so ive been at this for about three months now, just got my general and been trying to actually get on cw which was kind of the whole reason i got into ham radio in the first place. i picked up a used bencher paddle off ebay and im running it into an old MFJ keyer i borrowed from a club member.

the problem is everything i send just sounds... off. like the dits and dahs kind of run together sometimes and other times theres this weird gap in the middle of characters that shouldnt be there. ive messed with the weight and speed settings a bunch but i cant seem to find a setting that just feels right. im probably sending around 12-13 wpm which i know isnt fast but it should still sound clean right?

is this a paddle gap adjustment thing? i honestly have no idea how tight the contacts are supposed to be. the previous owner might have set it up weird. or is this more about my hand technique and i just need more practice. been using the G4FON trainer to practice receiving and im actually doing ok there, its just the sending that feels sloppy.

yeah almost certainly the paddle gap. on a bencher you want maybe a business card thickness of space between the contacts, some people go a little tighter but thats a good starting point. too wide and youre working too hard to close the contacts and your timing goes all over the place. too tight and you get double hits.

also check that the tension spring isnt too stiff or too loose — benchers have that little tension adjuster on the side and a lot of used ones get cranked all the way up by someone who liked heavy tension. lighter tension is usually easier to control when youre still building muscle memory. just play with it slowly, make small adjustments, send some practice words and listen back. if you can record yourself thats even better, i plug mine into audacity sometimes when im trying to dial in a new paddle.

the MFJ keyers can also be a little finicky with the weight control, i'd set that to dead center first and leave it alone until the paddle itself feels better. one variable at a time.

im kind of in the same boat honestly, been at cw maybe 5 months. what helped me more than anything was slowing way down and just sending single characters over and over while actually listening to what came out. like i thought i was sending clean C's but when i really paid attention i was clipping the last dit half the time.

also someone told me to try sending with my whole forearm relaxed on the desk, not just the wrist floating. made a weird difference for me. anyway G4FON is great for receiving, still using it myself.