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Reviews For: Bencher BY-1

Category: Keys & Paddles

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Review Summary For : Bencher BY-1
Reviews: 156MSRP: 110 to 395 rrp
Description:
Iambic paddles
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.bencher.com/radioequip.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001564.3
PE1LTA Rating: 2002-11-18
Good and solid design Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Used the BY-1 now for couple of weeks. First time using Iambic key and I love it. It works great and I'm not tired anymore after 10 minutes CW @ 15..20WPM. Recommended.
K9IUQ Rating: 2002-11-13
Comfortable Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had the iambic Bencher for many many years. I really like the way it feels and sends. Also have the iambic Vibroplex which I rarely use. Much prefer the feel of the Bencher over the Vibroplex. The Vibroplex feels much different than the Bencher and I just dont care for it.

The Bencher is priced right too.
KH7L Rating: 2002-06-03
Best paddle around Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had about 8 different paddles in the past 27 years. I work 80% CW and this is the best paddle around. At first it felt like cheap plastic and you couldn't feel the weights. As in all paddles it take about 3 months to get used to. Now, I cannot go back to anything else. The price is high so I picked up a used one. I now own 3 used ones. Back-up in case the springs fly out (joke).

I have never had the thing fall apart after 30,000 Qs. I really like the heavy weight, I used to put something heavy on my other keyers to keep it from moving.
N7ZN Rating: 2002-04-16
Decent Value for the Cost, but... Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned and used the Bencher BY-1 for over two
years now. I operate almost exclusively CW.

While I must admit that the BY-1 is a decent value for
it's cost, I have never been really satisfied with mine.
Still, considering the cost (around $110) and the
availability (ship from stock) I must allow as it is
a reasonable choice in many cases.

My complaints with the Bencher are two:
First; the contact arms are quite long, thin and springy.
Besides giving the paddle an overall mushy feel, I find
that it is quite easy to bend the arms sufficiently to
alter the contact spacing. Generally the arms will bend
so as to increase the contact spacing.

Second; I find that the contact spacing changes quite
a bit with temperature variations. In winter my shack
ranges in temperature from 50F to 80F. I find that if I
adjust the paddle for good feel at the warmer temps
(70F or so) then the contact spacing gets much wider
at the lower temps, giving the paddle a very sloppy feel.

Similarly, if I adjust for a good feel at the lower temps,
when the shack warms up the contacts will close
completely. Of course, all I have to do is push a little
harder than normal on the paddle and the arms bend
enough to open the contacts up again. :-)

Arghh!

vy 73 es cul

John N7ZN
KG4LFZ Rating: 2002-04-11
Love them! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have had mine for a couple of weeks, and they are great!!! No problems with adjustment or anything. They have a nice feel to them. I like them so well I am going to buy me another one for my QRP rig. Bencher has done well on these. It has a heavy base witch keeps them in one place on my desk. can send very high speeds on them. Built to last.
KG8WK Rating: 2002-03-30
great paddle Time Owned: more than 12 months.
6 yrs 6000 plus qsos, no problems of any kind
VE3WMB Rating: 2002-03-27
Good Solid Paddle looks great! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Let me start by saying that I bought my chrome Bencher at Dayton in 1981, so I have been using it for 21 yrs. Other than a few scratches on the
paddles and a little tiny bit of peeling chrome
(off the top of the piece that the spring wraps
around) it still looks and works great. I have had no problems with this paddle, period.
I bought a Vibroplex Brass Racer in 1996 and used
that for a few years, but recently I dusted off
the Bencher again realized that I much prefer its
feel over the Vibroplex and have gone back to using my Bencher.
KM0U Rating: 2002-03-25
Good but no Kent TP-1 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The BY-1 was the first paddle that I owned. It has served me well and I probably would have rated it a "5" until I bought a Kent TP-1. I have not had any of the "fly apart" experiences that others have referenced but when compared to the Kent the BY-1 is clearly inferior - not even close on quality of workmanship. The feel of the Kent is superb and it can be adjusted to less than paper thin between contacts. The BY-1 is ok but if you want a quality paddle for only a little more money - get the Kent.
I also have a MFJ 564 - spend your money on something else.
N2XE Rating: 2002-03-25
Best Paddle Ever Made Time Owned: more than 12 months.
If you actually know and use CW, this is THE key. If you collect keys or get your rocks off buying and coveting $400 paperweights, you won't like the BY-1.

I'm a bit puzzled by these bizare complaints about "the spring flying off" and "flimsy construction"???? Have these reviewers actually used one of these? If so, what kind of wierd twisted perverted things are they doing to this gem of a paddle??? I've never had mine fly apart or even come remotely close. Sure, I only send at 40wpm but mine is solid are a rock and as responsive as a Ferrari. I can understand that different people have different taste but I can't understand what it is about the BY-1 that would evoke such vitriol?? You would think Bencher was selling tobacco.

Looky children, Bencher is a small little company that makes photographic equipment and a couple of keys and paddles. They are not some huge multinational conglomerate intent on stealing money from some crybaby ham. Those keys are made probably because someone in the company is a ham and wants to make a contribution to the hobby. Keep up the infantile bashing and they probably won't bother. Since nobody homebrews anymore, it's the crybabies that will get screwed in the end.

I have no connection to Bencher what so ever other than I own a BY-1 and think it's a decent paddle. I admire any company that puts out a product for a niche market with a maximum sale potential of maybe 500 units per year and selling it a damn near cost. That's the real world but I guess it's asking a lot for someone to understand. Espesially a guy who is so bad at relationships that he has to sit in a little room behind a microphone, wearing the same grease stained tee shirt he hasn't changed in the past three months.



K3IVB Rating: 2002-01-14
OVER RATED BIG TIME Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Summary says it all. If you like your paddle with a spring that flies off and has a rubbery feel, then by all means run out and give your hard earned money to Bencher. And if you just love it, give them even more money to have it chrome or even gold plated.