On 2010-04-02, notbob wrote:
I'm a retired geezer studying for my technical license. I fully
intend to learn morse code.....

Thank you all for the great replies to my query. I couldn't ask for a
better cross section of opinions and depth of experience. Your replies
really made me rethink my options.

See my new semi-related post!

nb

On 4/4/2010 5:46 PM, notbob wrote:
Thank you all for the great replies to my query.

But you didn't answer any of the questions I asked.

Jeff-1.0
wa6fwi

On 2010-04-05, Jeffrey Angus wrote:
On 4/4/2010 5:46 PM, notbob wrote:
Thank you all for the great replies to my query.

But you didn't answer any of the questions I asked.

Your wish is my command.

nb

On Apr 5, 12:11 pm, notbob wrote:
On 2010-04-05, Jeffrey Angus wrote:

On 4/4/2010 5:46 PM, notbob wrote:
Thank you all for the great replies to my query.

But you didn't answer any of the questions I asked.

Your wish is my command.

Hi Notbob,

I think maybe Jeff's comment was toward what does or doesn't make a
real Ham. The great thing about Ham radio is that there are so many
facets to the hobby. So many in fact that it isn't possible to
determine one particular part's worth over another. Morse code use is
one of the coolest parts of the hobby, in which very unsophisticated
and low power equipment can in the hands of a skilled practitioner of
the art, be used to communicate around the world. Doesn't get much
better than that. Your comment about the Romantic in you is spot on. I
love the old equipment, one of my borrowed sayings is that "I love the
smell of a tube rig in the morning.
Hopefully however, in time you will come to understand that it isn't
the mode that makes a real ham - it's the person behind the key, or
the mic, or the computer.
Now go get that license, I'll be listening for ya!

- 73 de Mike N3LI -

On Apr 5, 8:18 am, Jeffrey Angus wrote:
On 4/4/2010 5:46 PM, notbob wrote:

Thank you all for the great replies to my query.

But you didn't answer any of the questions I asked.

Jeff-1.0
wa6fwi

Jeff,

I started with the $20 MFJ brass straight key. Good adjustment span.
Set the contact space with a business card. Make sure you remove the
telegraph short bar or set it right. Office friends pitched in and got
me a Bencher RJ2 for retirement. It's all I use now. Retail
$155...discounted $130.

Probably the reason you never got the answers is there probably are
only opinions. Straight vs. bug. vs paddles? Reality does have top
speed capable is with the iambic paddles, but is top speed best means
of communication? I've known straight key users to send consistently
35 wpm. They use those speeds with others of like ability. Remember,
you have to copy at/near the speed you send, so being able to blaze
away with an iambic paddle at 60-70 wpm means you expect to copy from
the lone ham out there at the same rate.

90% of my CW contacts are 20 wpm; most around 15. That seems to be
about average copy ability for information QSOs.

Our CW group of 6 has 5 paddlers and 1 straight. My now-SK CW Elmer
could move between paddle and straight for SKNs (straight key nights).
He expressed that it is easier to learn on paddle and move later to
straight keys -- but that was his opinion. Most contests pass
rudimentary information and you develop a pattern of copying and
sending based on the contest info. Often you are copying a recorded
'macro'.

73,
Carl
KB9RVB