Carlo,

Very interesting to actually see statistics.

In 1967 I built a keyer designed by W9WJB (now W6DZ) called The 9TO Mark II Keyer.  See QST June 1967 p. 15. This keyer was not iambic, but featured a single dot insertion.

If you closed the dash paddle, and then the dot paddle, and held them closed, you would get a string of dashes and ONE dot inserted in the string. So K, N and Y etc. would be sent with one squeeze of both paddles.

I found that keyer to be almost foolproof, whereas iambic is almost impossible for me to control.

73, Jim W4YA

Try g4fon.com.

In 1954 a lot of guys in our high school radio club were getting commercial licenses.  There was an FCC office in our town.  So, I studied for the 2nd Class CW license and passed.

The FCC engineer said I might as well try for the Amateur Extra, since the questions were the SAME as the exam I just took.  He was right.  The questions and multiple choice answers were word-for-word the same.

Since I had already passed the 20 wpm code test, he gave me credit for it.

That's how I got my Extra!

First, I have an iambic keyer and a double paddle key that I have used for years. I hate iambic keying. So, I just don't close both paddles at the same time, and I have no problems with it even at higher speeds which I normally send.

I don't see any reason for you to buy another key and keyer.

But if you want to build a simple non-iambic keyer, Google W9TO keyer or 9TO keyer. Or look for it on the QST archives.

Jim W4YA

I have posted this before. You guys are going about this in a much too complicated way.

Try this ----

Get a pad of 3X5" note paper. The idea is that you will use only ONE (1) piece of paper per QSO. Write anything you want on the paper. Write as big or small as you want. When the paper is full, the QSO is over! 73, TU

After a very short time, you will find that you are  copying in your head and writing very little down on the paper slips.

Soon, you will use one slip of 3X5 for 5 or 10 QSOs.

73, Jim W4YA

You can download the current DXCC list of prefixes and entities at:

http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/dxcclist.txt

It's also helpful to have a list of ITU prefixes, which is available from the same website.

73, Jim W4YA

As usual, I am surprised at all of the comments that my original post has generated.

Two of the responses from K1XV and OldFart13 got what I was trying to say in a somewhat humorous way. The tip-off should have been my complaint that my membership expires in 2099!

Of course any ARRL membership is worth it.

73, W4YA
ARRL member since 1951

W5HTW - Thanks for the info.

I got my code practice from NSS in 1950 and '51. So, I guess that was all hand key sending. As I recall, I listened daily M-F from 4 to 5PM EST. Most of it was 5-letter and 5-number groups. The frequency was in the 4mc band. But I was so close to Annapolis that I could hear them on my broadcast band receiver.

73, Jim W4YA

An excellent self-paced learning program is LWCO.NET.

Another is G4FON which you can find by GOOGLE.

LWCO is an on-line program.
G4FON is a program that you download.

I recommend both of them and suggest that you use both.

I always thought the perfect 20+ wpm code from NSS was made with some sort of mechanical device. But an ex-NSS operator told me that it was all done with straight keys. Those guys were good!!!

In 1950 as a young teenager, I lived in Baltimore, and I could pick up NSS on several broadcast radios since it was so close by. I finally could copy the daily 4PM hour-long broadcast solid. Got my General Class ticket in 1951 thanks to NSS.

I got to see the Annapolis antenna farm before it was taken down. Impressive!!

I don't understand your complaint.

The guy sent you a QSL. And you are asking him to send you another one, and take the time to set up an account at some website that he will never use again. I think that most people would tell you the same thing.

I think that you are being unreasonable.

If you use LOTW, you won't need a QSL manager.

I recommend g4fon.net.  An excellent Code trainer, and it's free!

Seems as if I read that method being used somewhere before, and as I need this entity, I hope it will suffice.

ARRL will accept a signed card that you prepare. Something like:

    "I confirm this QSO ___________________"

Include $$ for return postage. The best method is an SASE with his country's stamps. These are available from several good sources.

The easier you make it for him, the better are your chances that he will respond.