so I've been licensed for about 6 years now mostly doing VHF stuff and some HF SSB but I always told myself I'd eventually learn morse and I keep putting it off. finally ordered a cheap paddle off amazon (yeah I know, I know) and I've been messing around with my old FT-857 using its built in keyer and honestly I'm kind of lost.

the paddle itself feels a little mushy and the contacts aren't super crisp but I'm not sure if that's the paddle or if I'm just bad at this — probably both. I've been using lcwo.net for code practice which everyone seems to recommend and I'm working through the Koch method starting slow around 13wpm character speed. my question is mainly about the keyer side of things though. what mode should I have the keyer set to, mode A or mode B, and does it actually matter when you're this slow and still learning? also is there a point where I should get a real paddle before I ingrain bad habits or can I stick with the cheap one for a while?

any tips appreciated, I feel like I'm starting completely from scratch which I guess I am

mode A vs B honestly doesnt matter much when you're starting out, most people end up on mode B eventually because it handles squeeze keying a little more naturally but at 13wpm youre not going to notice a difference. don't overthink that part.

the paddle thing though — yeah a mushy paddle makes it harder to develop a feel for timing. you dont have to spend a lot, a Begali or Bencher is nice but a used Vibroplex paddle or even a decent clone in the $40-60 range from some of the smaller makers will be way better than the amazon stuff. the tension adjustment matters a lot. if the contacts have too much spring or slop in them your dits will bleed together and you'll build bad muscle memory without even realizing it. I'd try to find something with a cleaner action sooner rather than later if you can.

keep going with lcwo though, the Koch method works if you stick with it. lots of people quit around character 10-12 when it starts feeling overwhelming, just push through that part

I'm kind of in the same boat as you, been at it for about 4 months now. one thing that helped me a lot was just listening to actual QSOs on the bands even when I couldnt copy hardly anything. like just having 40m on in the background while i'm doing other stuff. your brain starts picking up rhythms without you really trying and then when you sit down to practice it somehow feels a bit more familiar.

also dont get discouraged if some letters just wont stick for a while. V and B were my nemesis for like two months. they're fine now lol