Why would you reverse the normal "thumb for dits, index finger for dashes" setup? That's been standard since the first bugs and carried over unchanged into the paddle/keyers.
It sounds like you are running into an essential difference in sending that has shown up since keyers became common. Although both bugs and keyers typically use side-by-side paddles, there are substantial differences in how they are operated. A bug requires significant mechanical force and movement to operate the dit pendulum to make dits and then stop them at the right moment. Several designs have attempted to reduce the demands of a mechanical bug, but it's still a huge amount of movement and energy compared to simply accomplishing the contact closure a keyer needs. Many newer CW ops who never used a bug developed a preference for very close-spaced contacts that can be operated with a feather touch on the paddles. That's completely at odds with the action needed for a bug. Many paddles designed for use with keyers - particularly the earlier paddles - featured movement and springs much like a mechanical bug: lots of throw and relatively stiff springs. They were operated like a bug - usually rolling the whole arm side to side with the fingers held steady to contact the paddles with sufficient force without wearing out one's finger muscles! The original Vibroplex paddles were one of those designs, like my Scotia and HamKey paddles. Then came the "light touch" designs designed to work with an absolute minimum of movement and force. The Bencher was an early one. People used to a mechanical bug tended to knock them apart just sending a CQ! Newer operators learned to hold their arm still and lightly caress the paddles with their fingertips. Used that way, they work fine. I can't speak for the HexKey. I use my Speed-X or Vibroplex Bugs at home and my KXPD1 paddles in the field where it's not practical to haul a bug. The KXPD1 paddles, by the way, are able to deal with my fist without complaint. The bottom line is that it all comes down to how you want to operate the key: strong rolling fist like a bug operator or the feather touch of a keyer operator? If the former, you need to find someone who has really pounded on the HexKey to be sure it will survive long. There was a secondary problem with the first Bencher that deserves checking on any modern paddles. The Bencher uses a single spring that is stretched around a chrome-plated post in the back. Bumping the key in just the wrong way would dislodge that spring, causing it and the paddles to fly off of the base! I suspect the designer assumed they'd be treated like a bug - NOT bumped! The sensitive springs and pendulum of a bug can be damaged by careless handling, but operators not used to bugs tended to assume the paddles were as structurally sound as any straight key. Not so, unfortunately, and dropping or banging a Bencher was inviting time spent looking for the spring and paddle mechanisms behind the operating desk or on the floor somewhere. Ron AC7AC -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Gil Gibbs Sent: Saturday, April 14, 2007 10:27 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [Elecraft] Re: Hexkey Gents; I'm in the process of relearning how to use a paddle, having only gotten the feel of a Vibroplex keyer three decades back from an old pal. I'm now stumbling around with a Bencher paddle, the first of the line that's of the "fall apart" design, and thus I have to be careful about how I handle it, which distracts me from training myself to use "thumb for dashes, finger for dits", and my brain isn't as young as it used to be to do multitasking. Thus the question - does the Elecraft/Bencher Hexkey actually perform better than "the original", and thus make the price worth adding to my gear? I'd really like to have more versatility in sending, not worrying about knocking the contact points off their mounts, which are conical points for hinges, and the darn things are an annoyance to have to remount. Any input will be appreciated, many hours to go before I can become fluent with my old favorite CW again, having been too lazy to get away from voice until now! Tnx, 73's Gil WA5YKK > > _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [email protected] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [email protected] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
