Transcription of Sending - Morse Code
1 Iambic SendingChuck Adams, K5 FOSince I am doing this in the comfort of my own computer at home and I have noearthly idea where you are in your Sending career allow me to start from ground is for Iambic Paddles only and hopefully you will agree with me it is the best wayto go. Single lever paddles take more mechanical motion to send the samecharacters. I'll try to dig up my numbers from an article I did for QRPp last year onjust how many that is and a comparison to the number of movements for Iambicmode keying using Mode Sending Morse at speeds greater than 20 to 30 wpm you will need somethingother than a straight key or you will get very tired and frustrated early in the people can do it all day and all night and not get tired.
2 I'm not one of thoseindividuals. I'm basically lazy or want to use tools that make the job compare it to digging a ditch with a spoon or a shovel. I'll take the shovel anyday ofthe week over a spoon. A powered ditch digger would be nicer, but more expensive ifI don't figure in a price for my time to use the either have experience Sending Morse or you don't. If you don't then let mepersonally recommend you start with an Iambic Paddle and a 's easier and it's where you want to wind up if you are an old timer at this game and you started with a straight key then wentto a bug and stopped there or went on from the bug (automatic paddle thatmechanically send dits while holding down the paddle to one side) to a paddle youhave a problem either let me take the bug people aside and talk to them.
3 You know that it takes acertain force to hit the paddle and get the lever that sends the dits to move and staymoving long enough to get a few dits sent. You will have to kill off the tendancy thatyou have to "hit" the paddle with a lot of gentle, please. The following steps will guide you and please don't skip anythingand bear with me know how you do, for the people that use a paddle and keyer now and moved to it from the bugstage. You are doing it wrong. See below. Most likely you learned by yourself with noElmer to look over your shoulders to help you along. ]From personal observations over the years at swapmeets, ham conventions, andfield day events and other contests I have noted that I cringe when I see someoneelse use an Iambic Paddle.
4 They "slap" the paddle around like it was a a touch is all it takes to do it correctly if you have it adjusted the paddle moves around the table while you are Sending then you are using toomuch later on while Sending or just after you have sent something look down at thepaddle. If you are Sending with one hand and holding the paddle in one placewith the other then you are doing it wrong. It shouldn't be moving if you are using agentle force on the paddles. The typical paddle weighs in at around 2 kg or so. Takeit easy. It isn't going anywhere on its follow the patented K5FO (tm) technique and you will be on the road to becominga high speed guru of the CW world knocking them back in awe when they hear youon the air going faster than the law allows.
5 Feedback let's begin. You will need the following Iambic Paddleo Keyero Connecting cableso Phone BookHere are some pictures of a few items just to get you familiar with what they are sothat if you are at a swapmeet and see one on the table you can astound your friendsand enemies by pointing out what it is and what it is used for and know all there is toknow. Be the first kid on your block to get one and use it. Brown Brothers Paddle which is no longer manufactuered. Bencher Paddle see latest QST for advertisement from Bencher. Bencher Paddle with black base refurbished by K5FO. See latest QST foradvertisement from Bencher. Brace Racer Paddle see latest QST for advertisement from 's first have a look at your paddle after you get one or if you have one you can find one used on the market if you don't have and have a limitedbudget and get it at a good price.
6 This is a touchy have gotten the Brown Brothers and Bencher paddles for less than $50 atswapmeets on the last day when everyone is in a dealing mood and doesn't want topack up all that stuff left over to take back home. You know the story, they were toldnot to come back home with paddles didn't look pretty but I spent some elbow grease, paint remover, primer,and paint to get them looking like new again and working like a for used equipment is like looking at used cars. Different owners have adifferent asking price and you can see a wide range here. Try to find out or knowbefore hand the original price and judge accordingly. I'll try to help where I can herebut unless I just happen to be at Dayton with you or where the deal is found I can'thelp.
7 Education is expensive. Been there done course, you can look in the latest mags and get a new paddle from Bencher, MFJ,or Vibroplex and I have shown each and listedtheir going rate at the time of this writing during the second week of November of1998. I could list my order of preference but thatserves as no useful purpose as far as I am concerned. As the saying goes, mileagemay vary and even be dependent upon what I amusing the paddle for, contesting or casual rag chewing on the , using a paddle is like using an ink pen. Different pens have different feel anddifferent characteristics. Same with paddles, so don't think one paddle is that muchdifferent than any other. It is purely a matter of taste and experience and you maylater want to invest in another paddle or paddles to find one you like become a collector.
8 I tend to disregard other peoples opinions on this exceptwhere I know the other individual has more experience that I do on a topic or piece a good look at the paddle and see how it fits all paddles have different physical layouts but basic principles apply through allof them. The Iambic Paddle has two separate movements and sets of contacts whichI will call the left side and the right the adjustments for spacing on the contacts. Play with the adjustments and seeif they are clean and operate in a smooth you are mechanically inclined and working with a used paddle that needs somework then take it apart and clean it up and put it back together. Take notes beforeyou take it apart, keep a small box to hold all the parts 'cuz Ace Hardware andothers may not have a replacement part if you lose it or damage it in common sense on chemicals etc.
9 Also do this inone sitting if possible so you don't forget and reassemble the device kids away from the parts unless you are showing them what a wizard you areor showing them how to do some mechanical do not use a file or other abrasive material on the contacts. I use a sheet ofpaper slid between the contacts to clean them are silver or gold plated and you do not want to remove the this hasn't been messed up by previous owners if you working with a , now that we have a working paddle let's go and hook it up to the keyer. I willassume that you are right handed in order for me to simplify my reverse things for left handed operation or if you want just keep everything thesame so that when you go over to a right handed operators station you don't have tomess with anything.
10 I send and I write with the same hand. Others can send with one hand and write withthe other. I may be a rocket scientist but I can't write and send at the same time andhave never wanted to. It takes all the brain power that I can muster just to sendwithout error, much less try to write and chew gum at the same need a cable that has two wires and a shield and use a small cable and use alength that is long enough to reach from where you will have the paddle on theoperating desk and where you would like the keyer to be if it is outside the rig, If you are lucky to have the manual for the keyer then find out theconnections needed to the paddle. The following are what I used for the AEAkeyers shown in the pictures.
