[CW] Adjusting a Straight Key

[Richard Knoppow]

     I looked over some military manuals and found suggestions 
for setting the contact gap from 0.008 inches (three sheets of 
bond paper it says) to 1/16" inch. Well, 0.008 is too little and 
1/16th is probably too much. I have also seen recommendations for 
setting to the thickness of a nickel. Also IMO too large.
    Of course there is no "ideal" gap, it depends on the user but 
its interesting to me that the suggestions are so diverse. Some 
of the older books just say to set it so its comfortable. Same 
with tension, the only definite recommendation was to set it so 
that that the knob will just lift a Size-D flashlight cell off 
the bottom contact. That seems reasonable but again people like 
all sorts of settings. The same miltary manual that suggests 
1/16" inch also suggests closing the gap and backing the adjuster 
off. Unfortunately, the amount is in the gutter and was lost in 
scanning. Also, I don't think the treads are the same on all keys 
nor is the distance from adjuster to trunion and from trunion to 
contact the same (measured this). I have found settings that are 
comfortable for me but find the variations in recommendations 
interesting.
    I am having surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome in my right 
hand done soon, it will be interesting to see if it changes my 
feel for the key. Had it done on my left hand and it made a 
tremendous difference. Before the surgery I could not have typed 
this much without my left hand getting numb and very painful. My 
right hand is no where near as bad.
-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL