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Reviews For: CW Touch Key P3 Circuit Card

Category: Keys & Paddles

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Review Summary For : CW Touch Key P3 Circuit Card
Reviews: 6MSRP: 18
Description:
Dual touch paddle circuit card 1" x 1.5" @ 5-14 volts.
$18 kit, $28 wired
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.cwtouchkeyer.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0064.8
KC9EHQ Rating: 2011-08-25
Works great...looks great...fun project Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this particular kit because I wanted a pair of touch paddles, but I did not want to source all the components form various places. This was a great little kit to build. It took me about 30 minutes to complete. They work great!

I originally mounted everything in a plastic box from The Container Store. However, I scrapped that idea as it really didn't look good. I decided I would then mount it on a nice piece of stained wood and make a real nice set of paddles.

I have since ordered the P1PAD fully assembled, and will use them for travel and field use.
K5CLC Rating: 2010-01-16
Works perfectly! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I purchased a P3 kit a long time ago, and got around to putting it together. Pics of the project are on my profile if you want to see it. A basic project box, a couple of connectors, the kit, and a 9v battery. Just took some solder time. Almost anything can be used for the touch keys, i used two brass casings from some spent Remington 12g shotgun shells. Works like a charm. A lightweight project for my backpack QRP setup.
KC1JB Rating: 2009-03-09
Great way to send CW; final-design possibilities are endless Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
It's inexpensive, versatile, lends itself to a variety of final paddle designs, and what you touch is what you get. Not a dit more, not a dah less.

I bought mine in September 2008 at our regional ARRL convention. I got around to building it over the winter and just integrated it into my shack (see http://kc1jb.net). It's a snap to build.

I have a Black Widow paddle that I put together last year and won't give up. And for straight-key fun, I use a Navy Flameproof. But I also wouldn't want to take either out of the house for Field Day or for emergency work.

Having the Touch Paddle's contact plates built into (or onto) the small shelving unit housing my radios gives me a paddle for my rig's built-in keyer that will never get lost!

N6MUK Rating: 2009-02-23
A great product but just not quite right for me Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Its a great value and was really fun to build it into a box with aluminum paddles that I cut out and laminated with a hardwood spacer between. The instructions and web site give you some great ideas on constructing your own touch paddles.

Its the ultimate light touch as just coming close to touching a paddle, or almost just thinking about touching it, makes it send dits or dahs. Its way too sensitive for me as I rather like to rest my fingers on each paddle all the time; just increasing pressure to send a character. Being unable to touch them made me feel disconnected from the keyer and made my sending seem very unnatural.

I solved this (kind of) by coating the paddle surfaces with a layer of scotch tape. This reduced the sensitivity enough that its usable for me but still not my favorite.

I decided to use these for my sending while mobile. My Jeep has a rough ride and mechanical paddles are problematic to be sure! This touch paddle is totally immune to vibration and is a god send to my sending while driving.

I feel like I want to give this one a 5 but I just can't, in spite of its stellar performance in the car. Its just too weird a feeling not being able to bracket the paddles with my fingers.
KG9HV Rating: 2006-08-16
Great product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this kit on Thursday and Sumner
shipped it Friday. It arrived in my mailbox
Monday morning. I figured I'd get it later in
the week, but Sumner is one fast shipper. He
also has come up with an outstanding product at
a low price. All parts were there and the instructions are easy enough for anyone to
understand. I finished the board before my cup of coffee. The board is a high quality thru-hole
plated type with the components positions etched
on the top. You really can just put it together
by just following the images on the board. A fun
kit for beginners or seasoned builders alike.
I built it in a plastic box that once contained
a power supply from a computer scanner. I used
a couple feeler gauges for the paddles. I hooked
it up and it worked flawlessly from the start.
No adjustments or contacts to clean. This is the best $18 I've spent in a long time and it is a pleasure to use. The only problem is that now
I have $500 worth of mechanical paddles that are
gathering dust because I am having so much fun
with my P3K homebuilt key. Just go buy one and start enjoying the effortless operation of the Touch Key.
To see my homemade paddles, go to Sumner's site.

http://www.cwtouchkeyer.com/P3K%20OTHERS.htm

Sumner has pre-wired boards and complete key/keyer models also for a fair price.
I see endless applications for this kit.

73
John KG9HV
Fists 1750
K2MEN Rating: 2006-06-15
Fun kit - Great results! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I built the P3 with little difficulty!

Using standard 110v male plug prongs soldered to pennys (finger pads) and attached to a small enclosure, I built a very small key for portable use. Installed a 9v battery into the enclosure and voila! A very portable cw paddle!

The enclosure is so small and the paddle touch so light that it can easily be attached to the rig with Velcro without annoying movement during use. And, it is very portable.

I love my Begali, but I find myself using the P3 more and more…….