High Noon on Paddle Hill

My previous articles on keys and paddles ( see http://www.eham.net/articles/8432 ) have resulted in many email exchanges, mostly pleasant. One recurring question has been: “what is the best paddle that money can buy”.

Nobody can truthfully answer that question because “best” is such a relative measure. But not being one who shies away from hot water I decided to try anyway, and damn the torpedoes (i.e. flames) - but this article shows, admittedly, what I would buy, without any claims to universality. Originally I wanted to look at, say, the top five paddles in my collection, but then I became ambitious and decided to go with only three. If your favorite is not on my short list you can always console yourself that I probably didn't have an opportunity to try it - after all, I have to buy these things and I don't have an unlimited budget; my wife makes sure of that - or that your criteria are different from mine.

So what were my criteria for this selection? I wanted to look at dual-lever paddles that have an original design setting them apart from the me-too's, and that have performance characteristics that make them suitable for the most demanding cw operators. The price tag was not a consideration although, except for us paddle nuts, it probably would be if you had to pick a paddle. Also, the paddle had to be something that is not just a unique piece - there are some fine “designer” paddles out there, but you can't really buy them because only a handful or less were produced. All of the paddles that we're looking at here will be left standing when the smoke settles - we won't mention their competitors by name that ended up in the dust (after all, I'm not suicidal, and eHam probably wouldn't go for that anyway). And all of them are works of art and transcend their utilitarian purpose as paddles if you look at them from different perspectives.

So here's my short list: the WBL V22, the Begali Graciella, and the March R3a. Each of them differs substantially from each other and the crowd, each of them has stronger and weaker points, but they all are something to behold and treasure.

The V2x (V2L or V22) was probably the most radical departure from traditional design when it first appeared. There's little difference in the performance of both, the V22 and the V2L, and you can be proud of either one. The V22 has a little more flexibility in its adjustments and a slightly different geometry.

Stan can't deny that he's an artist at heart (he runs an art gallery in Indianapolis these days, although he was a research engineer by vocation), and the key was probably inspired by Bauhaus designs. It's just incredible how he combined black acrylic and brass and rosewood into a key that is way up there in technical performance. Some of you might question here why I make you drool over a key that is no longer available from the maker. Let me say this much: talking to Stan a couple of months ago, that's probably not the last word…

Earlier than most makers he realized the importance of minimizing the moving masses in a key by reducing the component size, and he maintained the ideal leverage ratio by opting for a vertical architecture. By bending the levers at a sharp angle at the bottom, the two sides of the lever can be made about the same length (1:1 leverage) despite the diminutive size of the mechanism.

Other elements of this key are part of a “black magic” that makes it hard to explain why it performs so well. It has very simple looking bearings, just steel pins that are centered inside stainless steel washers, and the return force is provided by springs (one spring for the V2L). In actual operation, however, all this combines into a key that can be set incredibly close, that maintains the settings regardless of temperature variations, and that is a pleasure to use at any speed.

Does it have weaknesses? Sure: the light-weight construction of the mechanism makes it a bit fragile. You definitely wouldn't want to put this in your travel bag or subject it to a lot of mechanical stress, and it's not ideal for you if you have a hammer fist that is steeled by many years of using mechanical bugs. Also, the unprotected brass sooner or later will show signs of corrosion. (Stan has a gold plated V22G - but for now he's not sharing that with the world. We'll see …) But you don't judge a modern sculpture by it's tolerance to being slapped around, and none of this is a real show stopper for me.

When I started talking to Piero Begali about the design of my ultimate paddle we soon realized that a vertical design would probably be the best approach to achieve the performance parameters that I had in mind. His approach to engineering, and his mechanical abilities with NC controlled machinery that few other makers could afford, however, resulted in a key that has no resemblance to the V22, or anything else on the market for that matter. Every element that went into it, from the surface finish to the instrument grade bearings, to the space-age alloys, is state of the art.

I can't be totally impartial here because I was too deeply involved with the creation of this key. But I think it's fair to say that he combined top-notch components into a package that exemplifies the best of Italian design, industrial grade robustness, and performance characteristics that are hard to top. The elaborate way to adjust the spacing and the height of the mechanism allows him to use fairly small and light finger pieces, and put them exactly where they feel most comfortable for you.

Does it have weaknesses? Hardly, not for me anyhow, but your personal habits and priorities may be different from mine. If you tend to move your hand a lot while keying, e.g. if you come from a long history of using bugs or single lever keys, the space around the finger pieces may feel constricted. I tend to have a minimal contact gap for my keys, I use just my thumb and index finger for keying, and I barely move my fingers sideways - for me this key is perfect. It combines the advantages of a vertical design with the extreme robustness and the plated surfaces that the V22 didn't have, and it exudes a spectacular beauty that even a person without CW skills can appreciate.

One small anecdote: how did the Graciella get its name? Well, Piero's wife, Grazia, is called Graziella by their friends, and she passed her ham radio license just around the time we were playing with the first prototype of this key. So with my rudimentary Italian, not realizing my typo, I suggested to call the paddle Graciella in her honor. Piero told me that he liked the sound of that, although it really wasn't her name, but that in the local dialect her nickname actually sounded more like Graciella. So, now you have it from the horse's mouth.

The March R3a would probably be on many short lists because it has a unique visual appeal and is not just a ho-hum knockoff of some other design. When you first hold this key in your hands, the amount of plain old-fashioned workmanship that is required to create it is obvious. It is reminiscent of the days when people were proud enough of their guns to have them artfully engraved, and with its baroque looks it is as unique in its own way as the V22 or the Graciella.

Mike opted for a design that uses repelling magnets, like the Graciella btw, at a time when all other magnetic keys used attracting magnets. Although the movement of the levers is minimal, and in theory there should hardly be a difference, somehow the increasing force as you close the contacts, like with a spring design, imparts a different “feel” for many operators. The T-shaped arms keep the magnets and the contacts close to the pivot point, and the resulting low angular momentum of this paddle makes it very responsive at higher speeds. Although it doesn't have the flexibility of the V22 or the Graciella to adjust the geometry, the finger pieces are well shaped to feel comfortable at different heights, and the spacing is a good compromise that should satisfy most operators.

Does it have weaknesses? Sure, but the few things that could be improved from a technical perspective actually add to its visual charm: the adjustments use relatively coarse threads and lock nuts, which makes achieving really close settings more difficult than with the V22 or the Graciella, and, like the V22, it is not designed to take mechanical abuse. But, like a precious grandfather clock, you'll probably catch yourself adjusting and polishing it all the time for sheer pleasure, and you won't see that as a flaw.

So, which one would I pick if I had to chose? To tell you the truth: all of them. Depending on my mood, one would serve as a paddle, and the others would just sit there in the meantime to be admired as works of art until it's their turn for air time. And if you press me really hard? Well, I won't tell you, and I leave it up to you to guess.