Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: American Morse Bushwacker Sideswiper/Single Lever Paddle Kit

Category: Keys & Paddles

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : American Morse Bushwacker Sideswiper/Single Lever Paddle Kit
Reviews: 28MSRP: 99.00
Description:
Innovative new design with unique features! Exclusive variable paddle lever ratio provides unparalled adjustability from feather soft to rock hard. (Patent pending). Fully finished and Mil-Spec anodized, with slightly textured flat finish on paddle.

* Incredibly solid, fully adjustable feel; Gap, Spring Force, & Lever Ratio!
* Small size, only 4.5 ounces – 4 ¼ x 1 1/5 x 1 1/8 inches
* CNC machined from Aircraft Grade Aluminum
* No machining required – fully finished
* Stainless Steel fasteners throughout
* Simple, Reliable, in easy-to-assemble kit
* Base drilled & tapped for mounting, fits Leg Mount, Qwikmount, and BW Desk Base
* Desk base weighs 2 pounds for solid mounting
Product is in production
More Info: http://americanmorse.com/bushwacker.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00284.6
DH5AK Rating: 2022-08-31
Such a low precision - I was not able to use it! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I generally like the principe of AME to produce simple morse equipment. Simplicity is in general a good way to build things that work a loooooong time. But I am not able to give more than a "needs help" for this key.

The bearing of this key is THAT imprecise, that loose in horizontal (and in vertical direction), I was astonished! I was hardly able to give clear signs with this key and I was quite sad after buying it.

I am a user of sideswipers or cootie keys. I love their simplicity and using such a key is even simpler than using a two paddle key with an electronic keyer. However, the quality of keying depends upon the horizontal precision of a sideswiper key. The horizontal precision has a large effect to the timing of the dits and dahs. This timing has to be precise.

As the bearing of the arm of this key is quite loose, one can't achieve precise signs! It's a bit like walking with a ball under both of your shoes. You feel insecure. You feel that your dits and dahs are "dirty" and you have no chance to learn how to make it better as the loose bearing works against your attemts to compensate this.

If you use a short piece of a saw blade and two well adjustable contacts, all this placed on a heavy base plate, how ever ugly it may look like, this will by BY FAR more precise and costs you just a very few bucks.

When I have sold this key to another ham, I confess, I felt bad - and I am still quite disappointed.
I have invested more than twice the money to have one from Alberto Fratini. Really good things have their price - but sometimes you pay too much for things that are not really good. It was the latter, what I think about the AME Bushwacker Sideswiper. Sorry to say this.
KN6SU Rating: 2021-01-24
Hard To Beat For Portable Use Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought the AME Bushwacker to replace my Vibroplex Code Warrior Jr. iambic paddle, which I like a lot but find a bit heavier than I like to carry into the field. After looking around for a lightweight but solid and adjustable key at a reasonable cost I chose the AME Bushwacker kit. Assembly was quick and easy. The written instructions were ambiguous in a few places but the accompanying photos cleared that up.

The only necessary modification the instructions mention is to smooth the ends of the stainless steel contact thumbscrews... and of course you will need to supply the cable to connect the paddle to your rig. I may later decide to add silver to the ends of the SS contact thumbscrews and to where they contact the SS socket head contact screws (this requires using a jeweler's type TIG welder or very careful soldering), though so far it works just fine without such modification.

I fashioned a lightweight steel base from the cover of an electric junction box that I attached with screws to the key (which comes already drilled and tapped). The base can be held by hand while sending or attached to something (like a small clipboard) with a velcro strip.

This key was easy to adjust (see the assembly manual) to my sending preferences. It works flawlessly for me with the IC705 set to iambic paddle mode. When I wish to emulate a horizontal "straight key" I set the IC-705 to "Bug" mode, which sends a continuous tone as long as right side contact is closed (pushing the lever from right to left).

BTW, since I don't use the "squeeze" mode to send morse on a dual paddle iambic key, this single paddle key actually seemed more efficient to me.



K4SUE Rating: 2020-04-18
A great paddle for the price Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Really pleased with this little gem. I also reversed the paddle on the base compared to the picture above. Just more comfortable for me and it makes for a smaller package on the operating table. Kit went together flawlessly in just under an hour of CAREFUL checking and comparison to the pictures in the manual. Has a smooth feel, with no slop that I can detect. The seemingly infinite adjustment possible with this key solves a lot of my complaints and shortcomings with other paddles. While I've no experience with high end ($$$) paddles, this one is the absolute best I've run across in my 61 plus years of hamming. Kudos to AME.
KZ3J Rating: 2020-03-02
The perfect SINGLE LEVER QRP paddle -- with 1 major issue... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This key is extremely well fabricated and designed. Indeed, it would be the ideal portable single lever paddle except for one all-to-common fault; the lack of any low level voltage/current key contacts appropriate for modern CW rigs. This is an very common issue with all affordable keys of any sort. I solved this problem by soldering on solid gold to the stainless steel contact screws -- gold being the ONLY appropriate material for key contacts -- and have absolutely no issues with scratchy sending, nor do I ever expect any.
Love this paddle!

WB0FDJ Rating: 2018-11-23
Solidly made Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this because, as a member of the SKCC I wanted to learn to use a "cootie". Yeah I know that you can build them from hacksaw blades and stuff from the junk box, but decided to have something a little more finished. This fills the bill.

Building it is not difficult but there are a lot of various parts and it's important that you get the right part in the right place. Their directions are idiotproof and it went together without drama or surprise. At the end you have a very nice piece of useful CW equipment. Mine has no vertical play or other issues. I am happy with it. Now I have to practice using it but already see some progress.

Nicely made, well machined and solid on it's base. If you get one and want to try it out as a cootie, get on one of the SKCC Week End Sprints. It's how I started with my bug, which I now use as my "regular" key. No one will send QLF? during these events, it's where you go to learn and master CW skills. Recommended.
KA4BAS Rating: 2016-06-30
Great Travel Key Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This is a great little key! I reversed it on the base compared to the picture above so that the paddle was totally over the base. This helps protect the paddle. Then I had an old 2 pocket phone pouch that it fit in perfectly. I slide the key in one pocket and the wires in another. I toss this into my carry bag. This allows me to take this little key anywhere. I have a second QTH and also sometimes take it to school to show my students. It bounces around in the bag, hooks up for use or demo with no problem, and no adjustments.
I use this key in iambic mode, as a cootie key, or as an electronic bug for practice. It is versatile and surprisingly sturdy. I suppose it could develop some corrosion on the contact areas that might need cleaning, but so far, after a year – no. I have a Begali Intrepid and a Schuenemann Dirigent, yet keep this on the operating table with them. However, I travel with this one. The rest of my key collection stays in the showcase. I think of this little key as a Volkswagen compared to a Ferrari or Porsche. I’m not afraid to take it anywhere with me. The others I keep in the garage, hi. It is pleasing to the eye and very utilitarian. It is reliable, easy to use, and doesn’t break the bank. I recommend this to anyone looking for a good, attractive, and multiuse paddle key.
N2QFD Rating: 2015-05-04
Real Potential Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I ordered the kit about two months ago and it assembled easily and I was on the air in no time. Setup was easy and fine tuning it was a breeze. The paddle can be either side up and I built mine with the fin down as I think it's more ergonomic for me and it's ascetically pleasing in appearance and operation.
I have had trouble however with poor electrical continuity. There are no contact pads on this key, it is a stainless screw hitting onto the head of another stainless machine screw. The armature is aluminum and pivots on a stainless pin that carries the current from the body of the key and here in I think is the trouble.
Perhaps it works better as a keyer key but I use mine (as advertised) as a Sideswiper or Cootie key and I'm afraid that I need an excellent electrical connection for this to work correctly. I have had reports of defective keying and dirty contacts. I have re-wired it, rebuilt is several times, used anti-oxidation paste, stripped and cleaned it again and it always works flawlessly for about an hour of operating before the dirty contact sound creeps back in. I've used it on my ICOM, my TENTEC and my Home brew QRPp rigs all to the same effect.
At this point I've contacted the maker to enlist his 100% lifetime guarantee to see if he'll take it back for a refund. It's a beautiful key and it's very close to being perfect but I think we all know that close isn't close enough when you're keying your radio.

N3DQU Rating: 2015-04-27
A Good Deal! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought one of these kits at Dayton last year. Went together nice, easy to set up, comfortable to use and after a year, the adjustments have stayed true. Hey, it's not a Bengali by any means, but for 99 bux, you can't beat it! Unless you've got a way to mount it, figure on buying the base, because the paddle is really light. Other than that, I'm a satisfied customer and would buy the Bushwacker again.
N7AG Rating: 2015-04-07
OK 4 the $ Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Well thought out, vertical slip can be curred with the use of washers. What happened to computer controlled milling?

Not the first sloppy American Morse key I've owned.

Sold it.

----------------------
Earlier 4-star review posted by N7AG on 2014-07-18

Always wanted to try a cootie key, & single lever iambic thrown in. Several adjustments. Found some vertical wiggle, fixed w/shim. Not a n3zn, but 1/3 less. Great buy. Bill n7 ag
N4LQ Rating: 2015-04-07
Lots of slop Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Cute but has lots of vertical play (slop). The price reflects the quality on this product. I sold mine at a loss.