So i did some digging around online and found an amazing looking little CW key from UA6HJQ (made around 18 years ago) and decided to take that design and put my own little twist on it.
I thought it would be a great little key to take out for POTA, SOTA and so on. I have never built a key before and I have the soldering skills of Homer Simpson building a spice rack, but I was determined to try and make this little key!
It is a very simple design. A momentary 2 pin switch, wired to a 3.5mm stereo plug. Wire one pin to the left plug tab, the other to common ground. The right pin can be removed.
I put the key in my KX2 to test and set it to âHandâ and sure enough it works!
I have taken a photo to show the bare key and how I wired it up. I will finish it and post another photo showing it with the full Plug Sleeve attached and dressed in waterproof PVC tubing and heat shrink.
I have a bunch of these to make up and wanted to share them with fellow CW fanatics. Just to try and share and pay it forward to help other folks. I know its not much and gatekeepers and other hams will probably laugh at this key and my useless electronics skills. I donât particularly care as I just wanted to help out and share.
If anyone would like one of these little keys I will make you one up and post it out to you. No charge (so long as it is ok for me to do that here and as long as the postage isnât going to require me to apply for a bank loan!). Iâd love to see folks here doing activations with my little keys if youâd like to try them!
Hereâs the photo of the bare key. Dressed up key to follow:
Here is the key with itâs tubing, heat shrink and stereo plug attached.
I might change the stereo plug as it is metal and if you donât have the inner rubber tubing connected correctly, it makes contact and causes a long tone to sound. Easily corrected and once screwed on properly its fine and protected from shorting itself.
I know its simple and I know folks will probably scoff at it, but Iâm quite pleased with it. It weighs nothing and could also probably be used on a Quannie for CW on the Worldâs two favourite bands, 2m and 70cm. I shall test it!
Just to confirm, my little key works lovely with the aul Quannie! In fact, using a spring-based, flexible stereo plug seems to help with letting it rest nicely on the exposed rubber jack cover without causing strain or having to adjust the rubber like you do with the Ali Express paddle that everyone seems to be using presently (including myself).
I am running IJV Mod 2.95 here and also performed the internal mod, removing a resistor and wiring in a small jumper cable. Fiddly but it does work!
Thank you to UA6HJQ, whoever you are and wherever you are, for your original design and inspiring me to adapt it and make my own little key. I hope other folks enjoy it too.
P.S. Yes, that is a genuine Nagoya before anyone asks!
Although, at first glance, I thought I was looking at a miniature footswitch âŚ
Are you already planning a dual switch for use like a dual paddle?
That would be much less tiring when youâre typing multiple dots and dashes, a huge improvement in comfort, hi.
It is something I have looked in to definitely. Iâve a couple of ideas whirring around.
Problem is for the Quansheng, if you do the IJV internal mod, you are limited to a straight key. Or you can add a little keyer box thing to allow a paddle, though that is another device to carry.
This little button key works quite well. I just hold it like a ballpoint pen clicker and channel my inner weather presenter!
That looks great! Oddly enough I was out doing a POTA activation this morning and didnât cop the damage I done to my key till afterwards. When I took my Putikeeg paddle off of the jewelers base, I tore the stereo jack clean off the PCB, rendering my paddle now useless as it broke the PCB off too.
I didnât even make a single CW QSO alas but my head copy seems to have gotten a lot better recently.
Time for a new paddle. Torn (excuse pun) between a Bamakey or taking out a Credit Union loan and selling my lungs to finance a Begali Traveller Light.
I made another CW key today! I ordered all the components and had the PCB made up then built it myself tonight. The infamous VK3IL solid state paddle.
I used a hot plate to solder the SMD components and then a normal soldering iron to do the sensor pads and 3 strand stereo cable.
âŚand IT WORKS!!
It works perfect and keys up like an absolute champ on my KX2 and Quansheng. Just need to button it all up now to look tidy and neat.
Bought a bunch of parts and PCBâs at once so have 4 more to build. Couldnât wait to try one out though. I love it almost as much as I love CW and almost as much as 270!
Of course, it is possible to use side-to-side motion without a keyer. We SKCC types call that a âCootie keyâ or âsideswiperâ. It can be as simple as one SPDT contact scabbed from an old telephone relay - pretty bulletproof, if your backpack is inclined to destroy itâs contents. Takes a bit of practice to master the cootie technique, but many report itâs easier on arthritic old fingers than âpounding brassâ.
