so ive been trying to get back into CW after a long break (like 10 years) and i picked up a used Bencher paddle a few months ago and hooked it up to the keyer built into my radio (IC-7300). the problem is everything i send just sounds... off? like the dots and dashes are running together, especially when i try to go faster than maybe 12 wpm or so. i know my fist is rusty but i dont think its entirely me because even when i slow way down and try to be deliberate about it the spacing feels wrong.

ive messed with the weight and ratio settings a bit but honestly i dont fully understand what all of them do. i thought weight was just dot to dash ratio but then i read somewhere its actually the overall on/off time ratio? not sure. also wondering if maybe the paddle itself needs adjustment, the contacts feel a little sticky or stiff maybe. anyone dealt with this before or know where i should start

yeah the weight control on the 7300 keyer is the ratio of mark to space within each element, so if you crank it up your dots get fatter and if you go too low they get thin and choppy. most people leave it right at 50 (sometimes labeled as 1:1) and that's the standard. if yours is set to something weird from the previous owner that would definitely cause the mushy sound you're describing.

but honestly before messing with any of that i'd check the paddle gap first. Bencher paddles have two small screws on each side that set how far the paddle travels before making contact, and if the gaps are too tight the contacts will bounce or stick and you'll get extra dots you didn't intend. there's a sweet spot where it just barely closes with light pressure and you'll know it when you find it. takes some patience but once you get it dialed in it makes a huge difference. grab a business card and try to just barely fit it in the gap as a rough starting point, then go from there by feel.

also make sure the iambic mode is set to mode A or B depending on your preference, some people find one feels more natural than the other. i personally use mode A and it feels more predictable to me but thats just habit from forever ago

i had almost the exact same issue when i got back into cw last year, thought i had totally lost whatever skill i had. turned out my keyer speed was actually set a bit higher than what the display said because i had bumped something, and also i was gripping the paddle way too hard out of nervousness which makes everything tense up and rush. once i consciously relaxed my hand and dropped the speed down to like 10wpm just to rebuild confidence it started clicking again. dont give up on it, rusty is normal after a long break