[CQ-Contest] Best Paddles?

[Alan Higbie]

Speaking of paddles:

I noticed the biggest improvement in my paddle’s feel came from a proper
adjustment of the gap and tension settings. Used a dynamometer and feeler
gauge to follow suggestions found at:

https://www.morsekey.net/dynamometer.html

Also:
G0PNM YouTube Video with an in-depth look at keyer paddle adjustments.

https://youtu.be/v_t3uxl4dEI?si=miShSTtr0GzTLEo0

adjusting CONTACT GAP (w/ feeler gauge — .3 - .9) and TENSION (w/
Dynamometer 20-25-30 g. each side)


73, ~ Alan K0AV


On Wed, Dec 6, 2023 at 11:24 AM Chris Plumblee <chris.plumblee at gmail.com>
wrote:

> This question is a bit like asking which political party or religious
> denomination is best and why...many passionate responses and little
> agreement.
>
> I like the N3ZN paddles; Tony makes an iambic paddle with a smaller than
> normal gap between the two fingerpieces, which is my particular preference.
> The feel of the paddles is also very good, and they hold their settings
> well.
>
> I've also got a Schurr Profi 2 which is very nice. It's slightly wider
> between the finger pieces, but it is easy to send accurately and quickly
> with, and it looks very nice on the desk. They're not available new any
> longer; you'll have to scour hamfests and online classifieds.
>
> I've used a couple of different Begalis, and they're very nice. Their
> cheapest paddle is not much more expensive than a new Bencher, and looks
> and feels very high-end.
>
> There are probably a million Benchers around the world. I find there is a
> lot of variation in feel between them. I have one that feels pretty good.
> N4WW has one set that I actively dislike, and three more that are perfectly
> good. For lack of a better term, the ones that feel bad (to my fist) feel
> mushy and imprecise...I want a repeatable action, even if it's slightly
> longer or requires more force than the action on a high-end designer
> paddle.
>
> I've also tried Vibroplex paddles and Vibrokeyer single-lever keys, as well
> as Kent iambic paddles and a set of K8RA paddles. I used to be able to
> switch between single-lever and iambic keying pretty seamlessly, but as I
> practice more with iambic and send faster by hand, I find it much more
> difficult to switch. Pick one discipline or technique (single-lever or
> iambic) and stick with it.
>
> As far as weight, you can get a mat from DX Engineering to help your paddle
> stick to your desktop, or just use rubber shelf liner available at
> virtually any department store. I don't find I have big problems with the
> paddle moving around unless I'm distracted or trying to send too quickly.
> For a contester (not a ragchewer) I send a lot with a paddle, but it's all
> short bursts...callsigns, fills, "TU", etc. Almost anything will work for
> that type of sending. If I were doing log ragchews where I had to send for
> 30-60 seconds at a time, I'd probably be more picky.
>
> 73,
> Chris W4WF
>
> On Wed, Dec 6, 2023 at 10:19 AM <pwhelton at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> > Hi Joe.  I graduated from the Bencher paddle to a Begali Sculpture.
> What a
> > difference.  I have a heavy hand.  No more sliding all over the place.
> Big
> > difference.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Pat - KZ5J
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: CQ-Contest <cq-contest-bounces+pwhelton=
> earthlink.net at contesting.com
> > >
> > On Behalf Of Joe
> > Sent: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 3:11 PM
> > To: cq-contest at contesting.com
> > Subject: [CQ-Contest] Best Paddles?
> >
> > In your opinion, What are the best CW Paddles out there?
> >
> > Joe WB9SBD
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
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>
>
> --
> Chris Plumblee
> 407.494.5155
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