>>2) It's perfectly legal (FCC-wise and DXCC-wise) for someone to drive to the op's station and work the operation with their callsign. <<

Legal, but I'm not sure that such a QSO will count toward DXCC. I could be wrong about this.

If you don't think remote control is proper, then you should do the following at your station:

1. Disconnect your antenna rotators and turn the antennas by hand.

2. Unplug your keyer and hardwire the key to the transmitter. Actually, the key wire is a form of remote control, so stop using CW. Same goes for the wire from the mike to the radio. Stop using phone.

3. Disconnect your earphones and use the transceiver's internal speaker.

4. If you use a foot switch, unplug it.

5. Disconnect all the control wires from your computer to your radios.

6. Eliminate all remote antenna switches.

I suggest that you consider holding off sending until you feel that you have mastered copying, especially at 30 WPM. By mastering I mean copying everything without any errors. By copying I mean decoding in your head, not on paper.

Then, when you finally do use a key, you will tend to imitate what you have been copying. You will be making  words with proper spacing, etc., not a poorly timed string of dots and dashes. (There are those who disagree with me on this, however.)

Although some people can send 30+ WPM with a hand key, it is much easier to use a dual paddle and a keyer.

73, Jim W4YA

Is graffiti writing better than cursive writing? As I recall, writing individual letters became impossible after a certain speed, and I switched to cursive which seemed to be easier. For me it would have been impossible to get the 35 WPM certificate without cursive.

In an actual QSO it is best to learn how to write only key words like name and callsign. It's not necessary to write everything down.

It depends on "who has the frequency."

If, in your previous QSO, you answered his CQ, then you should move off of the frequency if someone calls you after the QSO is over. Say something like "UP 1" or "DOWN 2".

In general, if someone calls you so far off your frequency that you have to use your RIT, simply ask him to zero beat your signal.

Who would be deceived? If the rig and antenna is in Cyprus, what difference would it make in a contest if the operator is also in Cyprus or somewhere else? In fact, a remote operator would be at a disadvantage because of the delays inherent in remote operation. A key or mike is connected to the rig in either case. The only difference would be the length of the connecting line.

How about this absurd example: I am in a contest in my shack in Florida using my Florida callsign. My computer #1 is connected via the internet finally to a server in Australia which then communicates back to another Florida server, that finally communicates with another computer #2 in my shack, that controls my transceiver. Would I be deceiving anyone if I said I was in Florida? If not, then what does it matter where I am sitting during the contest? Who would be deceived?

73, Jim W4YA

ARRL contest rule 3.9 states:

3.9. Contacts made through repeaters, digipeaters, or gateways are not permitted.

I don't know what a "digipeter" or a "gateway" is, or how it applies to your situation. Before you spend time in a contest, you should ask the sponsor for a clarification.

All good advice. It takes as much time and effort to learn code at 20 WPM as it does at 5 WPM. If you go through 4 plateaus to get to 20 WPM, you have learned it 4 times!! That doesn't make sense.

For those who may have considered an ARRL Life Membership, and wonder if it's worth it, this was my experience:

Sometime in the 60's, a year after ARRL started Life Membership, our Division Director was bugging me at a hamfest to get a life membership. I told him I wasn't a millionaire and couldn't afford to shell out 20 years' dues. At the time membership was $6, so Life Membership would be a whopping $120!! No way I would do that!

He prevailed, and I finally signed the paper just to get him off my back.

Now, 40+ years later, I can brag about the great investment that I made.

However, I have noticed that my QST subscription will expire in 2099. I knew there was a trick to it!!!!

73,
Jim W4YA

"With your single dot keyer, you will only save strokes for K, Y, and Q "

Not quite correct. Perhaps I'm not explaining the concept of single DOT insertion fully.

The idea is to send characters with one "squeeze" of the paddles, i.e.: K,Y,Q,A,B,D,G,J,N,U,V,W,1,2,3,4,6,7,8,and 9. EISH5TMO0 are special cases which are sent with one squeeze on any keyer. P,C and X cannot be sent with one squeeze on this keyer.

A complete explanation of a tube version of this keyer can be found at: "The  9TO Mark II Keyer" by W9WJB, QST, June 1967. This can be downloaded from the ARRL QST Archive.

73,
Jim W4YA

KN1W - I can't find any info on the AEA MM-2. I can't picture what you mean by individual control of the DOT/DASH memories.

I use the K3/V0 mode and can't see any difference in the other modes. Since I don't like iambic, I use a dual lever paddle as if it were a single lever one with the K3.

Forty years ago I built a tube 9TO that had the single DOT insertion feature. It was extremely easy to use with a dual paddle, and I hoped that someone would know of a more modern keyer that had that feature. W8ZNX may be right, and possibly I can figure out how to build one.

73,
Jim W4YA

This keyer, if it exists, would send a "1" like this:

Close both paddles, the DOT paddle slightly ahead of the DASH paddle. One DOT is sent, followed by a string of DASHES. Keep BOTH closed until the fourth DASH starts. Then release both paddles.

A, W and J would be sent the same way.

This would be very different than iambic squeezing, and it would eliminate the unwanted DOT after DASH that can occur with iambic since only one DOT could be sent.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I want a "single dot" memory keyer to be used with a double paddle key. A single paddle won't work with that kind of keyer.

I asked this question before, but got no good replies.

I am looking for a keyer that inserts a SINGLE dot during a string of dashes (not iambic). That is, you hold the dash paddle closed and get dashes. Then ,keeping the dash lever closed, you close the dot lever - and keep both levers closed. The dash being sent is completed, and ONE dot is inserted, and the dashes continue with NO additional dots.

The advantage over an iambic squeeze keyer is it is impossible to send a C when you want K, or R when you want A, etc.

Thanks,
Jim W4YA

I never make mistakes sending code. However, my Brown Bros. paddle is getting very old, and it frequently makes errors. I just stop and resend the word. Sending six dots or six Es is a waste of time.