The warm fuzzy feeling.

 

Fuzzy stickers on F keys 

CW contesting is a consistent growth of skills from learning code, increasing code speed, learning what your contesting program can do, and the list goes on. My latest endeavor is to learn touch typing of my function keys or F1-12, in the case of N1MM+, these are 12 function keys that allow you to send contest macros. I know 12 sounds impressive, but honestly, I only use about 6 consistently, as for the other function keys, I can allow myself to look down at the keyboard. The 6 keys I wanted to learn to touch type are F1 CQ, F2 exchange, F4 my call, F5 his call, F10 log, and a non-F key, the pause key, which in N1MM+ is used when operating SO2V (single op 2 VFO) to flip back and forth, which VFO you are transmitting on.  

Over the years, I have learned that with touch typing, it is very important to use the same finger for the same key. Changing up which finger you use only confuses the learning curve, and touch typing will not happen. 
Let's get back to the F keys and my "method" I use, but before that, my preferred keyboard is the XT keyboard. This is a full-sized keyboard, with mechanical keys and the F keys have spaces between the escape key and F1key, space between F4-F5 and between F8-F9. Let me explain why these spaces help me out with touch typing. Without looking at the keyboard, my left hand ring finger moves up to the F key area and finds the space between the escape key and F1, the CQ macro key. When I do that, I move my ring finger on top of the F1 CQ key. 

If I want the F2 exchange key again, my ring finger moves up to the space, then onto the F1 key. My middle finger is now over the F2 key and will drop on top of the F2 exchange key. For the F4, my call macro key, again, my left hand moves up and my pointer finger finds the space between the F4 and F5 key. This finger moves to the left to the F4 key. 

It's the right hand's turn to get an F key workout.  This is where the warm fuzzies come into play. In the heat of the contest battle, there are times I need to send a partial call due to fading or multiple callers coming back to my CQ CONTEST call. This is the job of the F5 key and a key I am still learning its position regarding my pointer finger on my right hand. What I do is, on the F5 key, I put a nice fuzzy furniture sticker there. Without looking, I can place my pointer finger close to the F5 key and move it along, and when I feel the fuzzy sticker, I am there. I do the same for the F10 log key as well. By always using the same finger over time, I can remove the fuzzy sticker and hit the desired key each time. I used this method to learn the F1, F2 and F4 keys. 

There is then the lonely pause key that swaps between VFOA and B for SO2V operation. It also has a fuzzy on it, and the key is at the end of a row with a large space on the right. I feel for the space and then move my hand to the left and find the fuzzy. 

In conclusion, it takes some time for your brain and fingers to figure out the F key adventure. If you want to learn this, it's very important to stick with the same finger, understand that you're going to mess up and as with everything, practice.