I have not been active lately, so I thought I will challenge myself again and try to learn CW one more time.
I did a lot of online training around five years ago, so I have some idea. I probably did 30 out of the 45-50 lessons (lcwo.net) and I did okay but I never completed the thing or tried to learn how to send or … actually do any real listening on-air…
I have a morserino32 and an extra ‘touch’ paddle but without feedback I find it a bit weird (you need to take the speed way down to be correct, at least for me). Feedback on what the paddles are doing I mean.
So my question is about the latest let’s say recommendation on Morse code keys, Iambic paddles.
What do I need to look for? Amazon/Chinese offerings that make sense?
I never had experience with a real key (from a friend or something) so all info welcome!
Hi Tasos. You probably just started a super thread for opinions. If you’re just getting started, then you might not want to buy an expensive key like a Begali. Their magnetic keys are hard to beat and they are things of beauty.
but…if you want a very affordable key check out the cw Morse keys. They work well enough to learn on.
If you get a cw Morse key get a base with it so you don’t have to hold on to it
then, if you decide you love cw, buy a better key. Most modern radios have a mode that allow you to practice and hear the code without sending. That’s a good way to practice.
My normal SOTA key is a Palm Paddle and I bought the TUMD as a backup key for the pack but after using it on a few activations its fast becoming my SOTA go to key.
Careful on Aliexpress as the price can vary wildly between €50 and €75 so look around.
By the way the Puttikeeg are very good as well and I use one /M as the magnets on the base are really strong.
As you are in the UK, I would start with local market, as recent regulations and tariffs could make import expensive.
See eBay, recently you could buy Begali key for 130gbp. Second hand market from SK operator or someone upgrading could provide economical purchase for beginner.
KENT keys based in Lancashire has nice keys.
Bencher is a good entry level and popular key but I find prices in UK are very high.
Buying on Chinese portal can be tempting due to low prices, however I find Chinese printed keys poor quality and not allowing precise adjustments. A metal ones I tried had bad craftsmanship all over with adjustment screws wobbling.
Some people say Xiegu VK-6 is reasonable for its price.
For learning I would choose base key for portable is a different matter as holding a key is a challenge in itself. I would not recommend learning this way. See YouTube which has several videos about portable keys.
The TUMD is metal and fits nicely in the hand. It’s designed to be held in a SOTA/POTA outdoors setup, not for the home shack I guess. I also have a couple of original Palm Paddles (one with the Code Cube) , one has the original light cable which has seen a few repairs. If you can pick up a TUMD at the lower price point its worth a go.
This, fundamentally, is the problem. Morse Code is not some abstract thing to be learned solely using apps or on-line courses, it is live communication between two people, in our case with some RF in between. There really is no substitute for listening on the air and I would go so far as to say that it is simply not possible to get any level of proficiency in Morse Code without doing so.
Amongst other things by listening on air you get used to what properly sent Morse sounds like in the amateur radio context. For that reason I and most other CW ops would advise against trying to learn how to send until you have learned how to receive. If nothing else, trying to send early on is a distraction from the task at hand, namely learning to receive Morse Code.
When the time comes to think about getting a paddle perhaps the most important question is what will you be using it for. If it’s for SOTA activations then a heavy desktop paddle is really not what you want to be carting up the hill. If it’s for working the DX from home then you won’t want a light weight paddle skiting across the desk every time you try to send something!
