USA straight key setup and sending method by N1EA

[@TheArtofEngineering]

Thank you for this! I was an RO ....for but a brief moment in VK land. fantastic that this history lives on....and this CW knowledge! 73 de VK2AOE.

[@Jim-MT]

Having taught Morse Code sending (and receiving) in the Army at Ft. Ord in the late 60's, Your video of American style sending is very good. Hardest thing to teach my students was to keep the wrist LOOSE while sending and letting the forearm do the work. Natural tendency is to TIGHTEN the wrist when grasping something like a key knob which brings up the only 'error' I found here where you weren't grasping the knob with your thumb and middle finger on the edges of the knob. Doing that will give a bit more control while sending. All in all though - a great example of American style sending! TNX!

[@eogg25]

Hi Jim, I was a radio operator in the Army and got my training on the job, I was taught Morse Code but never was taught how to send like what is shown in training films as the proper way to send, so I never really new the proper way of sending at that time. My favorite key was the J45 leg key and I guess I was what you would call a tapper, sort of like the guy in the video and it worked for me. I had a very small gap on the key and sent very fast that way. I don't think I could hold the key and send with the very close gap. but I did it for almost two years in Germany. nice to meet a Army CW op. KA9HJZ

[@eogg25]

I believe that key was made for the Navy, I never saw it enclosed, I 'll have to watch for it, for my key collection.

[@djringjr]

The key is a standard oval base Speed-X key which ITT/Mackay Marine put in a heavy metal box and painted it "Merchant Marine Blue" the color of their Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) ship radiotelegraph stations in the 1970-1999 period. As a radio officer on USA ships, I just had to have one!

[@eogg25]

My mistake, looked like the Navy key I have that has a bayonet plug on the side of the base for a bug. SpeedX are great keys has the same good action as the J 37 and 38, I was a Army Morse code OP in the Army in the middle 50's. nice video. enjoy.

[@eogg25]

djringjr Were you ever on the USNS Patch, that was a navy ship but had Merchant Marine serving on it.

[@djringjr]

No, I was not. The Navy ships with merchant marine crews were USNS ships compared with USS ships. I was mainly on tankers, but I worked on roll on roll off ships and container ships as well as research ships, etc. Mostly USA Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

[@stevemorrisby6705]

But if they key stutters do you tighten or loosen the tension?

[@djringjr]

If you use the key and your motion stutters because you cannot reliably press and release the key, you need less tension, if your key presses are uncontrollable because the key unreliability closes before you want it to or doesn't obey your sending, you need more tension. Tension should be enough so the key doesn't false while sending, nor so much to fatigue the operator when sending. A good start is a just little less tension than that required to keep the contacts open with the hand resting fully on the keying knob. Adjust downward in tension until just before the keying gets sloppy because of slurring because of insufficient tension. Good luck.

[@Elrincondelmiedooficial3709]

Dima a cuántos kilómetros se podían escuchar los mensajes de este dispositivo

[@djringjr]

Necesita conectarlo a un transmisor de onda corta, pero a unos 17.000 km.

[@Elrincondelmiedooficial3709]

@@djringjr y 17.000 kilometros es lo máximo 🤔🤔🤔

[@djringjr]

@@Elrincondelmiedooficial3709 That's right, all the way around the world. Sí, todo el mundo en onda corta.

[@Elrincondelmiedooficial3709]

@@djringjr y en onda larga si es que eso existe

[@HogRebel]

If I can learn to copy worth a darn and get all the numbers down in my head, I’d be a lot further along than I am now! 🙄😐 Can’t copy unless it’s really slow. Can send at maybe 10-12 WPM.

[@Elrincondelmiedooficial3709]

Esos se compran 🤔🤔🤔

[@djringjr]

No hago mis propias llaves de telégrafo 🤔🤔🤔

[@sm7fbj]

When using a straight key you use your wrist sending NOT your fingertips.........this key does not look professional

[@djringjr]

Hello my friend, Bjarne, I am NOT using my fingertips at all. I am using my arm muscles pivoted at the wrist. Fingertips have no muscles! This is a typical USA type key, this one was made by ITT/Mackay and was supplied to USA Merchant Ships. This is what they gave us to send with! It is a similar posture to the Swedish and Marconi type keys but it is nearly impossible to hold the knob in your palm like many do with the SRS Lennart Pettersson key. Look closer, you will see no sending is done with the fingers at all, they just contact the knob.

[@sm7fbj]

djringjr Ok Dave, your wrist does not show. I know this key and also how it use to be worked with, sorry about the comment. I just got tired in my wrist watching this method of working..hi. I was a radiotegraphist i the navy and we used the swedish key type of key. CUL

[@Jim-MT]

Oh - My call is KK7YJ hi.

[@djringjr]

I challanged myself to grow my finger nails long to see if they actually helped pick up small parts. They didn't, and that's why I was not gripping the sides of the knob. Live and learn. I was in a lot of pain but I did the videos. If I get that camera again I might do the videos over.