[K3] CW Weight Question

[W4JBB]

Okay, maybe this is a dumb question, but I have searched the Elecraft
Archives back to October 2011 and I cannot find what I'm looking for (or
I don't know what I'm looking for).

What is CW Weight? I know what the book says, "Adjust element/space
timing ratio (weight) for the internal keyer."

What does that mean?

I ask this, because I like to use a bug or a straight key. When I *do*
use my paddles, I notice the dits do not sound as "crisp" as the dits on
the bug. I'm sorry, "crisp" is the best adjective I can think of. The
paddles (at the default CW weight of 1.15) sound "muddled" or "mushy" to
my hearing. I turned the CW weight down to 0.90 and it sounds more like
the dits on the bug - "crisp."

If there's a change in the way the dahs sound with the CW weight at
0.90, I cannot tell a difference. In all honesty, I'm probably a little
long on my dahs on the bug anyway ;) .

Does CW weight increase or decrease the, hmm... roll off? of the dits.
Kind of like a cap slowly discharging?

Meh... Maybe I'm just nuts.

73,
Joel - W4JBB
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[John Oppenheimer]

Hi Joel,

Weight, on an Elecraft radio, is a ratio of the Dit and symbol space
time. With weight set to 1.00, the Dit period is the same time as the
symbol space time. As weight is increased, the Dit, and Dah, times are
lengthened by the ratio. For example, 25 WPM, the Dit time, in ms, is
defined as:

T = 1200 / WPM = 1200 / 25 = 48 ms.

If the weight is set to 1.00, the Dit and symbol space time will be 48 ms.

If the weight is set to 1.15, then:

Dit time = 48 * 1.15 = 55.2 ms
or about 7 ms longer.

The symbol space time will be about 7 ms shorter.

Dah time is also 7 ms longer, or:
48 * 3 + 7 = 151 ms.

John KN5L

On 12/12/2013 04:48 PM, Joel Black wrote:
> What is CW Weight?
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[k6dgw]

Kind of a poorly defined term Joel.  Technically, the measure is
dot-time, the duration of one dot.  It's also the duration of the spaces
between character elements.  Dashes are 3 dot-times, as are the spaces
between letters.  The space between words is 7 dot-times.  I'm fairly
sure that's what W1AW sends for bulletins and code practice.

"Weight" on some keyers means changing the length of a dot in relation
to dash.  I have an old keyer where it meant lengthening or shortening
the inter-element spaces above or below one dot-time.  And some keyers
[Winkey?] allow you to adjust several of those parameters.

Since bugs are mechanical, a very close spacing on the dot contact will
make longer dots, a wide spacing will make them shorter.  That's what
weight used to mean when everyone used a bug, but it was kind of
complicated by the fact that you make the dashes manually.  It's always
seemed common to me for the dots from a bug to be a little too short.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2014 Cal QSO Party 4-5 Oct 2014
- www.cqp.org

On 12/12/2013 2:48 PM, Joel Black wrote:
> Okay, maybe this is a dumb question, but I have searched the Elecraft
> Archives back to October 2011 and I cannot find what I'm looking for (or
> I don't know what I'm looking for).
>
> What is CW Weight? I know what the book says, "Adjust element/space
> timing ratio (weight) for the internal keyer."


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