so ive been trying to get back into cw after like 15 years away and got this new keyer from a hamfest but something weird is happening. when i squeeze the paddle for a dah it keeps sending dits instead. tried swapping the leads but that just makes the dit side send dahs. the keyer is some generic thing, no markings on it really. anybody run into this before? im using it with my ic-7300 if that matters. getting frustrated because i can barely remember the code as it is without this thing fighting me

sounds like the keyer might be in reverse mode or something. most modern keyers have a way to swap the paddle assignments, check if theres a menu setting for dot/dash reverse. on the 7300 i think its buried in the keyer settings somewhere but i dont remember exactly where. worth checking the radio manual too since it might be a radio setting not the paddle

oh man i had this exact same problem when i first got my begali paddle. turns out i had it wired backwards and didnt realize the keyer had an auto-reverse feature that was trying to "fix" it. ended up being a double negative situation. try turning off any auto paddle sensing if your rig has it, then wire it the normal way - tip is dit, ring is dah. also some of those hamfest keyers are just weird, might be worth investing in something decent like a vibroplex or WB9LPD unit if you're serious about getting back into cw