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Reviews For: TK Soviet Hand Key

Category: Keys & Paddles

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Review Summary For : TK Soviet Hand Key
Reviews: 11MSRP: 29.95
Description:
Soviet Army Surplus hand key. Silver hot tipped contacts.
Product is in production
More Info:
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00115
N7AG Rating: 2019-01-01
Great Key, Low Price Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Perhaps for a couple hundred more, you can get a better key. This is a rugged key with a fine action at a rock bottom price. Note: add price & shopping to get true cost.
KD5XN Rating: 2018-12-31
Helluva Bargain, Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Probably one of the best buys in amateur radio. Nothing sexy or attractive about it but it sends good code. Smooth action with a good feel once you get used to the mushroom knob. I have a number of keys but this Russian/Ukrainian key has a better feel and action than some costing many times the price.
K4IIE Rating: 2015-12-28
great buy Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Bought one at a hamfest for $15.Not a pretty key but has a great feel.Very smooth.Better feel than some pricey keys I've tried.
N3PDT Rating: 2014-03-10
Simply a great inexpensive key Time Owned: more than 12 months.
It's ugly. It's so ugly I didn't want to like it. But, as < $100US keys go, you cannot beat it - and I'm including the vaunted Navy Flameproof and every J37/8 ever made. I bought mine on ebay from a Ukranian vendor for around $30 shipped.Worth every penny/
M3ZVI Rating: 2012-02-21
Great little key! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought my key from a UK based website that sells only morse keys for about £38.

It has since gone on the air and is doing very well indeed. The key has a solid feel to it with a very smooth action and it does not take up much space either, it is about the same size as a 'wall wart' plug!

I will be taking it out /p when I get a chance.

So a very well made ex army key, with a good feel to it, a great action, small size, loads of fun to use on the air and very good value for money....need I say more?

73 de Frank.

K5ACO Rating: 2011-03-24
Great Key! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Total cost including shipping from Ukraine $25. Silky smooth action, not nearly as tiring as my other straight keys. Adjusted perfectly right out of the box. Like it much more than the J-38 type key or even my Speed-x.
WD6GLA Rating: 2008-12-25
Not bad at all ! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought one of these off e-Bay a few days ago , new in the wrapper from a vendor in the Ukraine . I needed another key ( well actually I really didn't :) ... but based on the reviews here , I figured why not . I'm impressed . Yeh its kind of cheap looking (almost like a plastic toy at first glance) ... but you know what , it has a great feel to it ! Very precise and very adjustable so you can set it the way you want it . You like it more and more as you use it , the lever is quite short so it has a nice quick action to it .

The key is pretty light and thats the only problem I see with it , so I'm going to cut and finish a small metal plate to mount it on . Right now I have to hold it steady with one hand while I use it . A piece of wood might do it , but I want a heavy base on it so it stays put . The lever seems like it sits kind of high off the table at first , but you quickly get used to it . In fact I kind of prefer the European style of keying where you position the key near the edge of the table . Another thing is the knob . It feels strange at first , its like a squished round ball , but after a few minutes you wont want to go back to a flat knob again .

I see them on e-Bay quite often so if you want a nice feeling key with a small price tag grab one of these .

N7BDY Bob
W8ZNX Rating: 2007-05-18
a great key and a small price Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
have owned
many keys in the last 40 years

up till geting the TK key
my most used straight key
was a High Mound Swedish key
that costs about $250

got my TK key from e pay for $25

having tried a few other eastern block
mil surplus keys
realy did not expect it to be
much of a key

it does not look like much
plastic with stamped sheet metal parts

no bs THIS IS ONE GREAT KEY

was realy taken aback
at how good this key feels

you can pay lots of money for a sraight key
that may look better on your desk

but it will not work better

this key is a keeper

mac dit dit
KI4OJC Rating: 2006-04-16
Very pleasant key Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought this key and a leg-strap small portable key together on Ebay from a vendor in the Ukraine. The price for both was under $40. Both are wonderfully pleasant to use. They are fully adjustable and give good, sharp keying contact. This is the Soviet copy of the German Junker key, and like most Soviet copies of German designs, they preserved the concept and made it bombproof. Although I do not send CW any faster than 12 wpm [yet], I can tap on this thing for hours without fatigue, so long as I rest my wrist on a small notebook. This SK is really a lot of fun, and everyone who does CW should spend some time using one of these affordable keys. I have this key and a keyer connected to my base rig with a switch, so I can select between the two immediately. A straight key will help cut through QRM with good, clean slow code [instant speed adjustment!] This is the key to use unless you are a real straight key aficionado [in which case you should have one to broaden your collection.]
N1KSN Rating: 2003-11-20
Excellent straight key! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently purchased a Model TK Soviet Military Key from Morse Technologies. After wiring it up and making adjustments I spent the better part of a weekend operating with it. I found I could operate at 18-20 WPM for long periods of time without fatigue. The key has a solid and precise feel to it.

For now I'm just holding it down with my left hand while I send with my right, but I'll soon be finding a permanent place for it on my operating table. Using a straight key has become fun again!

Andy N1KSN