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Hi CW Experts,
I'm just wondering if someone can comment if there is any advantage of having DATHs on the right paddle? I'm using my paddle other way around (It was somehow more convenient for me). But I'm at the moment on 16WPM and I would like to know if this could be disadvantage if the speed increase?

thanks

Adrian, DH1AHL

Conventionally the dah was on the right hand on mechanical bugs. That was because you can make more force for the dit spring with your thumb.

That is (of course) copied for electronic keyers.

For left handed persons there was a special left hand vibroplex with the dahs left commercially available.

Modern keyers have the option to change left and right electronically. When you do that at a guest station and forget to switch it back to normal after finishing guest operation, the host ham is in trouble because he has to look for the instruction manual. And that is above the technical level of hams these days, after decades of dumbing down ham radio.

You always can switch left and right instantaneously when you turn the paddle(s) 180 degree in the horizontal plane.

When commercial transceivers have a standard connector for a key, that is dits on the tip and dashed on the ring of a stereo audio connector, I suppose so, no commercial equipment available here, everything home brew; then you can make a cable with 3 wires a stereo male and a female connector; tip of the one to ring on the other.
May be you can find a kit on the Internet when that is a problem. Put it in your leder-hose and you can change the behaviour of any paddle by inserting that cable between key and transmitter.

So, when you find out it is better for you to have the dashes left, go on and 55 or H 88 whatever you like.

[quote=DH1AHL]Hi CW Experts,

[SNIP]
this could be disadvantage if the speed increase?
[SNIP]

[/quote]

If you want speed then you need both the dits and the dahs on both the left and right at the same time.

For this you will need to acquire a key type called a cootie keyer ( for no reason what so ever ) or also called a sidewinder ( which is a reference to some American snake which presumably was good at morse too )

It was invented to help people who developed paralysis due to too much pounding of normal keys and has some other advantages - e.g. cheap, easy to make.

This of course means that expensive key makers can't make lots of money from ball bearings, magnets and gold plate etc so they don't get much of a press . . . .

In Holland people make their own cooties from broken hacksaw blades.

Here are some more cootie things for you to look at.

https://mtechnologies.com/cootie.htm

http://www.sideswipernet.org/articles/vk5bug-sending.php

http://www.dxzone.com/homemade-morse-keys/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhsJSRvB1YE

Don't take any notice of brushup's instruction book or gender changer wiring, because everyone just looks things up on the internet now; and so brushup will have to sell them on ebay as antiques

But do remember, if you want to send morse at 40+wpm etc, brushup will be one of the very very few people on earth who will be able to understand you . . .


enjoy


cb

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/bandersnatchreverb/MAIN/Message_1497312089898_zps957sb2ol.jpg

Thata pulls my attention, escaping from prison with broken hack saw blades.
Plenty of them available here.

Thanks Gents,

but lets imagine I'm using Beagli HST key and I learned to have DATHs on the left (thumb).
Could that be disadvantage later or it is not really a problem to train it other way arround?
73, Adrian

I don't think it matters, some left handed people do it the other way round naturally others find they need to change it.

The biggest pain to having the paddles reversed (which is what you are doing) is that you will need to learn all of the various keyer programming/setup commands to switch it. Don't do it by switching the wiring since that will confuse other people.

73, Colin

It is not really a problem. But you can not be sure. Training left can have another final result compared with training right dependent per person. The fact that you selected left dashes and found that to be easier, is an indication but no guarantee that it is best for you.

In fact, your choice may be the best because the index finger is more suited for actions with precise timing than the thumb, and the dits require more precise timing than the dashes in a keyer to get the desired code.

In practice when you selected left dashes right handed training, and you use the transmitter of another ham you have to switch, and then you can chose for 3 or 4 options
1. Inserting a left-right changing cable between his key cable and the transmitter
2.. turning the key 180 degree with the paddle(s) off your side
3. switch electronically, and don't forget to switch it back after finishing operation.
4. hold the key upside down in your left hand.

A final advice, when you read different contradictory advice: check the authors proficiency, validate their scores and rate their value. I think it is rediculous to accept a guys advice abt QRQQ operating, when he shows hardly to be able to make a QSO with 5 or 10 wpm.

Try this, complete with switch to swap paddles:

http://www.qsl.net/w6dps/paddle.html

Kwacka,

That toggle switch is some on off switch, not meant to interchange paddle function.

I think, but I am not a professional electronic designer, but just a ham at technician level, that it is a bad design. because there is no RF decoupling so with little RF radiation in your shack it goes wild. It works mostly on mains 60 Hz hum pick-up, so even on SOTA QRP it may fail, when working at home. Dependent on the brand of your set it is even possible that every dash and dot is divided in 10 ms (europe) or 8,3 ms (USA) bursts.

For SOTA you better use PNP Darlingtons instead of NPN transistors, because PNP darlingtons switch on when you are with your fingers electrically on mass potential with your set.

Better prevent discouragement and do not copy this cripple design.

When you want to make yourself a touch paddle you better start out with pressure sensitive resistor pads.

Thanks

depend mostly if you are left or right handed. I have to have the dah on the right, because I am left handed, but I guess if I had started back in the early 90's with it the other way then I could not use it without dit on the right. It all has to do with where you feel the most comfortable and in control of your fist. I use a nye paddle keyer which is real simple to change over by exchanging two wires. Also since my icom will not let you transmit out of band it makes an great code practice setup. Set for cw, tune out of band, and use the built in cw tone so you can hear what you are sending.

cd-chris
This is simply in both statements NOT TRUE

The side swiper, is not named to a viper, and not named side winder, it has nothing to do with some snake. It is also called a double speed key.
That is because with two movements you make 2 dots or dashes instead of one on a straight key.
That does NOT mean , when you can use a straight key up to 20 wpm,, that the side swiper let you transmit 40 wpm.

The max speed of that key is experienced to be between 25 and 30 wpm.

A set of paddles or preferably a single paddle brings the average amateur with the same hand control to 40 or 45 wpm.

Please Chris do not give the wrong type of explanation and advice to beginners.

I have found that the speed you send is what you should expect to recieve. I you receeve it say 18 what would be the since in sending at 25. a lot of qrs and qrq would be all it would accomplish. Is anything as good if it is done too fast?

Bob,

same as with cars: speed can be fun!

It became convention to have the dots on the left hand side when Horace Martin invented the bug key at the beginning of the last century.

I always have the dots on the left hand side of my keys so that when I go to other peoples shack I can use their key with no problems( Assuming they follow the convention too!).

This even applies to my bug key which I use with my left hand, 73 Rich G4FAD..

ok, thanks for all Your hints
I will try to change...let's see how long does it take to re-think thin behavior...

Life is too short to rush through it. When we are young we think we have all the time in the world, but as we get older(like me)we realize we don't. Slow down and enjoy life. Most people who are sending 28 plus wpm are doing it with a computer; not with a key..these are the same people at the top of the high score list on here..200 wpm get real.