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Reviews For: KN4YB SL85 Paddle/Sideswiper

Category: Keys & Paddles

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Review Summary For : KN4YB SL85 Paddle/Sideswiper
Reviews: 2MSRP: $85.00
Description:
This is an "elegantly simple" right angle paddle that has an integral shorting bar to convert to sideswiper ("Cootie") operation without any tools. It fits in the palm of the hand yet has enough mass to stay put during all but the most brutal operation. It comes with all the hex wrenches necessary for adjustment or maintenance. At the current price of $85.00, it provides substantial return on investment. In addition to operation as a paddle or sideswiper, it can also be used as a straight key or a "bug" under bug emulation mode. The tension adjustment is accomplished by moving a post into one of five holes with effectively shortens the tension spring much like the French Dyna-Maniflex of the '50s did. Converting from paddle to cootie only requires the repositioning of a shorting bar conveniently located on the bottom of the key. The key uses F685 bearings for smooth operation. There is also a threaded "hold down" hole for those who wish to secure the key on a desk. The base is black wrinkled painted cold rolled 1018 steel and the hardware is all brass.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.kn4yb.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0025
NZ8J Rating: 2020-05-02
Sold my Magnakeyer..... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Don't mistake the title as a knock on the Magnakeyer, it just illustrates how well the SL-85 suits me. The Magnakeyer has a enthusiastic following and is a great iambic paddle. However, after much trial and error I've come to the conclusion that a single paddle key is more compatible with my style of operation than a iambic paddle. The SL-85 Single Lever Paddle is a very simple design and just works great for me!
I echo everything WB2LQF said about the SL-85. Tom, KN4YB makes some excellent paddles and bugs. I have two of the DL-165 dual lever right angle bugs, the easiest bug to operate I've ever used. I plan on getting another SL-85 for portable operation.
Tom is a pleasure to deal with, very responsive and quick shipping if he has them in stock..
Tim NZ8J
WB2LQF Rating: 2020-04-22
Best Bang for the Buck in a LONG TIME! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is the best $85 I've spent on a new key in a long, long time. I use it with my IC-7300 and I have an excellent paddle, a more-than-adequate-sideswiper, an "emergency" straight key and a bug (under the IC-7300's bug emulation mode). Heck, I've got everything I need in one single key. This key is simple to the extreme! It doesn't even have a spring unless you want to count the tension leaf as a "spring." There is a tension adjustment which moves from "super light" to "darn heavy" via moveable post that fits into any one of five holes. This is reminiscent of the French Dyna-Maniflex key of the 1950s which used a similar technique to shorten the bar.. The only other adjustments are for dit and dah spacing. I found that .006 inches (using a spark plug gap gauge) was perfect for me - YMMV). There is locking hardware on the top so once you find your own "sweet spot" it ain't goin' nowhere! The finger pieces I got were a beautiful clear blue tinge (Lucite???) and finished perfectly. All the working hardware is brass and the base is cold rolled 1018 steel. This gives the key - which fits in the palm of my hand - enough heft so that I really need to whack it hard under normal circumstances to move it enough to affect me. Now here's the pleasant surprise: turn it over and you find a shorting bar which sits on a rubber insulator while it's a single lever paddle. It you move it off the insulator, you have a more than adequate sideswiper ("cootie") AND you also have an "emergency straight key. But wait -- that's not all -- if your keyer has bug emulator mode, then without changing anything else you also have a "sort of" bug. All this for $85 classifies this as my best ham radio purchase in recent memory.