug rolling my fist as if it were nothing. ___ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles
Why do you need special interface for a single lever paddle? It works the same as an Iambic paddle except that you can't close both contacts at once. Willis 'Cookie' Cooke K5EWJ --- On Sun, 8/31/08, Jack Regan [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Jack Regan [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Sunday, August 31, 2008, 3:10 PM Last week I asked K3 Support if single lever paddle support was on the to to do list. Gary Surrency responded that it was not but would be considered. within days the answer came back that it would not be supported due to the small number of users affected. At first I was a little annoyed but now I am all right with that decision because I have found that I can in fact use my Kent paddle with a slap and dash technique with the K3 internal keyer just the way it is. 1. I changed my weighting to 1.25 and selected MODE A. 2. I used the TEXT DECODE function to get feedback. 3. I made sure I was consistently as fast as possible with my keying of elements within a character when switching from dot(s) to dash(es). This technique cured my problem of things like CQ being seen NNMET Using the TEXT DECODE function also helped with getting rid of unwanted Farnsworth spacing between characters. The better I get at hearing CW the more annoying it becomes. It also makes sending a more natural rhythm. BTW, before I worked this method out I hooked up my microHam CW Keyer and used it and it worked FB with no effort on my part but I resented having an extra box and extra cables on my desk! In an attempt to clean up my station I went back to using the K3 keyer and worked things out! Not only did I get rid of the external keyer and cables but now the Kent single lever paddle is plugged into the paddle jack and so TEXT DECODE as well as TERMINAL mode in the K3 Utility both work on send and receive. Jack AE6GC, K3 1433, KX1 1403 ___ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles
It's not the single vs. dual lever issue that bothers these guys. It's the iambic mode, a or b. Mode B has been the standard since the early 70's. TenTec came out with their KR-40 which is mode b and ever since then mode A has been a step child. All JA rigs use mode B now. Basically, mode B has enough brains to know if you held in a lever long enough to produce the last element without actually starting to send it. People who learned on mode B, trying to send the letter C on a mode A machine will end up sending the letter K. The last dit is dropped because it wants you to hold in the dit button until that dit has started to form. Mode A people who try to send C end up sending KA _._._ because they hold the dit lever in too long. Both modes are iambic since holding in both levers results in alternate dits and dahs. It's just a matter of when to let go! A single lever paddle works equally well with either mode. In fact when you consider the entire alphabet, less finger movement is required with the single lever paddle. This came as a shock to me. Check the letter C. On a single lever we swing left, right, left, right. That's 4 movements. With duals, we (push left and hold), (push right and hold), (release left), (release right) for letter C. So we have the same number of movements with either paddle. Now let's do A. With single lever we swing left, swing right, release. 3 moves. With duals, we push left and hold, push right, release left, release right. 4 moves! It all happens so fast that you don't realize you are doing it. The Kent single lever paddle is a precision device. I prefer a wider finger piece over the thin paddle Kent uses however. The K3 works well with either single or duals. It doesn't know the difference. Steve Ellington [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: WILLIS COOKE [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Jack Regan [EMAIL PROTECTED]; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2008 6:16 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles Why do you need special interface for a single lever paddle? It works the same as an Iambic paddle except that you can't close both contacts at once. Willis 'Cookie' Cooke K5EWJ --- On Sun, 8/31/08, Jack Regan [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Jack Regan [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Sunday, August 31, 2008, 3:10 PM Last week I asked K3 Support if single lever paddle support was on the to to do list. Gary Surrency responded that it was not but would be considered. within days the answer came back that it would not be supported due to the small number of users affected. At first I was a little annoyed but now I am all right with that decision because I have found that I can in fact use my Kent paddle with a slap and dash technique with the K3 internal keyer just the way it is. 1. I changed my weighting to 1.25 and selected MODE A. 2. I used the TEXT DECODE function to get feedback. 3. I made sure I was consistently as fast as possible with my keying of elements within a character when switching from dot(s) to dash(es). This technique cured my problem of things like CQ being seen NNMET Using the TEXT DECODE function also helped with getting rid of unwanted Farnsworth spacing between characters. The better I get at hearing CW the more annoying it becomes. It also makes sending a more natural rhythm. BTW, before I worked this method out I hooked up my microHam CW Keyer and used it and it worked FB with no effort on my part but I resented having an extra box and extra cables on my desk! In an attempt to clean up my station I went back to using the K3 keyer and worked things out! Not only did I get rid of the external keyer and cables but now the Kent single lever paddle is plugged into the paddle jack and so TEXT DECODE as well as TERMINAL mode in the K3 Utility both work on send and receive. Jack AE6GC, K3 1433, KX1 1403 ___ 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 No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.6.14/1644 - Release Date: 8/31/2008 4:59 PM ___ Elecraft mailing list Post
Re: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles
n4lq wrote: A single lever paddle works equally well with either mode. In fact when you consider the entire alphabet, less finger movement is required with the single lever paddle. This came as a shock to me. Which is why nearly all competitors in the High Speed Telegraphy (HST) competition use single levers for the sending tests. -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/Kent-Single-Lever-Paddles-tp796074p796171.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.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
Re: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles
Wow, if I had to do all that extra junk I'd get rid of my dual paddle Kent, Brown Bros., and K8RA keys and go back to that cruddy Heath single paddle integrated unit I used to have. Steve, I think you make the common assumption that having a dual paddle *requires* the operator to use the squeeze method. It really doesn't. It just *allows* you to go from dit to dah and vice versa more efficiently. 73--Nick, WA5BDU n4lq wrote: With duals, we push left and hold, push right, release left, release right. 4 moves! I Steve Ellington [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles
Steve, You want Ultimatic mode. It makes a dual lever paddle operate almost like a single lever. To quote from the K1EL K12 keyer manual, In Ultimatic mode when both paddles are pressed the keyer will send a continuous stream of whichever paddle was last pressed. That makes the hand motions identical to using a single lever paddle. The small K1EL keyers that support Ultimatic keying are a must for me because it is not built-in to any transceiver internal keyer as far as I know. 73, Don W3FPR n4lq wrote: It's not the single vs. dual lever issue that bothers these guys. It's the iambic mode, a or b. Mode B has been the standard since the early 70's. TenTec came out with their KR-40 which is mode b and ever since then mode A has been a step child. All JA rigs use mode B now. Basically, mode B has enough brains to know if you held in a lever long enough to produce the last element without actually starting to send it. People who learned on mode B, trying to send the letter C on a mode A machine will end up sending the letter K. The last dit is dropped because it wants you to hold in the dit button until that dit has started to form. Mode A people who try to send C end up sending KA _._._ because they hold the dit lever in too long. Both modes are iambic since holding in both levers results in alternate dits and dahs. It's just a matter of when to let go! A single lever paddle works equally well with either mode. In fact when you consider the entire alphabet, less finger movement is required with the single lever paddle. This came as a shock to me. Check the letter C. On a single lever we swing left, right, left, right. That's 4 movements. With duals, we (push left and hold), (push right and hold), (release left), (release right) for letter C. So we have the same number of movements with either paddle. Now let's do A. With single lever we swing left, swing right, release. 3 moves. With duals, we push left and hold, push right, release left, release right. 4 moves! It all happens so fast that you don't realize you are doing it. The Kent single lever paddle is a precision device. I prefer a wider finger piece over the thin paddle Kent uses however. The K3 works well with either single or duals. It doesn't know the difference. Steve Ellington [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: WILLIS COOKE [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Jack Regan [EMAIL PROTECTED]; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2008 6:16 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles Why do you need special interface for a single lever paddle? It works the same as an Iambic paddle except that you can't close both contacts at once. Willis 'Cookie' Cooke K5EWJ --- On Sun, 8/31/08, Jack Regan [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Jack Regan [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Sunday, August 31, 2008, 3:10 PM Last week I asked K3 Support if single lever paddle support was on the to to do list. Gary Surrency responded that it was not but would be considered. within days the answer came back that it would not be supported due to the small number of users affected. At first I was a little annoyed but now I am all right with that decision because I have found that I can in fact use my Kent paddle with a slap and dash technique with the K3 internal keyer just the way it is. 1. I changed my weighting to 1.25 and selected MODE A. 2. I used the TEXT DECODE function to get feedback. 3. I made sure I was consistently as fast as possible with my keying of elements within a character when switching from dot(s) to dash(es). This technique cured my problem of things like CQ being seen NNMET Using the TEXT DECODE function also helped with getting rid of unwanted Farnsworth spacing between characters. The better I get at hearing CW the more annoying it becomes. It also makes sending a more natural rhythm. BTW, before I worked this method out I hooked up my microHam CW Keyer and used it and it worked FB with no effort on my part but I resented having an extra box and extra cables on my desk! In an attempt to clean up my station I went back to using the K3 keyer and worked things out! Not only did I get rid of the external keyer and cables but now the Kent single lever paddle is plugged into the paddle jack and so TEXT DECODE as well as TERMINAL mode in the K3 Utility both work on send and receive. Jack AE6GC, K3 1433, KX1 1403 ___ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles
Nick, I don't know about any of the others who have trouble with dual lever paddles except myself, but I developed a habit a long time ago that I just can't shake - with dual levers I end up squeezing when I should not, so I get dot insertions in a string of dashes. The habit comes from using a bug - Both the thumb and finger are in contact with the paddles until the character is ended - it works fine with a single lever or an Ultimatic mode keyer, but just will not send correct code from dual paddles with any Iambic keyer - mode A or mode B, but mode B is worse. Despite endless periods of practice I have not been able to change. My taste for CW has diminished a lot because of the non-availability of Ultimatic mode on internal keyers. 73, Don W3FPR Nick-WA5BDU wrote: Wow, if I had to do all that extra junk I'd get rid of my dual paddle Kent, Brown Bros., and K8RA keys and go back to that cruddy Heath single paddle integrated unit I used to have. Steve, I think you make the common assumption that having a dual paddle *requires* the operator to use the squeeze method. It really doesn't. It just *allows* you to go from dit to dah and vice versa more efficiently. 73--Nick, WA5BDU n4lq wrote: With duals, we push left and hold, push right, release left, release right. 4 moves! I Steve Ellington [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ 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 No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.6.14/1643 - Release Date: 8/30/2008 5:18 PM ___ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles
I have always loved the A/B and Iambic vs XXX dicussions :-) Here are some great articles by Chuck K7QO/K5FO (and others) that you might enjoy. http://www.n9vv.com/K7QO-A-B-Iambic-Keying.pdf http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2008/05/20/10107/ http://www.morsecode.nl/iambic.PDF http://www.morsex.com/pubs/iambicmyth.pdf http://www.ka0iqt.net/keys.htm http://www.kl7kc.com/FistsCodeCourse/manual.pdf http://home.att.net/~jacksonharbor/ultimat.txt Thank you Chuck for all the enjoyment you have given us over so many years of dits and dahs :-) gratefully, de Ken N9VV Don Wilhelm wrote: Nick, I don't know about any of the others who have trouble with dual lever paddles except myself, but I developed a habit a long time ago that I just can't shake - with dual levers I end up squeezing when I should not, so I get dot insertions in a string of dashes. The habit comes from using a bug - Both the thumb and finger are in contact with the paddles until the character is ended - it works fine with a single lever or an Ultimatic mode keyer, but just will not send correct code from dual paddles with any Iambic keyer - mode A or mode B, but mode B is worse. Despite endless periods of practice I have not been able to change. My taste for CW has diminished a lot because of the non-availability of Ultimatic mode on internal keyers. 73, Don W3FPR Nick-WA5BDU wrote: Wow, if I had to do all that extra junk I'd get rid of my dual paddle Kent, Brown Bros., and K8RA keys and go back to that cruddy Heath single paddle integrated unit I used to have. Steve, I think you make the common assumption that having a dual paddle *requires* the operator to use the squeeze method. It really doesn't. It just *allows* you to go from dit to dah and vice versa more efficiently. 73--Nick, WA5BDU n4lq wrote: With duals, we push left and hold, push right, release left, release right. 4 moves! I Steve Ellington [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ 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 No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.6.14/1643 - Release Date: 8/30/2008 5:18 PM ___ 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
RE: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles
You just answered my question of long ago, Don, when I asked why it was so hard for some to use a single lever key. In half a century of bug operation, I *never* touch both paddles of the bug as the same time! There is a space between the side of my forefinger that contacts the paddles to make a dash and thumb which makes dots and I roll my hand from side to side to operate the paddles. My fingers never move. My whole hand does, rolling to bring either my thumb or forefinger in contact with the bug paddles. I adjust the space between dits and dahs by changing the distance between my thumb and the side of my forefinger. The farther apart, the greater the time spacing between dits and dahs to match the dit speed I have set with the pendulum weight. When I learned Iambic keying I had to *break* that habit so I could squeeze. And I found Iambic keying very natural, smooth and efficient. When I went back to a bug I had to relearn the roll the hand technique. Personally, I doubt if I ever could send text at 15 or 20 WPM for half an hour by moving my fingers, which I had to do a *lot* when sending traffic. I wonder how many CW operators who worked commercial circuits (I was Army) use their fingers instead of rolling their fists. I can understand Hams learning to do that. After all, we don't usually send nonstop for more than a few minutes. Indeed, if I was in a long-winded rag chew I'd notice myself getting stiff using an Iambic key, even though the paddle pressure was very light and the contact spacing very small. But I can still sit down and send a whole page from the phone book, names, addresses and phone numbers of perhaps 150 people on the bug rolling my fist as if it were nothing. Ron AC7AC -Original Message- Nick, I don't know about any of the others who have trouble with dual lever paddles except myself, but I developed a habit a long time ago that I just can't shake - with dual levers I end up squeezing when I should not, so I get dot insertions in a string of dashes. The habit comes from using a bug - Both the thumb and finger are in contact with the paddles until the character is ended - it works fine with a single lever or an Ultimatic mode keyer, but just will not send correct code from dual paddles with any Iambic keyer - mode A or mode B, but mode B is worse. Despite endless periods of practice I have not been able to change. My taste for CW has diminished a lot because of the non-availability of Ultimatic mode on internal keyers. 73, Don W3FPR ___ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles
When I use a paddle, I use a Bencher Hex, but I do not use the Iambic and only close one contact at a time. It should be the same as a single lever paddle when used this way. I will confess that I have never plugged a paddle into my K3, but this method works fine with my TS-850 or my WinKeyer USB. So far, all my CW contacts with my K3 have been with my Vibroplex Original Bug. Guess I need to try the keyer some time, but I am having too much fun with the Bug. Willis 'Cookie' Cooke K5EWJ --- On Sun, 8/31/08, n4lq [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: n4lq [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], Jack Regan [EMAIL PROTECTED], elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Sunday, August 31, 2008, 3:38 PM It's not the single vs. dual lever issue that bothers these guys. It's the iambic mode, a or b. Mode B has been the standard since the early 70's. TenTec came out with their KR-40 which is mode b and ever since then mode A has been a step child. All JA rigs use mode B now. Basically, mode B has enough brains to know if you held in a lever long enough to produce the last element without actually starting to send it. People who learned on mode B, trying to send the letter C on a mode A machine will end up sending the letter K. The last dit is dropped because it wants you to hold in the dit button until that dit has started to form. Mode A people who try to send C end up sending KA _._._ because they hold the dit lever in too long. Both modes are iambic since holding in both levers results in alternate dits and dahs. It's just a matter of when to let go! A single lever paddle works equally well with either mode. In fact when you consider the entire alphabet, less finger movement is required with the single lever paddle. This came as a shock to me. Check the letter C. On a single lever we swing left, right, left, right. That's 4 movements. With duals, we (push left and hold), (push right and hold), (release left), (release right) for letter C. So we have the same number of movements with either paddle. Now let's do A. With single lever we swing left, swing right, release. 3 moves. With duals, we push left and hold, push right, release left, release right. 4 moves! It all happens so fast that you don't realize you are doing it. The Kent single lever paddle is a precision device. I prefer a wider finger piece over the thin paddle Kent uses however. The K3 works well with either single or duals. It doesn't know the difference. Steve Ellington [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: WILLIS COOKE [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Jack Regan [EMAIL PROTECTED]; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2008 6:16 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles Why do you need special interface for a single lever paddle? It works the same as an Iambic paddle except that you can't close both contacts at once. Willis 'Cookie' Cooke K5EWJ --- On Sun, 8/31/08, Jack Regan [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Jack Regan [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Elecraft] Kent Single Lever Paddles To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Sunday, August 31, 2008, 3:10 PM Last week I asked K3 Support if single lever paddle support was on the to to do list. Gary Surrency responded that it was not but would be considered. within days the answer came back that it would not be supported due to the small number of users affected. At first I was a little annoyed but now I am all right with that decision because I have found that I can in fact use my Kent paddle with a slap and dash technique with the K3 internal keyer just the way it is. 1. I changed my weighting to 1.25 and selected MODE A. 2. I used the TEXT DECODE function to get feedback. 3. I made sure I was consistently as fast as possible with my keying of elements within a character when switching from dot(s) to dash(es). This technique cured my problem of things like CQ being seen NNMET Using the TEXT DECODE function also helped with getting rid of unwanted Farnsworth spacing between characters. The better I get at hearing CW the more annoying it becomes. It also makes sending a more natural rhythm. BTW, before I worked this method out I hooked up my microHam CW Keyer and used it and it worked FB with no effort on my part but I resented having an extra box and extra cables on my desk! In an attempt to clean up my station I went back to using the K3 keyer and worked things out! Not only did I get rid of the external keyer and cables but now the Kent single lever paddle is plugged into the paddle jack and so TEXT DECODE as well as TERMINAL mode in the K3 Utility both work on send and receive. Jack AE6GC, K3 1433, KX1 1403
