I just ordered and received a Nye Viking Speedex oval base wth nickel plating and the shorting (abandon ship, mayday, etc.) switch for about $50.  It's my first key and I like it so far (sending into my practice oscillator - still need a rig).  To be frank, though, I did expect the quality of components to be just a bit better (plating and stampings), but all in all it appears to be a good product.  It was a toss-up between the speedex and a HiMound (~same $$), I went for the Speedex due to it's more tradional look and favorable reviews right here on eham.net.  I would also like very much to try a Vibrokeyer, but I'm going to get comfortable with the Speedex first.

Quick question for the experienced - should the contacts meet flush or is it OK if they are not perfectly parallel?

Jeff KG4ZTF

Thanks (all) for your thoughts.  While re-reading the IC718 review (ARRL website) I noticed that the CW keying waveform exhibits an initial spike.  I'm not terribly familiar with why this might happen, but wanted to better understand how this may or may not manifest itself while operating.  Is this something that's going to be a noticable distraction - or only something the extremes of lab testing will unearth?  The Alinco radio did not appear to have this issue, and it makes me wonder if this is something to prioritize the decision against.

Jeff
KG4ZTF

I'm coming closer to settling in on a 1st rig and have narrowed the field down to these two - the Alinco DX77 and the Icom 718.  I think once you add the 500Hz CW filter to the 718 you're talking apples to apples on price, so I would love to hear comparative thoughts on these radios (I've been through the reviews on them, now looking for some final editorial comments).  I primarily want to run CW (been listening to the MFJ 418 now for some time, feeling more confident).  I thought initially that I could get by with 40m & 20m monobanders, but when you look at the pricing of a couple of those, well - you might as well go for something w/gen. coverage recieve and multiple bands (I think I'd also like the SWL aspect of gen. coverage receive).  I also need to run attic antennas (CC&R), and am thinking that 100watts might make things easier than 5 watts - though I am a newbie and have arrived at this notion only from reading articles and forums like this one.  Looking forward to hearing thoughts on this.  Lastly - advice on attic antennas and feedlines would also be much appreciated (saw the article in QST this month, got me thinking).

Thanks,
Jeff

Thanks for the tip on 40/15, perhaps when I get things in order and get on the air we can set up a sked.  What kind of setup do you have?  Would you recommend the route I mentioned or something different to get started?

I recently passed the tests for General and am now working on improving my code copying skills beyond the 5-7wpm range.  I haven't purchased any gear yet - I've been taking my time researching the (maybe too many) options out there.  My current thought is to get into the Novice sub-bands with a monobander, straight key, and dipole - keeping it really simple and having something that can be set up and taken down with relative ease and is also portable - maximum learning for minimal investment.  If I go this route, which band would be the better choice to get started with, 40m or 15m?