so ive been a tech for about two years and just upgraded to general last month, and i really want to get into CW. i know i dont need it for the license anymore but theres something about it that just appeals to me, maybe its the history of it or whatever.

anyway i picked up a cheap single lever paddle at a hamfest and im trying to figure out the keyer side of things. my radio (IC-7300) has a built in keyer which i know is a thing, but im reading about external keyers and now im confused about whether i actually need one or if the built in one is fine to start. also whats the difference between iambic mode A and mode B, ive read like four different explanations and im still not totally sure i get it.

mostly just want to know if i should focus on the radio's keyer for now or if theres a reason to get something external eventually. and any tips on actually getting my sending to not sound terrible would be great too, im pretty slow right now maybe 8-10 wpm and my spacing is a mess

The built-in keyer on the 7300 is totally fine to start, honestly it's fine for a lot of people permanently. I used the internal keyer on my radio for probably three years before I got a standalone unit and the main reason I switched wasn't quality, it was just convenience of not having to dig into menus.

Mode A vs mode B is one of those things that sounds way more complicated than it actually matters when you're starting out. The short version is they handle what happens when you release both paddles at the same time mid-squeeze -- mode A stops immediately, mode B sends one more element. Most people learning iambic just pick one and stick with it. I use mode A and never think about it. Some operators swear by B. Just leave it on whatever the default is for now.

For your sending at 8-10 wpm, the most important thing honestly is just consistency. Record yourself with the radio's monitor function if it has one and listen back. You'll hear immediately where your spacing is going wrong. The letters arent usually the problem for beginners, its the spaces between words that get sloppy. Also dont crank the speed up until the slow stuff feels completely automatic, theres no rush.

oh man i went through this exact thing like 8 months ago. still kind of going through it tbh. one thing nobody told me that helped a lot was to just listen to CW way more than i was practicing sending. like just put on W1AW practice sessions or a CW net in the background while doing other stuff and eventually your ear starts to pick things up without you even trying that hard. took me longer than i expected to make the jump from copying individual letters to just hearing whole words, but when it clicked it really clicked

also single lever vs dual lever paddle is a whole other rabbit hole if you ever go down that road lol