Re: [BVARC] Need help adjusting my Bencher Paddle

[Bob Stroupe via BVARC]

To expand on what Rick suggested, I have found that a piece of an uncoated business card soaked with solvent only contact cleaner then GENTLY holding the contacts together while pulling the soaked piece of the card through.  Heavily soiled contacts may require several treatments.   I have used the above method to clean plated contacts on relays for many years.  Bob WB5JWN -----Original Message----- From: Rick Hiller via BVARC Sent: Apr 16, 2016 9:15 PM To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB Cc: Rick Hiller , Michael Rapp Subject: Re: [BVARC] Need help adjusting my Bencher Paddle Suggestion # 2 How about cleaning the contacts?Might be dirty. Slide normal uncoated bond paper between them while pushing on the paddle.   See if the paper has junk on it after.    W5RH.  GL Sent from my eye doo hickey On Apr 16, 2016, at 8:32 PM, Michael Rapp via BVARC <bvarc@bvarc.org> wrote: Hi all, I am having trouble adjusting my Bencher BY-1 (http://www.vibroplex.com/contents/en-us/d67.html) paddle.   I'm currently taking the CWOps CW Academy course (http://www.cwops.org/cwacademy.html) and they start you off both sending and receiving at 23 WPM.  (Yes, a little scary at first, but the benefits become clear fast!)   The problem I am having with my paddle is that I seem to have to put a substantial amount of pressure on the paddles to make a contact.  As such, I am constantly over-dit'ing and over-dah'ing.  Trying to send "she is here" is essentially unintelligible. I believe that if I could somehow reduce the amount of required pressure on the paddles, I could send more accurately.  I don't think the spacing between the contacts is the problem as the width is about an index-card width apart. I've tried looking on the web, but it is still unclear to me which of the various screws I need to adjust!  Pointers would be most welcome.  :) BTW, the CWOps course is excellent.  It really does make learning CW fun as you do it in a group.   The instructor is less of an instructor and more of a coach. (The class meets twice a week over Skype.)  I highly recommend it.  I'm making substantial progress and I have no innate musical or rhythm ability what-so-ever!  The courses, especially the beginner level that I am enrolled in, do have a nine-month to a year waiting list, but it is very much worth the wait. 73, -- /*/-=[Michael / KT5MR]-=/*/ _______________________________________________ BVARC mailing list BVARC@bvarc.org http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org

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