so ive been a tech for about two years and just upgraded to general a few months ago and i told myself id finally learn morse code properly this time. not because i have to obviously but because it just seems like something i want to do.

anyway i got a cheap set of paddles off ebay and a little keyer built into my old radio (its an FT-450D) and ive been practicing with that. the problem is my sending sounds terrible when i play it back. like i can copy okay at maybe 10-12 wpm if im really concentrating and the other station isnt rushing, but when i try to send anything my letters just sound wrong. the spacing feels off and some characters just run together. i dont really know if its my technique or the keyer settings or what.

i havent actually made any CW contacts yet because im kind of embarrassed to get on and sound like a complete disaster. is that dumb? should i just jump in? also does anyone have tips for getting paddle technique down because i feel like i never really learned how to hold my hand right or whatever

oh man i remember this exact feeling, it took me probably six months before i felt even remotely okay about getting on the air with CW. but here's the thing — just get on. seriously. the 40m QRP calling frequencies and the slow-speed subnets like the SKCC calling frequencies are full of people who are patient and actually want to help beginners. nobody is going to judge you for sloppy fist when you're learning.

for the paddle technique thing, the biggest thing that helped me was learning to relax my grip. like a lot of people death-grip the paddle when theyre nervous and it just makes everything tense and choppy. your fingers should barely be touching the paddles, you're not squeezing, just resting and letting small movements do the work. also check your keyer weight and speed settings — most built-in keyers in rigs like the 450D have adjustable weight and sometimes people leave it on defaults and that makes things sound weird. try bumping the weight down slightly if dits sound too heavy.

also look up the G4FON trainer if you havent already, great for receiving practice. and honestly just get on the air. the hams on CW are some of the friendliest people in the hobby, partly because they all went through exactly what you're going through.

yeah just jump in, the slow speed sections of 40m around 7.050 or so there's almost always someone willing to have a patient qso. worst case they send QRS and slow down for you.

one thing i never see people mention is that recording yourself and listening back is actually kind of brutal but super helpful. i used to think my spacing was fine until i heard it back and realized my word spacing was almost nonexistent lol. also if you want something to compare to, find recordings of really clean CW operators and just listen to how the rhythm sounds. it becomes almost musical once you start hearing it right.