1. QRPLabs@groups.io

Re: Iambic CW?

Hans Summers
 

A lot of paddle ops on air are hard to decode too... the biggest crime is insufficient inter-character gap. It is supposed to be 3 dit-lengths (and 7 dit-lengths for an inter-word gap). 

The inter-word gap is less critical to intelligibility. But when the inter-character gap is shortened it really makes it hard to decode. In my limited experience, it's not uncommon for ops in a hurry, to compress the inter-character gap. 

A few keyers (including the one in QCX) include the capability to enforce the 3-dit inter-character spacing. See menu "4.5 Auto Space". It's a nice fearure but I think it is rarely used. 

73 Hans G0UPL 

On Fri, Feb 19, 2021, 09:46 Pat <pat.ring1@...> wrote:
I'm 100% a squeezer. 

It's not really about efficiency, as I read some time ago that there supposedly isn't that much of a difference (I'm sure that's SKCC propaganda), but I think economy of movement is more important - I'm lazy.  Consider the C and Q - the same movement sends both characters, with only a very slight change in release time distinguishing the characters.  

A QRO guy once told me that the people using QRP rigs aren't challenging themselves, they are challenging others to pick their signals out of the air.  The burden is on the receiver, not the sender.  I kinda feel the same way about a lot of the straight key users I hear on the air.  Glad you are using that old school straight key and forming your own dits and dahs, but some fists are better than others at that timing.  

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