Why is the iambic keyer so strange??

I am not sure what happened to the text of this post? In any case, I've been using electronic memory keyers for over 40 years and yet I find the keyer in my new 8400m completely unusable in both mode A and B. After several hours of adjusting my Bencher and practicing I can't even send CQ followed by my call without errors. Usually I can tame a new keyer in a couple minutes. I've kind of resigned to going to ebay to find a standalone keyer. Have others had this experience?

By way of reporting back, I did some experimenting this morning. I fired up my old radio, an Icom 756ProIII which I've been using the last 20 years and compared its non iambic keyer to the 8400's.

I found that the buffering for a given character in the Icom keyer allows one to paddle somewhat faster than the output speed of the keyer thereby allowing the operator to focus more on spacing between characters and not having to think about spacing between individual elements of a character. On the 8400 keyer paddle timing between individual character elements is critical to form a correct character... Not to mention that mode B thing of adding an element in.

Given that I was trained on electronic memory keyers long before there were iambic keyers, it going to be a heavy lift for my brain to make the switch. I am thinking I just may switch to using a keyboard for keying.

Thanks all for your input.

Rich WA6VOG

After having investigated the last few days as to why I am unable to use the FlexRadio keyer, I wanted to make one final comment on the issue to those that maybe interested.

Fundamentally, it never occurred to me that when I bought a $4k radio that I wouldn't be able to use its keyer. But the fact is I can't; I've been using keyers for over 40 years that have character (dash-dot) memory. Iambic mode A and B requires character element timing. Memory keyer also require some character element timing but not to the level of iambic A and B. Consecutive dits or dahs is an example. I built an iambic keyer prior to owning my IC-756 but it had character memory and I never used squeeze paddling as it never seem to buy much for the speeds I typically operated, 15 to 25 wpm. I now regret throwing it out. In my mind the whole idea of an electronic keyer is to provide more efficient and near perfect code; if you were to hear me on the Flex keyer, I sound about 10 times worse than my novice days.

For the last couple day I've been shopping for an external character memory keyer so I can participate in conversational cw like the old days. It is interesting, there are not many commercial offerings for electronic keyers anymore and those that are available of all advertising iambic keyers. Obviously, I don't want to buy another iambic keyer that is the same as the FlexRadio keyer. Some advertise a third mode to iambic called Ultimatic that appears to have character memory. I am going to buy one of these and give it try.

Knowing what I know today, I would still buy the FlexRadio as it is an amazing radio. Today I participated in the 10 meter cw contest. I quickly programmed a couple macros and had no need to use the paddle; not quite like the old days. I think that that is the essence of k3el prior comment: quick qso can be done with macros, conversations not so much.

It would be nice if FlexRadio would implement a memory style keyer, or add the ulimatic mode to its iambic keyer, but I suspect the market share for those that are accustomed to such keyers is diminishing breed.


Rich, wa6vog