[Elecraft] Keeping Paddles In Place

[Dave Yarnes]

Hi All,

I have found that even the slightest tendency for my paddle to move (or 
wobble) can really affect the accuracy of my sending.  The faster you send, 
the more important it is for the paddle to be firmly anchored.  At home I 
have a couple of Begali paddles, and they just don't move!  But when I 
travel, I take paddles which, although good paddles, are not quite as 
substantial.  Also, as many of you have pointed out, the rubber feet on many 
paddles are not very good.  Besides being hard and often getting "slick" as 
they age, I don't think they give you enough contact surface.

The shelf liner suggestion is a good one.  If you get the right kind, it 
really helps keep your paddle (and lots of other things too) in place.  I 
don't know how many kinds there are, but commonly I see two kinds.  One has 
kind of a fat, bubbly surface and looks rather smooth.  The other seems a 
bit thinner, and the pattern looks more irregular.  This latter type is what 
you want.  I think it's even cheaper.  The type with the fat bubbles just 
doesn't seem to grab as well, while the thinner type grabs a surface much 
better.  I also use this stuff on my dashboard and console in vehicles.  You 
can use it to keep most anything from sliding around.

Dave W7AQK