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Here’s another chapter from my upcoming book on operating CW. Comments welcome!

When a new ham decides to learn Morse Code and start operating CW, one of the first things he or she must do is choose a key. There are many different types of keys available, and choosing one can be kind of confusing. With that in mind, let’s look at the different keys that are available and discuss the pros and cons of each.

Straight key

The straight key is the most basic type of key. It has a single set of contacts, and the operator makes dits and dahs by holding down the key for different lengths of time. Because the design is so simple, this is usually the least expensive type of key you can purchase.

While many hams prefer using straight keys, I’m not a big fan of them myself. It takes practice to make dits and dahs that are the same length over and over, and I guess that I just don’t have the concentration necessary to do that.

Also, my arm tires very easily when using a straight key. I can’t send very long before I begin to feel it in my wrist and forearm. Hams experienced with straight keys tell me that this is because I don’t have the key adjusted properly or that I’m not holding my arm correctly. Whatever the reason, I can’t really operate for more than 30 – 45 minutes with a straight key.

Paddles

Paddles are keys that you use with an electronic keyer. They have two sets of contacts, one for the dits and one for the dahs. It doesn’t matter how long that you hold down the key. Once a set of contacts is closed, the electronic keyer will make the dit or the dah. The nice thing about this arrangement is that the electronic keyer makes each dit and each dah the same length every time.

Another thing I like about the paddle is that it’s very easy on the wrist and arm. Unlike the straight key, which you pump up and down, to operate a paddle, you rest your arm on the desk or table and simply actuate the paddle by moving your fingers or rotating your wrist. This is a lot less stressful, and I find that I can operate for hours using a paddle.

There are two main varieties of paddle: single-lever and dual-lever. The dual-lever paddle is sometimes called an iambic paddle. Bot the single-lever and the dual-lever paddles have two sets of contacts, but in a single-lever paddle, the lever is common to both and only one set of contacts can be closed at a time. The dual-lever paddle has two completely-independent sets of contacts, and both can be closed simultaneously.

When both are closed, most electronic keyers will send alternating dits and dahs. This is called the iambic mode. More about how this works in the next chapter.

Choosing between a single-lever and a dual-lever paddle

Chuck Adams, K7QO, has calculated that using a dual-lever paddle with an iambic keyer requires 11% fewer strokes than a single-lever paddle to send a message in Morse Code. Efficiency isn’t the whole story, though.

For one thing, it’s easier to make mistakes with a dual-lever paddle. The reason for this is that the timing of the contact closures is critical when using a dual-lever paddle. If you make a contact too early or too late, or hold down a contact for too long, the code that the keyer will generate will be wrong. For example, instead of sending a C (dah-di-dah-dit), you end up sending dah-di-dah-di-dah.

This is one reason that the winners of high-speed CW contests tend to use single-lever paddles and not dual-lever paddles. They get penalized for making mistakes, and it’s more difficult to make them with single-lever paddles.

You might also want to choose a single-lever paddle if you are used to using a semi-automatic key, or “bug.” Using a single-lever paddle more closely resembles using a bug than does using a dual-lever paddle.

My recommendation is to try both and see which one you like best. Some operators will prefer the single-lever paddle for its simplicity, while others will prefer the dual-lever paddle.

Touch paddles

Several companies make “touch paddles.” These paddles don’t have levers, per se, but rather metal paddles that one touches to close a contact. Instead of mechanically closing a contact, touch paddles have an integrated circuit them that senses the change in capacitance when you touch one of the paddles then electronically close a contact.

Many operators really like using touch paddles. Because there are no moving parts, there are no mechanical adjustments to make and no loud clicking sounds.

Semi-automatic keys, or “bugs”

Like the straight key, semi-automatic keys, or “bugs,” are purely mechanical. The difference between a straight key and a bug, though, is that the bug has a mechanism that makes dits automatically. Dahs are still made manually, though.

Using one of these keys properly takes a lot of practice, and is generally not a good choice for a beginner. I have one myself, and although I only use it occasionally, I still haven’t gotten the hang of using it after several years.

Which key is right for you?

If you do become a CW enthusiast, you’ll find that you tend to collect keys and use them all from time to time. In my collection, I have:

three straight keys, including the key I used as a Novice and a World War II-vintage J37 key with a leg clamp;

four paddles, including three dual-lever and two single-lever paddles; and

one semi-automatic key, also called a “bug.”

My advice is to try them all and see which you like the best.

Key manufacturers/sellers

American Morse Equipment. www.americanmorse.com. American Morse sells both mini-paddles and regular-size paddles. For their Porta-Paddle, they even sell a leg mount, so you can operate portable or mobile.

Begali. www.i2rtf.com. When I used to bicycle, I only rode Italian bicycles. They not only were great bicycles, but they were stylish as well. That’s how I feel about Begali keys. My favorite key is my Simplex, Begali’s least expensive paddle, but I wish I could afford one of his fancier models.

Bencher. www.bencher.com. Bencher makes both inexpensive and more deluxe keys and paddles. I often recommend the Bencher BY-1 as a “starter” paddle. You can often find them online or at hamfests for $60-70.

Bulldog Keys. www.amateurradioproducts.com. Bulldog makes a link of small keys for QRP and portable operation enthusiasts.

CW Touch Paddles. www.cwtouchkeyer.com. This company only makes touch paddles.

Kent Engineers. www.kent-engineers.com. This company, located in England, has a long history in the Morse key business. They make straight keys, single-lever paddles, and dual-lever paddles (they call them single-paddle keys and twin-paddle keys). They are very nicely engineered and a good bargain.

Morse Express. www.morsex.com. Morse Express sells keys from Ameco (USA), Bencher (USA), BHC Bird Key (China), GHD (Japan), Hi-Mound (Japan), Palm Radio (Germany), Scheunemann Morsetasten (Germany), uniHAM (China), Vibroplex (USA), Nye Viking (USA), and MFJ (USA).

N3ZN Keys. www.n3znkeys.com. N3ZN makes some very nice hand-made keys.

Vibroplex. www.vibroplex.com. Vibroplex is the grand-daddy of key manufacturers in the U.S. They have been in business for more than 100 years. Their line of products includes straight keys, paddles, and semi-automatic keys, or “bugs.”

There are more manufacturers and sellers out there, but I’ll leave at that. If you have a favorite manufacturer that I haven’t included here, please let me know, so that I can include them in a future edition.