Ron,

This makes me cringe.  I've made a serious effort ober the past 2 years 
to improve my CW contest  skills.  I'm still playing in the boy's 
department, but an e-mail like that would have pissed me off big time.


I've never got the hang of using a paddle, so  I do my  CW contesting 
and DXing with the  automated CW through the logging software.   Press a 
key and send the pre-programmed message  at whatever speed you want.

Whatever you do, have fun.  It's just a hobby and contests are just a game.

73, Steve KW3A


On 2/20/2016 2:49 PM, Dr. Ronald E. Milliman wrote:
> Regarding the CW activity this weekend, I am stuck with this old, but goody,
> World War II straight key, and no way can I send 30 or 35 wpm with it, and
> nobody will give me the time of day stumbling along at 15 wpm!! You guys
> won't believe me about this, but honestly, I even received an email message
> from a station who told me to stay off the bands if I couldn't run with the
> big boys at least 30 wpm. My paddle went to Heaven with Justice Antonin
> Scalia, and I am trying to do my best with this straight key. It is the key
> I started with way back in my Novice days in 1957, and it is still a super
> fantastic key, but it doesn't go like my paddle did! <lol> Plus, these old
> hands aren't as fast and coordinated as they were when I was a teenager!
>
> Ron, K8HSY
>