Can be assembled as a straight key or paddle with one or two PCBs
Quick summary
A couple years ago Doug Leach VE3XK showed Wayne VE3CZO an article in QST from Feb 2019 by Art Heft K8CIT featuring a paddle with no moving parts, He thought it was very interesting and asked if Wayne would consider creating one for use in portable applications. The result had a number of features:
- Two versions, 50mm for optimum compactness and weight and a longer 80 mm key for those with bigger hands.
- Can be assembled as a straight key or paddle with one or two PCB’s
- The key can be hand held and rotated for left or right hand keying. Also by using the 3mm screw holes in the PCB, the key can be attached to a base.
- No moving parts. Force Sensitive Resistors require only a light touch (20 grams) to activate.
- Optionally supports high voltage keying up to 56 volts.
- Optionally supports transient protection for driving relays.
- The cable connecting the key to a rig’s keying port can be either soldered to the PCB directly or connected via a 3.5mm stereo phone jack.
- The long version of the paddle PCB will accommodate either the longer RP-C18.3-LT or the shorter RP-C18.3-ST force sensitive resistors.
Cost and how to order
You can order these kits directly from Wayne at ve3czo@gmail.com . Cost includes Ontario HST. Prices may change without notice.
| Kit name | Cost | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| cwKey straight key | $8.00 | – |
| cwKey short paddle | $15.00 | – |
| cwKey long paddle | $16.00 | – |
Links to assembly instructions etc.
All of the assembly instruction, PCB diagrams, schematics, etc. are available as a ZIP file from https://www.dropbox.com/s/t93kdc9mwqibj5d/ForceSenseResistor%20cwKey%26Paddle.zip?dl=0
Last Updated on 2023-03-19 by AdminOARC