[TenTec] RE: W9WBL Paddles

[Sherrill WATKINS]

Mike:  Unless you have used one or are starting a key collection for a museum, don't get carried away by paying inflated ebay prices for a used paddle.  For what it is worth, the worst keyer paddle I ever tried to use was a Heathkit. It used aluminum paddle arms and was so mushy it was unusable, so I sold it.  I have also used the Bencher and sold it because I disliked the feel; it was too small and "dainty" for my bear paw hands. Every person that I have ever spoke to that liked the Bencher had smaller hands than mine.  I also own an Brown Brothers iambic paddle which is ok, but quite stiff because it does not use pivot bearings.  Instead, it uses a spring steel leaf in place of the pivot bearing.  The only place that I would consider using the Brown bros. key is off road mobile in my Jeep CJ-7 or Ford Bronco as the stiffness of the paddles would be a good feature in a bucking Jeep or Bronco.  Without question, my favorite paddle is the Vibroplex Iambic (standard or deluxe).  If you have not used one, try the Vibroplex Iambic standard or deluxe model, before you pay a lot of money for a W9WBL.   They can be purchased new from Vibroplex in Alabama and I think they advertise in QST.  This of course assumes that you would not be obtaining the W9WBL as a "museum piece" or collector item to show off and not use. (Unfortunately, I have yet to find any TenTec paddle that I liked. They all seemed to lack the crisp, sharp and distinct "feel" of the Vibroplex and take-up too much desk space.)  - 73's- Corn -k4own. 


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