Help with Key/Paddle Design Project:
Don Reader (KC0JBJ)
on
June 13, 2003
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I am working on a design project to prototype a new low-cost, easy-to-build key or paddles for iambic electronic keyers, such as are built into every modern HF transceiver. The project concept is to produce a design that will appeal to both experienced and novice (small "n") CW operators, especially SSB operators who might not want to expend the $$$ for a commercial key or paddle, but want to give CW and iambic keying a try nevertheless. Also, it might have appeal to younger or poorer operators who plunked down hard-earned bucks for a new rig and may be strapped for cash. Or maybe someone who just wants the satisfaction of building something themselves to use on the air! (Imagine that!)
The design will use materials and parts that are readily available to purchase in small quantities (preferably one each) at a local source (hardware store, home center, electrical supply store, etc.), rather than requiring mail-order from specialty parts suppliers, who charge high prices, higher shipping charges, and require high minimum purchase quantities.
A very few parts would need to be made, but they would not require any machining skills other than simple sawing, sanding, and drilling. (Many designs I have seen require thread tapping, and most home toolboxes do not include a tap-and-die set!) In fact the only power tool necessary would be a drill, although a small drill press would produce a better quality part.
I already have a basic concept in mind, and modelled in CAD. However, it might need some refining. I would like to know what features would be important and which ones could or should be foregone if it saves a significant cost or simplifies the design. (Example: Silver contacts, necessary cost or optional feature?) How important is variable or independent spring tension setting, contact spacing, bearing pressure/friction?
What about weight, size, paddle spacing, etc.? Remember, this is not to be a tiny QRP paddle (plenty of those around), but a full size key that any amateur would be proud to display and use, even if he later obtained a Bencher, Vibroplex, or other commercially produced paddle. It might be a good companion to that vintage Field Day rig that still gets out once or more a year for portable operation!
I would also like feedback on the whole concept. Has it been done already, or is the ham community ready for a fresh approach? (I have done an Internet search and have not found anything yet that fits the bill.) Ideally, if there is sufficient interest, I will complete the project and supply drawings, material list, and instructions in a technical article and submit it to QST (or at least here on eHam!.)
Thanks in advance for your input!
Don Reader
KCØJBJ
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Help with key/paddle design project?
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by PA3CTQ on June 9, 2003
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Hello Don, after reading your article, i thought that i had to reflect to it. I made a simple paddle which you can attache to the modern tranceivers, like TS-570 and many others.
I use it many years now and it is still working very well, you only have to drill some holes and saw some peaces of plastic at a dimension of your choice 2 micro-switches, 2 ball-bearings and a ground plate of metal about 1 kilo, some small bolds/nuts.
I put it all on a box to look nice, but you can let it in the open too if needed.
I have a 2d image, but don't know how to show it here yet, I have just subscribed here, but if this is something for you, visit :
http://home.kabelfoon.nl/~jnkrl
There's nothing on the homepage, just the link to download it.
I will put it on today, it's just a blanc page only.
If this paddle is something for you Don, let me know.
73' PA3CTQ, Jan
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Help with key/paddle design project?
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by W3RAZ on June 13, 2003
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An admirable project, but the ham into SSB or wanting to get into SSB may not even have the rig yet. I'd rather concentrate on something to get new General's on SSB cheaply. CW can come later. And, to be honest, there are alot of keys out there that are cheap. MFJ-422D is a bencher with a keyer and it's only about 159. A BY-1 alone only runs about 99 bucks. For that matter, straight keys are VERY cheap. About half that you'd pay for the paddles or less. Then there's always the used area. Really, CW paddles are not expensive when compared to the HF rig. I would like to see maybe Elecraft or TenTec or someone come out with a economical kit. I looked at picking up a LDG Z-11 tuner in kit form, but then said heck it only costs 50 bucks more for the fully assembled one. Why is that? The discount should be more on kits that are also available as assembled units. In any case, go ahead! I ain't stopping ya! I'd just like to see kits available more. And for more than just a keyer or something.
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Help with key/paddle design project?
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by K4DGW on June 13, 2003
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Certainly a laudable project. You might take a look at the following website.
http://electronicsusa.com/mk.html
I picked up a couple of paddles from these folks. At the time they could not make them quick enough due to how busy they were. Prices range from 13 - 19 dollars and appear to be made with parts that could be found at a hardware store and adapted to need. But at less than $20, it is hard to pass up. I have enjoyed mine. The only thing I noticed is the paddles were wired backwards from what I would call "convention". That is, for a right handed person, the pointer finger is dah, and the thumb is dit. But 5 minutes work with a solder iron fixed that.
Dave
-=K4DGW=-
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Help with key/paddle design project?
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by M0BAU on June 13, 2003
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Hi Don ,
A good idea often thought of making my own key but not yet finished a design. I bought a twin paddle key but the spacing between the paddles was to small and became uncomfortable after a while ,so that was my first design concern. I added packing to the paddles so as it was the natural distance between a relaxed finger and thumb to make a easier feel when operating, could this be made simply adjustable in a kit?
Next was the moving about of the whole unit around the desk, would wieght solve this or non slip feet or suckers, depends on desk surface I should think?
Contacts? flat on both faces means a small piece of matter would stop contacts meeting with inevitable errors. I thought a point on one side to a flat on the other may solve this but no experiments as yet. Bearings and spring tension did not seem to make a great difference to operation as the movement was so small but no doubt a few people like larger movements.
Just a few things that crossed my mind Don so I hope these comments have been helpful.
CW the best mode!!That will stir them up HiHi.
Vy 73 tu Geof
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RE: Help with key/paddle design project?
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by N0UY on June 13, 2003
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Hi Don,
I think most people would enjoy using a paddle they built with there own hands. They probably would enjoy it more if they came up with the concept and design as well but that is easier said than done. In most cases it's easier to find ways to improve on an existing design than to pull a unique one out of thin air. I for one would like to see this type of project information here for those who have the desire to make something practical and useful to enhance their time spent in this ever changing hobby. As far as features, adjustable contact gap and maybe tension would be most important. Secondly, if the distance between the paddles is reasonable adjustment should not be necessary.
Look forward to seeing your project.
Ray N0UY
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by K3IVB on June 13, 2003
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I am a machinist for years now, too many really, anyway here are my thoughts especially since I am seriously thinking of bringing back a very good paddle that is no longer being made. What you are proposing reminds me of the small spare tire supplied with new cars, like a generic sort of thing, it works and that's it, but don't use it hard or often because it will probably break. Having owned every high-end paddle available I doubt anyone who is all at serious about CW would even want to bother. You can get the Kent paddle shipped from the UK for just over $100 in kit form, put it together and it will match the performance of a 400 plus dollar paddle. So if you believe $100 is way too much to spend on a paddle then I guess I am off base. If you can do it for $5 then I am sold, otherwise Kent has already thought of your idea. Just My Opinion. Best of luck and glad someone is thinking on the lines of CW for a change!
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RE: Help with key/paddle design project?
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by N4GI on June 13, 2003
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<<I'd rather concentrate on something to get new General's on SSB cheaply. CW can come later.>>
Yeah! As soon as the new folks tune around on HF SSB they'll probably want a key real bad.
Blake N4GI
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Help with key/paddle design project?
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by K0RGR on June 13, 2003
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There have been lots of good homebrew keyer paddles, but there's always room for one more.
An ideal keyer paddle would require little tension and imperceptible movement of the paddles to produce code.
The Vibroplex keyer paddles come very close. Lionel (yes, the model train people) used to make a set that was perfect.
My Dad built one ages ago from two military surplus J-38 style straight keys. He screwed the bases of the two straight keys together with a piece of bakelite in the middle that also served as the support for the key. He replaced the key knobs with poker chips.
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Help with key/paddle design project?
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by N0FI on June 13, 2003
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I think this is a great idea. In my local club, there are a lot of new members. Most of these people got thier license because they found out they no longer needed to learn the code. Now that they have thier license, they don't need to learn the code, but instead the WANT to! Unfortunately, most of them can't, or don't want to throw a lot of money at keys just to learn and see if they like it. Additionally, this group enjoys getting together and building stuff (mostly antennas). A easy key project would be perfect. I also have done some searches for a good project, but nothing really caught my eye, so I would love to see what you come up with.
thanks,
N0FI
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by KB1GMX on June 13, 2003
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I'm no CW junkie but from building a potload of
keys and paddles I've found somethings work but
get tiresome very quickly.
What I've learned:
Keys made with copper clad board stock are simple,
rugged but not very adjustable. They don't always
have decent feel. Requires soldering skills!
Bearings, sloppy or loose doesn't fly after a few minutes.
Do not use the bearing as the electrical path to
the contact, it can develop resistance over
time.
Paddle spacing, there is a reasonable range to
wide or narrow tends to make it to the junkbox.
Contacts, nothing fancy but no bare copper as it
becomes tarnished and poor contact. Same for
aluminum. Microswitches vary too much for "feel"
and have hysteresis. Brass works ok as contacts.
Contact spacing should be adjustable and hold that adjustment.
Enough eight that it doesn't slide around unless batted.
Paddle arms need to be rugged enough to hold the
shape and spacing.
Return spring(s) should be adjustable.
The mounting for the user part of the paddle should
be an insulator and well anchored.
Keeping it simple doesnt hurt.
Allison
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Help with key/paddle design project?
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by VE3FFK on June 13, 2003
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I like my paddles to be light weight with a high friction pad (now sold for holding junk to the dashboard of a car), for portable use. (Radio is an outdoor sport).
When in use at a table, I add weight to the existing structure. I like adjustable spacing, but don't worry too much about adjusting the (spring/magnet/..?) tension. I prefer close spacing between the paddles, so my thumb and index finger nearly touch (about 3mm/.125 in). What I really like is a set of paddles that doesn't get knocked out of kilter by an accidental bump or two, like those things with the springs around the back, where the levers sit on wimpy little pivot points.
My current favorite set started with the Vibroplex "Code Warrier Junior". I ditched the steel base for lexan, made my own finger grips and mounted them on the inside of the lever bars, with spacers, so they are quite close together. The sleeve bearings are better than they need to be. The contact arrangement is more complex than it needs to be if you are making a copy of it. The way to get around tapping holes for things like the contact points is to get threaded spacers, and drill them through at right angles to the thread, to hold the contact points. By the way, old (but not abused) relays are good source of
really great contacts for almost no money.
Best of luck on your project. Don't forget to update us on your progress, or any problems you run into.
73
mk
VE3FFK
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RE: Help with key/paddle design project?
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by KC0JBJ on June 13, 2003
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Thanks for all the comments so far, looking forward to more.
FYI, I bought most of the parts I needed at a local hardware store for $5.79! I still need a good, cheap source for a few items. One is a 1/8 in. diameter X 1 inch long hardened abd ground steel dowel pin. My hardware store only had up to 3/4 in. long. They were only $.10 each and I would use five. I could modify my design, but prefer not to for strength reasons. I also cannot find a local source for 1/4 inch square brass stock. I can find 1/4 inch square steel and 1/4 inch round brass, but not what I need!
Also, although the bearing would not be used for electrical path, I did plan on using the coil spring (stainless), the adjustment screws (stainless)and the brass lever. The contact point would be the S/S machine screw and the brass lever, but for a little more $$$$ I was thinking of using sterling silver beads at the contact point on the lever and screw tip.
Yes, this design will be very basic, but yet novel in some ways. The contact spacing and spring tension will be screw-adjustable (not bend and pray, like some)with a knurled brass nut to lock the screw in place.
There will be many suggested upgrades, including an option to replace the coil spring with magnetic force (repulsion, rather than attraction as is used in some designs). The silver (or gold?) contact points could also be an upgrade, as well as the base materials. The cheap design uses wood for a bottom, top, and insulator, but a nice upgrade might be Lexan, Brass, or a combination of all three.
Keep those comments coming!
Thanks.
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by KB1GMX on June 13, 2003
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Re dowel pins, try tool steel drill blanks in the required diameter. Cutting them is a notch and snap operation and then grind the ends clean. Brass rod can be used maybe?
Steel bar is easy and brass bar is a MacMaster-Carr item. Stainless steels work ok as contacts.
If the pivots are steel then why worry about a stainless steel spring? Rust is not a factor and
if it is the dowel pins are also a problem.
Wood is ok though lexan is easy to get, durable and looks good.
Allison
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RE: Help with key/paddle design project?
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by K3ESE on June 13, 2003
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I think a set of paddles needs to have individual settings on each side for gap and tension, and are best if they have the capability of being adjusted to a very small gap with light tension.
Some paddles have a spring between the knurled adjusting knob and the post it's screwed through, which often works well to keep them adjusted to where they're set, without needing a lock-screw to be fiddled with.
They need to be held down firmly, but that's easily accomplished with Velcro, among other things.
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Help with key/paddle design project?
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by KR4WM on June 13, 2003
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Keep in mind that this is strictly a joke. I am -NOT-
serious!!!
How about a key that will encode human voice into
perfect CW on transmit? It would also have a switch
that would decode the CW on receive. Even poor fist,
poor copy, weak-signal CW would be translated back
perfectly into human voice with no errors in copy???
<GRIN> This would CERTAINLY appeal to the new
extra-class-lite ops. (And rusty old CW ops like
myself as well!)
Anyone who thinks I'm taking a jab at the new extra
lites doesn't know me- hopefully I'll be one of them
one day myself! I could care less if they call me that
when I get my extra! I'll just give 'em a good ol'
raspberry and say: "So what!"
-Web in Myrtle Beach, SC
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Help with key/paddle design project?
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by K0CBA on June 13, 2003
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That's easy.....make an EXACT copy of Brown Brothers Machine Company's CTL-B or BTL-B. The "best" has been done and BBMC did it.
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RE: Help with key/paddle design project?
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by K0EWS on June 13, 2003
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Absolutely, I must echo the last post on Brown Brothers. I was lucky enough to use a friend's at Field Day last year. Oh how I wish they were still made. What a terrific key that is.
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I think it's a good idea
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by N9POA on June 13, 2003
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I have been looking for something to get me into CW. Sure, I learned enough code to pass the test, but I wanted to continue using code. I'm hopeful that there are still people out there that are willing to help people like me out and send some slower code while I build my speed. But I do not have what I need. I need a key. I think an iambic paddle is what I want, and no, I don't want to spend $100 on something that I may not use all of the time. On the other hand, I may. If I indeed get proficient and enjoy it, I will invest in a better key. I have ordered the MK-44 from electronicsusa.com so I can at least have something to try. I am hoping to enjoy it, as I would love to play with QRP.
I would be interested in seeing where your project takes you. I have been toying with building one, but I do lack the skill to make anything but the crudest key. Good luck!!
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RE: I think it's a good idea
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by K3IVB on June 14, 2003
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Don't want to spent $100 you say, as pointed out already by Dave K4DGW, here is the place to go then:
http://electronicsusa.com/mk.html
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Help with key/paddle design project?
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by WB0WAO on June 14, 2003
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For an excellent source of metal, try www.onlinemetals.com
VERY reasonable prices and they will "cut to order" for a very small fee.
FWIW, I too am "experimenting" with making keys using a drill press and a small Clisby milling machine. From what I have "learned" from the process so far is that:
1) Keep it simple - remember a key is nothing more than a switch and a paddle is nothing more than two switches. You may want to start with a single lever paddle to tweak your design and then you can easily recreate it into a dual lever design.
2) Do the minimum amount of machining/drilling operations that you can - see where you can "cut corners" in the machining/drilling area and still have good function. Since you are wanting to devise a key that will not require a milling machine, only a hand drill/drill press and common hand tools the design will have to be "loose", i.e. not relying on tight tolerances.
3) Make prototypes, use them for a while and then make improvements. ANYTHING can be improved upon, but don't expect that you can recreate a set of Schurr paddles for $10 - that just will NOT happen.
4) Get other operators opinions on them - once you have pretty much decided on a design, make 3 or 4 of them. Keep one and give the others to some active and experienced operators AND some beginning CW ops as well. Ask for an honest critique and suggestions for improvements.
5) Use brass, it is easy to work with and looks good. For a base plate, use standard plexiglass/acrylic - also easy to work with. You can get it in several colors (the opaque black looks a LOT like the old bakelite/phenolic bases used on the older keys).
Hope some of these observations may be useful to you... good luck!
73
Dennis -WB0WAO
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RE: Help with key/paddle design project?
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by KC0JBJ on June 14, 2003
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Wow! What a great response I am getting. It seems I have hit upon something that may be more in demand than I thought.
Yes, I have looked at the Whiterook, Bulldog, NorCal, and other inexpensive/QRP paddles. For some, these non-adjustable designs may be just right. As a Design Engineer, I wanted to challenge myself to come up with a design that took a novel approach, a low-cost, simple manufacture and assembly, and easy, local part sourcing, yet included most, if not all, of the features of the more advanced paddles, including full contact spacing and spring tension adjustment.
The idea of using wood as a base material is that it is usually low-cost, or available as scrap pieces for free, easily workable by novices (again, small "n") and yet, with the right finish, can be quite attractive. Yes, the levers will be of brass, that is the 1/4 inch square stock I am looking to find from a local source. I agree that in many designs the bearing is overkill. That is why my design will use the brass lever itself with a hardened and ground steel dowel as the pivot. Brass and steel make excellent journal bearings, with only a simple dry lubricant, like graphite or moly-disulfide, so it should work well in this relatively low duty-cycle application.
No, I don't expect this design to rival a Schurr paddle or any of the more exotic precison instruments. I intended it to be functional and fun, a paddle for Everyman. or Everyperson (got to be Politically Correct, right?) Well, let's just say Everyham!
Yes, I would love to get a Brown Brothers also. After all, I was born and raised where they were made here in St. Louis. I passed on one at a hamfest last year because I thought it was a bit pricey, but now I am regretting that decision. I already have a Bencher BY-2 I got at a hamfest at a decent price. I also have a Ham-key iambic, also made right here in St. Louis by the folks at the now defunct Ham Center (boy does that bring back memories of my Novice (capital "N") days! My straight keys include an Ameco brass base key, reminiscent of the ones Radio Shack used to sell and I used as a Novice. Yes, mount two of those back to back, like the old J-38 design and you could have a decent set of paddles, but then you have invested $34 before you even start with the mounting materials and hardware!
Thanks to all for advice and encouragement.
Sad note: I recently lost my job due to a "Reduction-In-Force" at my employer which eliminated my position after I had submitted the orginal article to eHam, and so must put the design work on hold, as I have no access to AutoCAD here at home. I was able to copy my files on the project, but without the right software I cannot finish the work I started on my lunch hour and breaks. Anyone know of a good, cheap, and legal, source for second-hand AutoCAD software? I cannot afford to buy new given my current financial situation.
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by KB1GYQ on June 15, 2003
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I don't use such things yet, but I'd think a good paddle is like a good trigger: adjustable positive pressure, and no movement. The choice of dot/dash contact closures, timed CW, or MCW would be very nice as well; you could use it with any rig, even with an "SSB only" rig.
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RE: Help with key/paddle design project?
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by KC0JBJ on June 15, 2003
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Don't confuse the paddle or key with the keyer.
It is the keyer which forms the Morse dih's and dah's and controls the code speed. Most modern HF rigs have an iambic keyer (which uses two paddles, one for dih's and the other for dahs) built into the rig. The key or paddles is merely a couple of switches that turn on the stream of dihs or dahs until released. In an iambic keyer if both switches are closed, then the dihs and dahs alternate, i.e. dih, dah, dih, dah, dih, dah, etc. which is why it is sometimes called a squeeze keyer, since the two paddles are squeezed together to alternate the dihs and dahs.
In an external keyer, the output is sent to the key line of the transmitter, which switches on and off the continuous wave (CW)or carrier output of the transmitter. To use a keyer on a "SSB only" radio, it would have to have an audio oscillator as well, or drive an external audio oscillator, with that audio output fed to the microphone. But then you would not get true CW keying, but an Audio Frequency Keying, similar to what RTTY ops due when they feed a PC Sound Card output into the microphone for Audio Frequency Shift Keying (AFSK instead of true FSK)
I hope this clears up any confusion. My project is to design and build an iambic paddle (key), NOT a keyer.
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Help with key/paddle design project?
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by K2VCO on June 15, 2003
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Here are some of the things I look for in a paddle. Obviously you can't succeed in every way and still make it cheaply, but they are goals to strive for:
1) Should be adjustable to very small spacings and light tension without sticking.
2) Adjustments must stay put despite temperature changes.
3) Spring tension and spacing must be separately adjustable on both sides.
4) There must be zero vertical play.
5) Bearing friction must be negligible. Otherwise it will feel mushy, not crisp.
6) It must stay put on the desk, even if operator is heavy-handed.
7) It is desirable to be able to adjust paddle height and spacing between paddles.
8) There should be tactile feedback -- sort of a felt click when the paddle closes.
9) Contacts must have very low and constant resistance, and not be subject to corrosion (gold?).
What do I use? I have a WBL paddle which I like very much. Unfortunately these aren't manufactured any more, because they were reasonably priced and very good.
Vic K2VCO
CW operator for 49 years
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by W0NFU on June 16, 2003
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This is slightly off the subject but others may get a laugh out of it as I always have. But the suggestion to encode the human voice to CW brought it back to the surface.
Back in the late 60s, I was on the air when a neighbor called asking me to QRT for a bit as she was talking with her mother long-distance & I was interfering. Being the good neighbor, I quickly shut down but asked her to call me back when she was finished with her phone call so I could get back on the air.
Ten minutes later, she called as I had asked & thanked me for getting off the air. She went on to say that she knew I was the source of the interference as she could hear my voice as plainly as if we were standing next to each other. When she said this, I asked if I could buy her phone from her as I had been operating CW & I wanted a piece of equipment which could translate CW into spoken word. After we both chuckled over this, I explained that she was probably experiencing cross-talk on the phone lines.
73 - Larry WØNFU
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RE: Help with key/paddle design project?
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by W0NFU on June 16, 2003
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Don
I've been working on a solid state paddle & have it working although I do want to make a minor change. The bill of materials consists of
1. 2" by 3" by .5" slab of steel as base.
2. 2.25 x 1.5 x .375 chunk of plastic as paddle.
3. very thin pieces of brass (there's probably a better material available) which is glued to the plastic as conductors.
4. Small PC board - I'm using an old chunk of .1" grid prototyping board for the circuitry.
5. 1 4001 cmos quad-gate.
6. small collection of passive components.
7. 2 2N2222 transistors to drive the actual keyer.
8. Small case to mount it all in - I homebrewed mine.
It works great. What I especially like is there's no need to adjust the thing. I use it exactly like a standard paddle. I did mount 6 small push-buttons on the top of the case to support my Idiom Press CMOS-III keyer.
73 - Larry WØNFU
larry_w@attbi.com
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by N0TONE on June 16, 2003
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OK, so I'm a critic.
1) If the ham has one of the new-fangled rigs with a built-in keyer, he can spend $100 on a paddle. Sure beats spending $100 on an outboard microphone.
2) All manner of things have been used to build a single-lever paddle for free:
* hacksaw blade. Use a bit of furring strip to mount it on a 1 X 6. Pound two nails into the 1 X 6 either side of the hacksaw blade. Sand hacksaw blade until the paint is gone. Make the 1 X 6 long enough to rest your arm on it. Done.
Cheap: Two code keys, mounted back-to-back.
When I put a newcomer on the air, I do not let him use the microphone until he's worked 100Qs on CW. I don't tell him this is a rule. I tell him "I'll let you have the fun part first, then we'll go finding out what SSB nets are like."
Most of the time if I start someone on CW, they detest SSB later because of the rudeness on it.
AM
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RE: Help with key/paddle design project?
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by KB1GMX on June 17, 2003
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Mail this to a friend!
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If you going to be cheap at least do it right.
Actually if your going to use a hacksaw blade as a single key then it seems resasonbable to use the two halves of a hacksaw blade for a dual paddle. If you going to be cheap at least do it right. Now the real problem is do you want them side by side as a two finger tapper or back to back more like standard double paddles? You laugh! I've seen one made this way and it was made from 1/2 pine (from a pallet), 6 brass nuts and bolts (#6 I think) and tongue firmly in cheek. It also worked remarkably well!
Oh, use a dull blade or grind off the sharp edges. :)
Allison
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RE: Help with key/paddle design project?
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by WY7I on June 17, 2003
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Mail this to a friend!
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Nah!
I'd like to see a design with no moving parts. Take two touch-sensitive pads and mount them back to back with an adjustable gap. Make the sensitivity to touch adjustable, and be sure to have a large enough "touch area" to accommodate everyham. If possible, provide just a hair of tactile reinforement.
Mount the whole thing on a chrome base with your call engraved in it, along with a serial number. Provide 4 push buttons along the underside of the base to trigger the memories in the contest keyers, not too far from the actual fingertips. Make the base heavy, and give it decent feet that don't come off during heavy thumb-shoves!
Sounds like you have struck paydirt with your idea!
Keep up the good work.
Pablo
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RE: Help with key/paddle design project?
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by KG4VPV on July 15, 2003
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Mail this to a friend!
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<<<No, I don't expect this design to rival a Schurr paddle or any of the more exotic precison instruments.>>
Note: I just bought the Shurr Anfangher, and I absolutely LOVE it! The specs were held so tight, and there is NO PLAY in the action, exceptional. My Kenwood TS-570 just does not do the classic design justice. Im thinking of building a CW kit radio just for the key.
A good place to get brass stock are model railroad hobby shops, or any type of hobby shops for that matter, should have it on that scale, in lengths longer than you need. Model railroaders have been using brass stock for tracks for years. Im sure that some of them were built on scale with 1/4 inch stock, providing they need to be somewhat long. I think that would acommodate the amount you need to your liking.
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