One thing about starting out with a straight key is that you have to learn proper spacing of characters and words unless you want to sound like crap.  When you transition to a paddle, you have a head start with the spacing problem right off the bat.  On the other hand, you cannot legislate the pursuit of excellence.  When you really love something, it isn't work.  Many modern rigs have the ability to record what you send, and the memory holds a lot more than you might think.  My Orion allows me to record five minutes or so of code, and I used to like getting a book and recording my code and playing it back to listen.  You don't even need a tape recorder to do this.  Most QSO's I have are between 24 and 30 wpm.  When I start practicing, I start at 35 wpm and gradually go up to about 50 wpm.  After 45 minutes of this kind of practice, when I get on the air, 30 wpm seems slow, and I can do 25 wpm so easily it's silly.  I'm not saying this to brag on myself, but because this system works!  If you do this every day for two weeks, I'd almost guarantee that you can easily gain at least an improvement of at least 7 wpm. 

     For me, working someone with a great fist makes contacts so much more enjoyable than when you have to struggle to copy someone.  Face it, sending is just as important as copying.  It will improve the entire experience.

Sure you can if you want to, but why bother because your copy will be in your head anyway, won't it?  If you want to learn to do this, I'm sure you can, but set it up any way you feel comfortable.  I have the dits on my index finger side, meaning I can use any paddle at FD or wherever that a right hander uses.  Good luck!  Rick

I borrowed an 718 from a friend for a month to try as a back up rig.  I really liked it, a nice keyer, a sharp looking little radio.  I can't recommend how to get it going on cw, but I would really look into getting the 500 Hz cw filter.  This radio had the DSP, but I still needed the cw filter.  You may have had the filter installed, but if you don't you will end up quite frustrated, I think.  Good luck.

In my post above, I forgot to mention vitamin B-6.  It is used for various nerve conditions, for nerve entrapment like carpal tunnel, for neuropathy like in diabetes.  One study showed improvement of carpal tunnel symptoms after use of 100-200 mg per day of B-6 for several months.  Don't forget the ice, massage, and stretching. 

I guess I'm a Homer, but I don't know how you could go wrong with a used Ten Tec.  An Omni V with a couple of filters would be great for you.  I love the Corsair II, and the Omni D Series C.  This has a single conversion rcvr, which has little noise.  The AGC pops a little, but all you have to do is fiddle with the RF gain a little to quiet it down.  The Corsair II has a built-in keyer, but not the Omni V, for some reason.  I would be happy to any of those rigs in the shack right now, and I have an Orion and Omni VI+.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is compression of the median nerve as it passes through the wrist.  I have had good luck with massage of my wrist, palm, and the big muscle of the thumb in the thumb.  Ice also helps, but you will want to put a washcloth over the skin.  I use a Kent single paddle, and my forearm is at a 45 degree angle on the table with the fat pad of my hand (the little finger side) resting on the table.  You might also want to try a cock-up splint at night to keep your wrist back because the tendancy when you are asleep is to bring the wrist forward in toward you body, and this can make the condition worse.  This is another reason to use very light tension and travel on the paddle...there is less motion required and less energy required to make the paddle work.  You might also find that stretching your palm helps.  I do these things while watching TV.  Alleve can be helpful, and if you are not allergic, aspirin is the best anti-inflammatory drug there is.  Good luck.

There's a lot of good information here.  When you zero beat the dx and figure out where he's working split, you need to very carefully listen to his exchanges.  I want to try to match his speed, as that's what he's hearing in his head.  Also, don't send your call indiscrimantly.  Having a short call does help.  Timing is just so critical.  Don't fret the lids who are having fits trying to be heard.  If you hear a pause after about 5 calls or so from the herd, try to time this and maybe he will hear you.  Use your ears, use your ears, use your ears.  Good luck.

Great stuff.  There are first-class operators on SSB, great folks to ragchew with.  On CW there seem to be more of these kinds of ops.  CW ops seem to have more respect for other CW ops, because the op on the other hand knows how hard you've worked to gain your skills, and how much you love CW in particular and Ham Radio in general.  If you didn't, you most likely couldn't develop superior or even average skills.  CW ops are polite and know how to listen.  Occasionally I will run into someone who wants to hog the QSO, but not very often.  It's just magic, pure and simple. Rick, n5xm

Great stuff, Cory.  I would keep the Collins stuff and the Jupiter.  The Jupiter would work well on QRP and on data, if you wanted to learn it.  If you kept the Collins hooked up to the 30L-1 it would be available to you when condx are poor.  I would love to have several of the Ten-Tec single bander QRP rigs, but there are some other very nice multi-band QRP rigs out there.  A K1 or K2 is also a great idea.  There are many choices for you, and good luck! Rich, n5xm

I agree with ni0w...don't worry about a bug right now.  The good thing about starting with a hand key is that you force yourself to make the characters properly, and that gets ingrained in your subconscious mind.  When you move to a paddle it is easier to send more smoothly.  Work on having proper spacing between characters within a word, and proper spacing between words.  This is critical. I hate trying to copy someone when they run everything together.  It makes a QSO much less enjoyable.  I also agree with practicing sending off the air.  You will gain confidence in sending your initial exchanges.  Don't worry about your speed, as it will come naturally with time, just like learning a new language.  Even though I can run an easy 40wpm, every two or three months I like to get a book and practice sending.  You can get sloppy sometimes, and this helps eliminate that.  Definitely listen to on-air QSOs to help your ear, and face it, you won't copy everything immediately.  Getting proficient with CW requires patience and persistent.  Don't worry that you can't ragchew right off the bat.  Try to retain the thread of the QSO and you will be allright.  Right now, you need to practice every day.  It will help if you have some kind of background in music...guitar, piano, drums, or whatever.  If you do, you already understand tempo, timing, meter, and you will be able to recognize when something sounds right.  Good luck my friend, you can do it!

Martin, just tune the other person in as best you can, and then use your RIT.  That way your transmit frequency doesn't change.  A lot of the newer rigs even have CW tone adjustments on the front panel. You're gonna do great!  Rick, n5xm

Congratulations, Everett.  At first you will over focus by trying to copy everything.  Then, when you don't, the old brain freeze comes into play.  The hardest thing to do is just relax.  It's all about repetition.  Nobody is good at the very beginning.  It's desire, patience, and persistence.  I'm so happy you are on the air and giving that kind of effort.  It will pay off.
Rick, n5xm

I use a Kent SP-1 and I like the settings very close and light.  I think this stuff is personal.  I have a very small hand and the low profile of the Kent works really well for me.  You just have to work with it and find what is best for your individual tastes.

Whatever method you choose, the most important considerations are patience and persistence.  Work on it every day.  It's a language, and like any language, the more you use it the better you get.  Do not neglect practicing your sending skills once you learn the code.  Nothing worth doing happens overnight.  Remember that others don't have more skills because they are better than you, but because they have been at it longer.  Even if they are more gifted, what you can control is that they can't outwork you if you don't let them.  You can do it!  Rick, n5xm

Good idea on the wooden fingerpieces.  Save your money and get a ZN paddle or a Kent.  You'll be very happy.  Something I do you might want to note...I keep a small container of Gold Bond powder on the desk.  If things get the least bit sticky or hot, put a little on your fingers and it becomes as smooth as a baby's butt.  Kinda like chalking your pool cue.  Rick, n5xm