[Elecraft] Hexkey correction and abject apology

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

The trapezoidal base paddles sound like they may be "Scotia" paddles from the 1980's. They are still my 'far and away' favorite paddles with a solid brass base on wood and use magnets instead of a spring for return force adjustment. 

73 Ron AC7AC

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Fred Jensen
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2018 10:22 AM
To: Lyle Johnson; Elecraft Reflector
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Hexkey correction and abject apology

Sorry, a technical difficulty in my mind.  I take a photo of my station periodically, usually when I change something.  I found the paddle in question, it was somewhat old when it was given to me.  It is *not* a hexkey, it has a trapazoidal base, narrower in back.  It does have the "yoke" arrangement of the BY-1 but it is more square-ish.  From the photo angle, I can't see if it had the spring looped around the post.

I also have a photo of my HexKey from Elecraft and it is *definitely
not* a BY-1 mechanism.  I would still have it, and the $400+ wife spent on the ZN-SL single-lever for my birthday, were it not for my decreasing ability to manipulate the dual paddle with either hand.  It, and the two BY-1's I still have, were/are touchy to adjust.  I never became iambicized so I lost nothing going to the SL and regained the ability to send over 25 WPM.

I apologize for the mixup

73,

Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County

On 1/10/2018 11:49 AM, Lyle Johnson wrote:
> [private]
>
> Hello Fred!
>
> I have a BY-1 as well as an Elecraft-branded Hex key.
>
> The mechanisms on the two paddles I own are completely different.
>
> The BY-1 uses a spring looped around a post for return force.
>
> The Hex Key uses magnets for return force adjustments.  Unlike the 
> BY-1, both paddle arms on the Hex key are independently adjustable for 
> travel as well as force.
>
> I agree with you that they botched it a bit by using coarse instead of 
> fine threaded screws for adjustment, and on mine at least the magnets 
> are not well-centered on the screws which makes the force adjustment 
> even more difficult to fine-tune.
>
> 73,
>
> Lyle KK7P

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