Tightwad that I am, when I first got my IC706MKllG, I built a paddle from
available material, junk, and scrap. It consisted of a hunk of a 6"
stainless ruler, two angle brackets to hold it to a slab of 3/4"
plywood, dot and dash contacts made from binding posts and 8-32 bolts, and
the dot thumbpiece of scrap plastic and the dash knob from a scrapped hand
key. The whole biz worked like a charm for more than a year until I bought
my first Vibrokeyer on E-bay. It is now my 2 meter CW paddle on my 706 now
in the base since two failures of the 706 HF finals. My second Vibrokeyer
is running the mobile IC7000.
Net cost, zero, net fun and satisfaction, a bunch.
73,
Joe
On Tue, Jan 29, 2013 at 6:49 PM, mathprof53575 <wilson@...> wrote:
**
I was planning to build a paddle set, then I came across the Black Widow
paddle kit. It is very nice. eham review at
. That says price is now
$57, I think I paid a bit less than $50. It does take a bit of metal
working experience if you want it to look good, mine does really look nice,
but I think almost no metal working background would be needed to make it
work fine.
Possible bad news, though: The page for the source of the kit,
seems to have disappeared from the
web. So the kit may no longer be available. But if you can find it I think
it is a bargain.
Bob Wilson, WA9D
--- In ic7000@..., "James Brock" wrote:
I am getting more interested in operating CW. Right now am doing a lot
listening and practice to try to get my speed up. I am nearly seventy-two
and likely speed will peak out at about 20 wpm. I have a really nice
straight key and, if I say so myself, have a pretty good fist. But my
sending will be a lot more consistent if I use some electronic paddles. I
looked on ebay and ouch..some of them were extremely expensive. I saw a
number of MFJ units in the middle price range. Also some Butternut units.
I am not ashamed to ask for some help from some good CW operators
regarding
making a recommendation for me. I want something nice, needs to last me
for
at least twenty more years..! (I qualify as a OT, received my license in
1956.)
One thing that confused me was what they call a magnet tensioning, very
briefly can someone tell me the advantage of them over various spring
tensions. Are they worth the additional $$$.
When I was a novice and for a short period thereafter used a bug and had
no
problem.
Jim W7DAU Eugene, OR ( Home of the Mighty University of Oregon Ducks
about fourteen blocks north of my shack! )
--
Joe Weisberger
SEMPER FI
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