Close Look at My New CW (Morse Code) Paddles!

My new CW (Morse Code) paddles arrived by courier yesterday from Aaram Ham Radio Shop. (NOT a promotional affiliate link, just for information to CW lovers out there!)

As mentioned on their website, it has contact elements made of brass and is fairly heavy so that it will not move around on the table while keying. Though I have not weighed it myself, the weight mentioned online is 550 g. It has two nice red paddles for ‘dits’ and ‘dahs’. Connection to the radio is using a three core insulated wire attached to a 3.5 mm pin. In my FT-710 with a built-in CW keyer, I presume that I can use it directly, though I have to relearn CW and practise using paddles for the first time in life.

Long back I was an avid CW operator out of sheer necessity as I had only a homebrew CW/AM radio and no SSB. Then I needed CW to work DX, which I was very fond of. At that time I was using a straight key for Morse Code transmissions. Still I could work even stations from the United States and I do have a few precious QSL cards from those days.

In case you need a keyer if your radio does not have a built-in Morse Code keyer, Aaram Ham Radio Shop has a Paddle Keyer + Morse Code Practice Oscillator. You can get Morse Code Practice Oscillator alone as well. All radio amateurs will certainly know that it can be homebrewed as well. I had homebrewed one long back with 555 IC if I remember correct and used to practise with my SWL friends and take Morse Code classes at my college. Straight key and a CW touch keyer are the other options available from Aaram Ham Radio Shop and are definitely cheaper. I was not sure whether I will be OK with the CW touch keyer and my finger joints will not be very happy with the straight key after a hiatus of three and a half decades from CW! So I decided to try out a paddle, though I will have to face a learning curve again.