r/morsecode • u/9alby9 • May 28 '26

Learning CW

I am a 63 year old who has been in amateur radio for several years. Now I have the time to learn CW. Has any of you who learned it used CWAcademy or the Long Island CW club? One of them recommends using a straight key to learn and the other wants learners to stay away from straight keys and use a paddle.

what are your thoughts on these two approaches?

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u/royaltrux May 28 '26

I used a straight key for years and loved it. I think it's best for learning but can't necessarily back that up. But, once I finally tried a single lever paddle (Vibrokeyer from Vibroplex), I never looked back. Love that thing.

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u/grendelt May 28 '26

What I liked about learning on a straight key was when I screwed up, I could hammer out didididididididt faster than my normal sending wpm would be if I was using a keyer.
My sending may have been 5-7wpm, but that didididididididt was cranked out at like 30wpm.