[CQ-Contest] The (physical) Mechanics of 2 KB SO2R

[Mike Smith VE9AA]

Those of you doing SO2R with TWO Keyboards.

Are you typing on the left keyboard only with one hand (the left, obviously)

and on the right keyboard with only one hand (the right)

 

or

 

are you swiveling your chair just a little each time you move to the other
keyboard (and using both hands)

 

or

 

are you twisting your body slightly to be able to reach all keys on
whichever KB (and using both hands)

 

or

 

Something I haven't thought of.

 

I can't get to a level of comfort on any of the 3 above..I can type one
keyboard/one hand and it's semi-comfortable

as my torso remains mostly upright/facing forward, but it's not fast enough
to keep up, whereas I can keep up no problem swiveling or twisting but
muscles ache and pain after an hour or two and I have to stop.  

 

Case in point..I put in only 6hrs and 11 mins in last w/e's NAQP CW (and
that's with a 2 hour break midway and I made 20.5% extra Q's on the 2nd
radio, but on Sunday I felt like I had been twisted like a pretzel by Lou
Ferrigno or something.

 

Maybe that says more about my lack of a slender physique these days than my
technique.

 

I dunno.

 

Any ideas?  I use full size keyboards (a 17" and an 18").and a mouse +
paddles up on top of a radio I try to avoid.

Not sure if going to mini keyboards (about 12" wide) is the answer or
something else I haven't thought of.

 

I don't really want to go back to one keyboard, as 2 is so intuitive..and my
mistakes have been greatly reduced.

 

Tnx !

 

Mike VE9AA

 

Mike, Coreen & Corey

Keswick Ridge, NB