[Elecraft] simple iambic paddle

[Ian Stirling]

On Thursday 24 April 2008 12:39:01 pm Brian Lloyd wrote:
 
> Does anyone have a design for a very simple iambic key that can be  
> made with simple materials and hand tools?

  I made one when I built The Ultimate Keyer Mk2 by G3RVM
in the February 1980 issue of Radio Communication.
I used two thin strips of copper clad board. Mine was
double sided but singe sided is all that's needed.
I sawed a small diecast box to get two nice right angle
brackets and screwed them on the base of the main diecast
box where I had the electronics. The PCB strips came out
the front of the box separated about half an inch.
I used stick-on rubber feet as the thumb abd finger contacts.
  For the switch contacts, I drilled quarter inch staggered
holes in the PCBs and using the other two corners of the
cut box, mounted them outside the PCBs with a long screw
going through each PCB hole.  So the mounts for the
screws are both outside the strips.  The PCB strips were
nicely springy and I adjusted the screws to a very fine
touch.
  I bought a Bencher paddle soon afterwards.
I have no idea why I dismantled my own paddles; I remember
their being just as good as the Bencher.

Ian, G4ICV, AB2GR, K2 #4962
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