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| Reviews Summary for N3ZN KEYS Model ZN-SL |
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Reviews: 10
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Average rating: 5.0/5
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MSRP: $see website for prices
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Description: The ZN-SL is the single lever version of the ZN series of paddles. It has the same ball bearing movement and magnet return as it brothers but with a single lever design. Base in 2 3/4" x 3".
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More info: http://www.n3znkeys.com
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write your own review of the N3ZN KEYS Model ZN-SL.
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9V1VV
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 7, 2008 17:56
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Superb
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I received my ZN-SL key yesterday by USPS post to Singapore. It took a couple of weeks but it was worth the wait.
The key not only looks beautiful but is a pleasure to use. After only a few minutes of adjustment I was on the air, and soon forgot about the key. This is the mark of a good key - it becomes invisible and the brain-to-radio connection is much closer than with a less than perfect key.
The two gaps can be adjusted right down to zero without any mutual interaction, unlike some other single-lever keys.
The magnetic action is smooth and responsive.
Tony likes to know how his customers feel about his keys. He takes a craftsman's pride in his work.
All my other keys are on display in a glass cabinet. This key is the one I will use for many years on the air.
73 de John / 9 V 1 V V
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K0FTC
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 30, 2008 02:42
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Great SL Paddle
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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The workmanship is obvious right out of the box. Not a flaw or mar on this brass paddle. The contact point is pinpoint and can be finally adjusted and I have not found that it changes with use. The magnetic tension can also be finally adjusted and how they are installed is unique at least to me and very direct, with one inlet into the tensioning screw. You can also personalize the key with a call nameplate - and I really like the plate Tony provided. Customer orientation is outstanding as well. Tony is very personable and communicates quickly and professionally. I needed to make adjustments to shipment and it was done as requested, and he wants to know when his product is received and wants feedback as to how you like the key. In other words his customer service does not end with payment and shipment - he really wants to know if his customer is satisfied with his product. And finally the important part of all this is the functionality of the paddle. I've also got a Profi-2 and a March - both fine keys, and though each has a different feel, I can say I really enjoy this AN-SL a lot, and would rate as a top of the line paddle. Adjustments are fine scale, the weight is right, and the paddles are at the right height. This is my first non-iambic key, and I have seen the single paddle on some, but this set-up with a dual paddle makes it easy to adapt to after using other dual paddle iambic paddles. I think Tony is a master craftsman and he produces an outstanding product.
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KW4N
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 28, 2008 17:53
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Look no further!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I can set this paddle so close, where it will stay forever, that a breeze from a flipped coin can give me a dit or a dah. Just what I wanted!
And it's easy on the eyes.
And it's the right weight.
And he's a fair minded and ethical businessman.
Look no further!
73's, Dave, KW4N
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W0AAA
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Rating: 5/5
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May 26, 2008 07:46
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My Favorite Key!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Wow! Over 70 reviews of N3ZN keys and they are all 5.0's. I rarely post my comments about products but could not resist on this one. I learned the Morse code in 1952 at age 5. My dad would come home from a tough day at work, I would arrive after a strenuous half-day of kindergarten. We would meet in the living room and the code records would begin to play. I have been a ham for 47 years and collect code keys. I have tested the ZN-SL against my Begali's, WBL's, GHD convertible and GHD speed paddles, ZPY's, Scheunemann Einhebel, FYO, Kent, Autronic's, Vibroplex, Bencher, Hi-Mound,, El-Key and others. My desk is set up so I can test a number of keys at the same time. I use two Logikey CMOS-4 keyers and practice everyday sending letter groups, callsigns, word text, alphabet, etc. I key at 60 wpm and up until I received my ZN-SL, the WBL X-3's were untouchable at the higher speeds. Not anymore...there is a new kid (key) on the block!!! I have been testing Tony's key for almost 2 months now and it is absolutely unbelievable! I like my contact spacing extremely tight and with its ultra-fine threading it made adjusting this key a breeze. It was ready to go in a minute. The key's action is clean and crisp with absolutely no mushiness at all. The fingerpieces are made so they are low to the desktop. I like this feature and have most of my single levers customized this way. (Tnx to N7SR) I key on a glass surface so I use paper-tak on the rubber feet to secure the key better at higher speeds. I would have liked to have 4 rubber feet instead of 3 but that is just a minor thing. Tony Baleno is an excellent craftsman and I am very proud to have this beautiful key (lucky S/N 13) in my collection. It is now a permanent fixture on my bench and the key I plan to use for my CW work. Thanks a million, Tony, for all your efforts in producing such a fantastic product! Buy one and you will not be disappointed. Zed, WŘAAA
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K1TN
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 24, 2008 13:25
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Happy OT CW guy
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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5 out of 5.
It didn't take me more than an hour or so to decide this was a good purchase. I've been a Morse operator for nigh onto 50 years (since age 9), and a professional writer for 35, so I could go on and on. I'll try not to.
I have an original W8FYO single-lever (SL) paddle that I bought in 1968. It's been my standard of comparison ever since. Over the years I've tried a bunch of other SL paddles, including the HAL FYO knock-off (not bad). When I began DXpeditioning in the Caribbean in the 1980s, I didn't want to risk taking my heirloom FYO, so I bought a gold Bencher SL and attached the little MFJ integrated keyer onto it. It served me well for at least 10 years. Then I quit traveling and sold the Bencher to a friend. Over the 40 years it usually seemed that the FYO was all I needed.
Now, I'm getting ready to go to a Field Day operation and show all the no-coders how it's done! And I sure ain't risking my FYO on FD. So, I looked around the SL paddle market. Buying a paddle without trying it is like buying a car without test-driving it, but I took a chance. The Tony Baleno, N3ZN SL looked right to me. As someone here said, it's harder to design an SL paddle than an iambic type. (I think iambic keying is a scam, by the way, but that's another story.)
As Hillary Clinton might say, the ZN-SL was "ready on day one." I like my paddle contact spacing very, very close, and the ZN-SL came just about that way, as if Tony had read my mind. I diddled with the magnetic "return" settings but found that the factory settings were fine. And, there are no set screws on the adjustment screws (not needed, I think). I really like that.
I put the ZN-SL and the heirloom FYO side-by-side and alternated using them. They feel a little different, which is inevitable. If you blindfolded me and asked me to identify them by touch, I uh, err, oh, think I could.
I had my choice of black or red plastic finger pieces, and I chose red. My finger pieces, which are, incidentally, shaped exactly like angel's wings, are laminated; black in the center and red on the outsides. They are attractive. I once had a girlfriend who is an oil painter and a graphic artist, and maybe she taught me a little bit about appreciating this sort of thing. I think this little touch is an attention to detail that is obvious in the entire key.
Jim Cain, K1TN
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K8RBW
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 6, 2008 17:44
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Great
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I'll just chime in with the chorus. For those of us who spent years on a bug, it is sometimes not easy to make a complete transition to an iambic paddle. As a consequence, I often find myself using a single lever paddle. Tony's new offering stands as an excellent contribution. It arrived on the same day as my Begali CW Machine and I felt like a kid in a candy store. It is probably the first paddle I ever received that I didn't have to adjust when it arrived. Normally I try to wait at least three months before reviewing a product, but the combination of Tony's paddle and the CW machine was just too much to resist. I have used both for about two months.
Vy 73,
de Dick
K8RBW
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N9ZI
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 29, 2008 17:26
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Fine Paddle
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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If you prefer single lever paddles like I do, this ZN-SL model is certainly a fine one to buy. I bought the all brass one with red finger pieces - it is a beautiful looking and constructed paddle - with a really fine feel & adjustments, it is very solid, not to big, not to small. I also have a Begali Simplex Mono that is a very good paddle, these two, in my opinion, are much better than the Bencher, Vibroplex & Kent paddles, have bought, used and sold all three, to my feel they just do not compare to Tony,s N3ZN paddles.
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W2RRT
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 14, 2008 16:56
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Great key
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I have this key ZN-SL less than a week. It took me less than two minutes to adjust the contact points and tention. This is my second N3ZN key. My first is the ZN-5A. I can't find words to express my findings for these keys. There both are great keys. The ZN-SL, again operates very smooth and fluid. A real pleasure to operate I can send 25 wpm (my speed) with great comfort. A great pleasure. Tony is a great master craftsman.
Thanks Tony
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N6NKN
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 6, 2008 14:25
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Single Paddle Delight
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I already have an N3ZN ZN-4A so I knew the quality of N3ZN keys. But, would the new single paddle model have the same precision, the same light touch, the same feeling that the dits and dahs just flow out of your fingertips. Absolutely!!
The SL is another in the line of fine keys that should satisfy the tastes of any serious CW op.
Do yourself a favor. Try a N3ZN iambic or single paddle key. You will not be disappointed.
Thanks Tony,
Rick N6NKN
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K6LQ
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 18, 2008 07:22
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Rejoice - Single Lever Users!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Tony Baleno, N3ZN apparently summoned his considerable dual paddle experience and has taken on and succeeded (IMO) in the very real challenge of designing a true, top drawer, single lever paddle. Most CW ops are probably aware that in today’s market place, dual paddles far outnumber the single paddles. This is due in part, to the fact that dual paddles are simply easier to design and fabricate.
I enjoy reading most key reviews. One particularly learned reviewer commented that one of Tony’s models reminded him of the Z06 Corvette. I’m also an auto enthusiast and appreciated this analogy. Ignoring the obvious geographic reference - for me, Tony’s keys are more akin to early amidships sports cars designed by Colin Chapman of Lotus Engineering. Both feature top notch, innovative engineering - light weight suspension, minimal mass, low polar moment, a rigid frame, quick response, low turning radius, are compact, and efficient. There is no extra bulk or un-needed flair on either. Both are purpose built, lean, high performance machines.
The ZN-SL features Tony’s now trademark - tight, low radius contact arms, minimal friction ball bearings, short aluminum lever, and rigid carbon fiber finger pieces. The threads are ultra fine, magnets strong and compact, and the contacts - pin point, and sure. The actual paddle geometry/movement is an adaptation of the proven design featured on the highly regarded Kent and GHD single lever paddles.
I have used this paddle for about a week now. I have operated it side-by-side, at the same sitting with other fine single lever paddles from: Bengali, GHD, Kent, Vibroplex, HiMound, AC7AZ (prototype), and WBL. Depending on my mood, sending speed and application, I enjoy using each and every one of these keys. However, something about the ZN-SL is special. My scorecard seems to bring this out – it ranks above the 90th percentile in all categories I can think of! It is positive in its operation. There is no backlash. No bounce. It’s not mushy. It holds its contact spacing as good if not better than any key I’ve used. It stays put, is pleasant to look at, and doesn’t take up much desk space. Even the supplied cord/plug assembly – the soldering beautiful (I attended NASA soldering school for a week in 1969)! Unlike some of the other paddles I own, I could find no significant weaknesses in this one. OK, I did find one, the finger pieces it came with were on the small side for me - but others are available as an option. For me, this key ranks at or very near the top of those available today.
In a field with so many quality products, I would never declare any key to be “the best of the best”. I would suggest though, that if you are in the market for single lever paddles, you would be doing yourself a real disservice if you overlooked the ZN-SL.
Thanks Tony - 73 K6LQ
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