[Elecraft] KXPD3 and single-lever paddles

[Stephen Roberts]

Bill,

I've had a LOT of different keys and also settled on the Whiterook as a knockabout QRP key. I think it's really an excellent key. Lots of fun to use as a sideswiper too, and just a tad cheaper than....well just about everything other than a couple of nails in a plank and a hack saw blade!

I got the leg strap and it works fine although I found myself just holding on to it most of the time, but the leg strap allows you to have a free hand for logging etc so a nice option to have.

72,
Steve
W1SFR



On Sep 29, 2013, at 4:07 PM, Bill W4ZV wrote:

> Dennis L. Haarsager wrote
>>> my ability to squeeze the paddles as fast as my "CW brain" is
>> working  is probably impaired over what it was back in the day.
> 
> As Sverre correctly points out in his article:
> 
> "The issue must be tolerance to errors, not just efficiency."
> 
> For those who truly squeeze as required by true Iambic (as opposed to many
> who use a dual paddle key as a single lever in non-Iambic), timing the
> squeeze is more critical than slapping a single lever back and forth.  For
> the HST guys, timing at ~60 WPM rates becomes very critical.  For older
> hands that have lost some fine motor control, timing is also critical
> although at much lower speeds.
> 
> For sending at typical QRP speeds, there's no need to spend $335 for a
> Begali Adventurer.  Here's a video of the $30 Whiterook MK-33 sending at ~25
> WPM:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xK01E39GQ38#t=23
> 
> For another $10, they make a leg strap which is nice for portable or mobile
> operation.  I recently gave a MK-33 and leg strap to my stepson Christian
> KF4LXB for his birthday.  Here's his report:
> 
> http://www.uwharrieqrp.com/2013/09/new-addition-to-portable-kit-whiterook.html 
> 
> Of course you can also roll your own with some old relay parts.  I did this
> for my KD1JV ATS-3 Transceiver that I sometimes use for SOTA activations:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wutov8MVr6Q
> 
> BTW you're near several SOTA summits in case you like to hike and operate
> outdoors with your KX3.  
> 
> 73,  Bill  W4ZV
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --
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