I was licensed in 1959 as K4RML and operated for a year with a straight
key and a bug. Then I got a Hallicrafters HA-4 keyer and did not use a bug
again for many years. In 1976 I tried to change to the iambic method of
keying. Although I worked hard at becoming proficient for six months, the
longer I practiced, the worse I got. I finally gave that up as the "work of
the devil" and went back to my single-lever key. In 1987 I took up the bug
again by using just it for 30 days. After that I could send with either the
keyer or the bug. Once when talking with Hack K4KP, he suggested that I
take up the cootie. He said he had made cooties for a number of people but
that none had learned to use them. I promised him that if he would make one
for me, I'd learn to use it. Many was the time I regretted that promise as
learning to send with a cootie was the hardest thing I've ever done. Now I
send with anything but an iambic keyer (still the work of the devil to me).
I'm 56 years old.
73
Mike N4NT
Johnson City, Tennessee