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Reviews For: Begali HST Single Lever

Category: Keys & Paddles

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Review Summary For : Begali HST Single Lever
Reviews: 41MSRP: 250
Description:
An innovative high-speed single lever key that can be switched to sideswiper mode at the flick of a switch. Cast iron base, precision bearings, and gold plated adjustment screws.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.i2rtf.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00414.9
W1ND Rating: 2021-09-16
Reference shack paddle for others to aspire to Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought my HST 2 used on a whim to see if I would like it. I got a great deal and figured I could sell it for what I paid if I didn’t like it.

Well, it might be the last or second to last key I ever sell. It’s well weighted, sits and stays in place on my table with no assistance needed (I have to use two hands with my bugs to send). It is buttery smooth and I just love sending with it.

I have tried to use it in sideswiper mode, I have a stereo to mono adapter plug and I just plug it into my KX3’s Y cable configured for straight keys. I am not good enough in sideswiper mode to go on the air :-)

I don’t see any reason for me to upgrade to the HST 3, the 2 is pretty near perfect for me. I intend to take this with us on the road in another year when we go fulltime RV and that is saying a lot about this paddle as space is a premium for us.
AC5AA Rating: 2021-03-30
Very smooth and "easy" Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I tried out the HST III at Dayton/Xenia this year just to see if it might satisfy my single lever need. The arthritis in my hands has made iambic paddles a real problem for me. I have a single lever that is fine, but was looking for one of Pietro's offerings since I've had several of them over the years. After returning home I ordered one, and took delivery. With a single tension adjustment I wasn't sure I could find a setting that would work for me, but that turned out to not be a problem at all.

The touch is highly adjustable, and provides a good tactile feedback which imparts a taut, accurate feel. My transmitting at 30+ WPM has improved because of this, not that I spend that much time at that speed. The finger piece has a slight "wedge" shape to it which also supports a more controllable feel.

While the base is a "cast" iron flat finish, the overall apppearance, rather than one of his works of art, reminds me of the old "sleeper" cars with a racing engine inside. This is one high quality and fun-to-use key.

Apparently Pietro listened to earlier comments with the 3.5mm plug wired on top on this model along with a cable to the rig which has a 90 degree male plug on one end to exit the key more gracefully.

Once again, a winner from Pietro and kudo's to him for making the incremental improvements to it. Ciao Pietro!

*Update*. After using this key for about three more years, I have to say that it is easily my favorite key and I wish I’d made this decision earlier. Even more kudos to Pietro for this fine product.
N2DED Rating: 2021-03-24
Very Good by every measure Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After owning 4 other paddles, (including Ten Tec, Bencher and Vibroplex, this is my 5th and so far the best. I've gotten up to 30 WPM using it with good accuracy and no fatigue. It's stable, quite and requires very little adjustment. A CW instructor suggested it to me, I bought it and I haven't looked back since. This thing won't budge unless if you're swinging for the fences.
My 2 regrets: it has a fairly wide sweep (I'd prefer tighter action), and it's not iambic, which I now prefer. Other purchases would be Begali Sculpture iambic or Begali Magnum iambic.
VK5ISO Rating: 2019-07-09
Try it first, before you buy it! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased an HST MKII as a backup key for my N3ZN ZN-SL and after a couple weeks have just sold it. Based on my personal experience, it is a very mixed kettle of fish:

The pros:

1. Looks gorgeous and if you use it at the sweet spot it is factory regulated at (20grs according to my measurements), it is absolutely marvelous

2. Extremely comfortable to use because of the ergonomic shape of the paddle.

The cons:

1. Is not responsive at tensions lower than 20grs at 25 wpm +

2. For a given tension, regulated by a screw on the front of the base, there can be a difference of 50% or more between the tension on the right and on the left side of the paddle (as measured using a dynamometer). It is possible that this is intentional, as most operators prefer a heavier tension for the thumb and a lesser one for the index, but as the ratio keeps varying, it seems very difficult to regulate the paddle.

3. Build quality is rather poor: Begali includes a 0.03mm feeler gauge, but it is a struggle to get the paddle to operate with such a small gap. When I examined the posts supporting the contacts with a magnifying glass, one of the posts is some 10-15 degrees from perpendicular to the frame (i.e the screw hole was drilled at an angle).

I thought I would give it a couple weeks to see if I could learn to live with it, but finally decided to let it go. I suspect it was deisgned with bug users in and HST competitors in mind and at 40-50wpm, delicacy is no longer "de mise", but I would suggest to anyone thinking to get one, to try it first.
KY6R Rating: 2019-06-12
My Favorite Key Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I learned on a Bug in the 70's and never got into iambic "squeeze" keying.

Enter the HST III - its perfect for the way I send - and I am faster and even more accurate. I no longer am lazy and "slur" the KY in KY6R.

The key stays put and is a real beauty. The finger piece is contoured just right - it fits me like a glove. The adjustments are also right on.

CW perfection in my book. Thanks Pietro and Bruna - (two of the nicest people in the business).
N3AAK Rating: 2019-01-21
Exceptional Paddle from Begali Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently purchased the HST III from the Begali web page. I currently own several Begali keys and the Sculpture Mone is my primary key. I wanted another single lever paddle which I find is a better way for me to send faster CW. This key is one exceptional masterpiece! It now sits on my desk with the Sculpture Mono as one of my primary keys. This is easy to adjust, easy to work and will increase your sending speed very quickly. As always Bruna kept me posted on my order and shipping information and is always very helpful should a question arise. This key joins the ranks of the finest CW keys which Piero has made. A gem to work and a jewel to add to your desk. There is no other single paddle key made for this quality and price and I highly recommend this to any CW OP!
N4EDT Rating: 2019-01-13
Great Key Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I purchased the HST III last summer. I am currently working to develop my proficiency sending CW. I had started with a straight key and then went to an Iambic key. My sending with the straight key topped out just over 12 WPM. I found the Iambic nearly impossible to master. I can now send with character speeds of 20 WPM using the HST III.

Easier to use, easy to adjust and functionally beautiful. A work of art that works for a living.
KD0ZV Rating: 2018-04-18
Love the single lever Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have been using a Begali signature edition (Iambic) for years and wanted to try a single lever to avoid some operator inflicted errors. It was a good choice and I am really enjoying the key.

Begali is on its 3rd revision of the key and is now a Mk III even though their website does not show this.

The Mk III is basically the same as the Mk II but has a redesigned cast base with the cootie switch moved to the left side and a 3.5mm jack added so you can plug your cable in directly. This will address the complaints in the reviews below about having to wire the key. Not a complaint I understand anyway as every other key I have purchased including the popular Bencher required wiring.

The performance is fantastic and the design includes a self centering lever with a single magnet adjustment to adjust tension. Each contact has a fine thread adjustment for setting the gap. Begali includes a feeler gauge to set the gap. All basic adjustments can be made without tools.

Its precision and design is like every other Begali key even though at first glance looking at the cast base it may not appear that way.

I have two minor complaints with the key. The first is Begali uses hard rubber feet on the base. I was hoping for something softer with more grip so I could get rid of the rubber pad I have been using. Even with the heavy base I still need to use the pad to keep it from sliding. The final complaint is they include a cable with straight ends and with the Mark III's connector on the top you end up with your wire sticking straight up. Fortunately I had another cable with a 90 degree right angle connector which works much better.

I ordered on a Wednesday and the key shipped Thursday and arrived on Monday. Not bad from Italy!

Thanks Pietro and Bruna for another great product.
S58WW Rating: 2017-12-21
Great Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
State of the art : poesia
K9TYR Rating: 2017-03-09
Shocked - Why Has Nobody Mentioned You have to Wire It? Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is a great key and I would easily rate it a 5 if it would have come ready to use like all the other keys I’ve ever bought. It has a great feel and heavy weight so it will never move around on my shack bench.

My other primary key is a N3ZN-SL and I switch back and forth between the two keys. I’ll always keep them both because they are both great keys. But, though I can highly recommend the N3ZN-SL, I suggest you do your homework on the HST before deciding to purchase.

The HST comes with a dual male plug 3.5 mm stereo cable. But, there's no place to plug it in!!! Nothing is wired in the key. It comes with a switch and a soldering lug at each key post-But, NO WIRE. You'll have to wire the switch and attach a cable yourself before you can use it.

The lugs on the switch are quite small and the only thing I had on hand that would fit it was some 24 gauge wire. Then I had to check the switch with an ohm meter to insure that it was oriented correctly to match the top label prior to reinstalling.

To get the soldering lugs out of the post terminals I pulled the long screws out one at a time because I didn’t want the top keying assembly to come loose. With the lugs out I was able to solder a stereo tipped cable while soldering in the switch wire. Again, use an ohm meter to insure tip and ring are soldered to the correct lug.

If you don’t mind going through this hassle with the corresponding worry that you will mare the finish of your new key while working on it then by all means consider this key. It’s a great key that feels great to operate. But, if you want a great single lever key ready to go out of the box look elsewhere.

I should add one additional piece of information. I’m a retired engineer. Ten years in design and 15 years in testing mostly in R&D for new product. I would never have approved a product like this as consumer ready. Sorry, I’m an engineer and we tend to be a bit anal like that (doesn’t mean marketing wouldn’t declare the deficiency a “feature” and go into production anyway-BTDT). Guess that’s why I feel a bit touchy about this purchase.

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Earlier 4-star review posted by K9TYR on 2017-03-06

It's a very nice key and I paid for having my call sign engraved since I plan to keep it. But! I'm a bit amazed that I need to wire this up myself. They didn't even ship an appropriate wire cable to do the job with. Yeah, I can solder and I have supplies in the shack to do it with but I refuse to give a 5 rating for this.

The key itself if fine but I'll be using my ZN-SL for the time being till the soldering bench frees up from the current project.