KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

///////////////////////////////////////////
How do you use a paddle?

Posted: 08 Jan 2016 01:23 PM PST
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kb6nu...m_medium=email


I have a friend who is in the process of learning Morse Code, and in the
past, hes asked me about the best way to position ones hand and fingers
when using a paddle. To be honest, Ive never given it much thought.

I just reach over from wherever Im situated and start sending. Sometimes,
Im not positioned quite right and make a few mistakes. When that happens, I
shift my arm a little, or move my chair, to make it easier to send.

Yesterday, he sent me a link to this YouTube video:



This video also references an eleven-page article, The Secrets of Easy
Morse Code Sending.

My first reaction was, Whoa! This guy has really analyzed the heck out of
this. Personally, though, I think hes making much too big a deal out of it.
Its kind of like bowling. If you think too much about how to do it, youll
never really be able to do it. At the very least, it kind of takes some of
the fun out of it.

Also, what works for one operator may not work for others. For example, the
video shows a diagram that says that the arm should be positioned at a 30
45 degree angle to the paddle. That may work for some operators, maybe even
most operators, but not for you. I know that I dont operate that way.

Like I said before, I just reach over to the paddle from wherever I happen
to be when its my turn to start sending. Heck, sometimes Ill even get up
and walk around the shack when the other operator is sending. If the other
operator turns it back to me before I can sit down again, I may even be
standing and reaching down to the key.

I also never curl the pinkie, ring, and middle fingers into the palm of my
hand. I just let them hang loose. I think that curling them in like that
might encourage one to tighten up ones grip, and thats not something you
want to do. If curling those fingers is natural for an operator, fine, but
to say this is the way it should be done is bad advice.

I also completely disagree with his statement that if youre a beginner its
just as easy to learn to send with your off hand as it is your dominant
hand. The argument for learning to send with ones off hand is often made by
saying that will free up your dominant hand for copying. That argument
makes no sense to me, as you will rarely, if ever, have to copy anything
while youre sending, and if youre goign to get above 18-20 wpm, you should
be working towards head copy anyway.

My advice to my friend was to just start sending and adjust as you go
along. Every operators hand, arm, and key are different. Try different keys
at different positions and different heights and different spring or
magnetic tensions, Â*and youll figure out what works best for you.

Over and above that, just make contacts. Making contacts will make you a
better operator much faster than watching YouTube videos or reading books.

My friend replied, I am not sure if I enjoy the art of sending and
receiving more than the actual QSO. Im cool with that, but to me, making
QSOs is what its all about.

What do you think? How do you use a paddle?

The post How do you use a paddle? appeared first on KB6NUs Ham Radio Blog.