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Reviews For: HA8KF Iambic Magnetic Paddle

Category: Keys & Paddles

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Review Summary For : HA8KF Iambic Magnetic Paddle
Reviews: 12MSRP: 113 €95
Description:
Iambic Paddle with magnetic returns, precision bearings, polished brass finish and a super heavy basis.
Contact: pap.imre62@citromail.hu
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
12124.3
N4UZZ Rating: 2023-01-28
Great promise but shoddy execution Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Arduous to adjust because tightening the set screws changes the contact point distance as well as the contact pin angle. Everything is brass. Mine arrived with minor damage and major misalignment. The post of the contact pin and setting screw was loose. DX Engineering said they are all like that and that they would have a hard time finding a perfect one in the bunch. Patient tightening and adjustment resulted in an outstanding paddle with a great feel, but definitely not up to the standard of my NZ-9+ even though it is a big step up from Vibroplex and Benchers. The base is the heaviest I have ever seen. In the end it ought to be a 5+ but with all these problems out of the box I am not so sure. You will need to put a lot of work into it using 2 mm and 3 mm Allen wrenches. Previous reviewers that said the ZN has no set screws are incorrect. The ZN has set screws with nylon bottoms to exert gradual pressure on the contact pin rather than a sudden metal-to-metal grab.
Z35O Rating: 2022-07-03
Great CW magnetic paddle Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Great quality, beautiful finish, excellent filling during operation, quite heavy, sitting stable on a desk. Sending CW is precise and smooth as silk. Hard to beat it in this price range. I recommend it to any CW operator, beginner or pro.
KD4BTH Rating: 2021-11-12
Why did I not buy one earlier??? Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After years with an MFJ, an AME, and my WWII surplus J38+ (J38 with NO and NC terminals), I started looking for something a that was a little bit more. I was torn between this and the Kent. Has anyone ever heard of someone buying a Kent and regretting it? However, the looks of this one, the reviews, and the added heft sold me. Yes, looks might be petty, but the https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/hkf-key-la?rrec=true is pretty! When it came in, I had a ball on the SST, and this'll be at my main rig for a good while to come. This is not to knock my other keys, but the HA8KF feels fantastic.

Also, I can't help but mention the engineer behind the key: Imre Pap. This is a very nice gentleman, and I had a pleasure with our exchanges. I needed Google Translate to read and prepare e-mails, but the messages were well worth the added minute or two.
YU7BH Rating: 2021-08-31
Pure art! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Buy one directly from Szeged (Hungary). Just piece of Art! After 40 years of use Bencher, Vibroplex and Begali I was really surprised with final look of HA8KF paddle.
Brane, yu7u
N2BZD Rating: 2021-08-13
A very smooth magnetic action. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I rate this paddle as second only to the Bencher Magnetic Hex Paddle. The return action is smooth and is adaptable to many operating styles. Some adjustment is needed with the aid of metric hex wrenches. Once adjusted it holds its setting indefinitely. The components are well machined and assembled with care. The electrical lugs on the bottom are easy to connect.
N6IET Rating: 2021-06-28
Nice iambic paddles with caveats Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My paddles with large rectangular base came in an unpadded box with the key with its heavy base bouncing around during shipment, which knocked some of the adjustments askew. And the flat sides of the hex post separating the levers at the rear didn't line up with the aluminum levers. I needed all three sizes of allen wrenches to make repairs and adjustments. None of my assortment of allen wrenches fit any of the three sizes used. I'm deducting points for each of these problems. Otherwise, the paddles are a joy to use.

I've used Bencher BY1/BY2 paddles for decades and love their elegant simplicity. My new HA8IKF is replacing one of them.
KB5IY Rating: 2021-05-12
Paddle not stable and rocks Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've had the a Single paddle w/black base for a couple of days now and the base just doesn't sit flat on the desk or other flat surfaces. I been able to shim it, but then it slips with any material I've tried. I have N3ZN and Begali iambic keys and haven't experienced this with any of those.
VE3BXG Rating: 2021-02-15
Great value for the money Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Recently started using this paddle. I compare it to the N3ZN ZN-9ZX paddle -- a highly regarded magnetic tension paddle I have been using for about a year. Both are great paddles -- both have a delightful touch and are a pleasure to use. But the HA8 sells for about $100 less than the ZN at DXEngineering. Is the ZN worth $100 more? The HA8 has a few advantages. Most significantly: 1) The HA8 is about 300 grams heavier (according to my scale) than the ZN, and is rock-solid on my table-top, whereas the ZN, while still pretty hefty, does move around a little; 2) the polished-brass aesthetics of the HA8 beat the look of the ZN hands down; 3) the HA8 sounds quieter than the ZN. A couple of other differences are worth noting. The surface area of the HA8 paddles is larger. The HA8 paddles are very close together, which I found odd at first, but quickly got used to. Finally, the contact spacing adjustment screws on the HA8 lock with vertical set screws, which I found annoying at first, compared to the ZN adjustment screws that move freely without requiring an Allen key. But I have also found that the ZN settings don't stick, so I can see the advantage of the set screws. Bottom line: the HA8 holds its own against the N3ZN. Both are excellent paddles and the HA8 costs $100 less.
AC4BN Rating: 2021-01-01
really solid dual paddle, nice touch!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently bought an HA8KF paddle, and find it to be a really excellent paddle! It uses magnetic tensioning (no springs) and is incredibly sturdy, weighing 6 pounds. It really stays in place on the desktop! The steel base is finished in a matte black.

The paddle has a very light touch and it is easy to adjust the mag. tensioning to get it where you want. There are no lock nuts on the spacing or the tensioning, but so far I have not seen any changes in my setting. The spacing set on it when it arrived turned out to be too close, and I had some sporadic dits.... but I widened the spacing very slightly and all is well.

I ordered mine from DXEngineering, and they ship really fast. I immediately noticed that the packing material was inadequate, I could hear something rattling around. The paddle was double boxed. I have learned the inside box (with the paddle) is packed in Hungary, and there was some packing material around it, but it sure wasn’t good enough. The inside box was surrounded by some packing material and packed by DXEngineering, and that also was inadequate. Fortunately, there was no damage.

The bottom line is that I really like this paddle, nice touch and really sturdy! Really good competition to the 'big names' !
N5ID Rating: 2019-02-22
Great Paddle Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have had this paddle for 1 day (BR Model) and I love it. With my Bencher BY-1 30 WPM was tough, but with this paddle 40 WPM is no problem! I have been a CW operator for 42 years and this is the best Paddle I have ever used.

The only con is the spacing adjustment seems to be a little tricky, but once adjusted works great!