Mini CW Key Automatic Morse - Radio HAM Send Telegram Double Paddle Morse Code Key with Stainless Steel Body Three Neodymium Magnets Base

I don't like reinventing the wheel. RB left a pretty good review of the key so I encourage that as additional reading. I must admit after reading some of the negative reviews, I was a bit skeptical about getting the key. However, my fears were put to rest when I tested the key. Simply put, its a great key. My thoughts: The key is great. It is made of high grade stainless steel. I took a magnet to the paddles and and lower part of the body and found no attraction i.e. austenite, meaning it is non-ferromagnetic. Which means no rust! Not cheap by any means. So this is a great key to take camping or POTA, SOTA, LOTA and/or just in your shack. The key comes with a wide paddle contact stance which for me was unacceptable, personal taste. This is where you need to have some mechanical abilities and PATIENCE. Have the key plugged into your rig and turn your transmitter break-in to off so that you wont be transmitting on the air when you make spacing adjustments. Or you can use a tone oscillator. Now you can use a set of feeler gauges or do what most amateur operators do, adjust it by feel for each paddle. In-depth Directions: You need a 5.5mm wrench and a 1.5mm hex key. You loosen the 5.5mm nut on each of the paddle arms which then allows you to use the hex key and turn the screw in the center of that 5.5mm nut. Turn screw clock wise (CW) and the screw will get closer to the the contact post which makes it require very little pressure on the paddle to key the radio. Counter clockwise to move the screw away from the contact post thus making more of an effort, wider distance, to push the paddle to key the radio. Remember keep the 5.5mm wrench on the loosened nut while adjusting the screw. Turn each screw until you hear a tone. Then back off CCW the screw until the tone stops, about a 16th of an inch. Keep the wrench on the 5.5mm nut while doing this and then tighten the nut while holding the screw with the 1.5mm hex key. If you prefer more distance, then adjust more CCW. Do this for the other side and you are done. It would have been nice had the MFR included directions but lets get real here, what ham operator reads manuals. The three neodymium magnets are great. However, if you are going to place the key atop the radio, I would recommend using felt to protect from scratching the top of the radio. When you want to remove the key, it really holds well, just tip the key and then lift the key off. If you slide the key, I'm sure that the magnets will cause scratches over time. I hope that this review/directions helps and will forever silent the complaints about not knowing how to adjust this key, which will also hopefully stop the mischaracterization that this key receiving. Incidentally, the key comes with a 3.5mm stereo cord, nifty box case and two contact screws for future replacement, if needed. 73 and see you on the air, Dit Dit

Especially given that it is a mini-key, and the price, this is a great paddle. It comes with the tools needed to adjust it, which takes only a couple of minutes -- and you are off to the races. This key is snappy and precise. It comes with magnets that should be attached to something fairly heavy so the key doesn't move around. How heavy the block needs to be depends on how you have it adjusted and your sending style. I can get away with about a pound, but I would expect most people would need a couple of pounds. This is a really nice and well featured key particularly for the price point and I recommend it.

Very clever design! Much better than any of the 3D printed paddles that are everywhere. Looks like the body parts were produced using EDM and tumbled to provide super clean and precise cuts and edges. Incredibly solid with no play in the bearings. The magnetic return of the paddles is smooth with no springs to fiddle with. Magnetic mounting with the three magnets is strong and will hold up under vigorous keying. The only delicate part is the PC board that holds the jack and switch and makes the connections to the paddles. I say delicate because if you were to drop this chunk of stainless and have it land on the PCB the 1/8" jack or the reversing switch could be compromised but with even modest care that should never happen. For home use I cut and finished a 3"x4" quarter inch thick steel plate and added some single sided foam tape to the bottom to keep it from sliding around while in use. I found that just a few drops of water spread out on the bottom of the foam helps the assembly stick to the desk or pad of paper but lifts up without any problems when moving it to another location. I can see this being quite a nice paddle for SOTA or field day as it will stick to whatever piece of steel is convenient and hold tight. My disappointment is with the two adjustable grub screws that come installed and the fact that each screw required a different size hex key 1.5mm and 2mm, guessing burrs on the socket head were the culprit causing the discrepancy. The second set of grub screws that come with the kit have sharp points instead of flats for the contact surface and actually perform better anyway. The locking nuts are best tightened with a small 5.5mm metric ignition wrench and I was able to use a 0.0015mm shim to set the contact gap quite easily. I found this to be as much fun to use as my Begali and is less fussy to set up. The telescopic QuadroPack style shipping container does make a nice way to keep the unit clean and safe for transport. It's large enough to hold the key along with a shim and wrenches for making adjustments if necessary along with a double 1/8" male connecting cable. I was a little skeptical until I started playing with it and now I have to admit it really does deserve 5 stars.

If you are ready to move past a straight key and not sure if a paddle is for you, then this is a good one to start with. For the price point it is surprisingly well made. There are no discernible tool marks and overall the paddles are smooth, although I would like to see the edges more rounded. This is a lightweight keyer and comes with magnets on the bottom to secure it to another surface. It is much too light to be used by itself. I wouldn't use it in the field as the components are exposed - there are plenty of cheap paddles available for that purpose. Also, the paddles are a little bit farther apart than I was expecting, based on others. There is a switch on top that will reverse the dits and dahs of the paddles to suit your preference. Also, I like that this uses magnets and not springs to push the paddles apart, making for a bit smoother experience. It does come with tools to adjust the contact distance, though this can be a bit finicky. Keep in mind this is an inexpensive paddle, so don't expect Begali quality here, but don't let that deter you from trying this one.

Nice small portable key works as advertised.

Magnets are very strong, unit itself is well build and feels solid. Is adjustable for throw and can flick a switch for left or right handed operation. Very handy little iambic paddle, good for portable operations.

These are great paddles for portable of mobile operation. They are adjustable for spacing and have strong magnets on the base that really stay put on a metal surface. They also have a polarity switch to which makes it easy to set for your radio. Not the smoothest but adequate for field use.

デザインとカラーで購入しました。

Excellent quality, compact solid feel . Well designed. Paddles are ball bearing mounted, resulting in smooth action. Magnetic base his handy but of course doesn’t work on non-ferrous surfaces. Excellent choice for field work. Great value

コンパクトで接点の具合もいいし、左右切り替えもスイッチで簡単にでき、3カ所のマグネットも強力で、安心してCWが打てて最高で満足しています。