[Elecraft] N3ZN Key Report
A number of Elecraft listers asked me to report my impressions when my ZN-SLR paddle arrived. I'd like to report that the Tony Baleno (N3ZN) model ZN-SLR single lever paddle has exceeded my expectations in every respect. Foremost, it is giving me that special feel that I've been searching for since I tried out a real Mercury key at W1AW a few years ago. My impressions are, of course, mine, and perhaps not everyone will agree but that's OK. My report is within the following context: I've been a Morse-only operator for over 50 years and I am fluent with straight keys, bugs, a sideswiper, and the paddle. I don't do iambic and I copy my own code (code readers are about as welcome as microphones in my house). I prefer sending and receiving code somewhere in the neighborhood of 18-22 wpm. The main problem that this ZN-SLR solved for me was the random extra dits and dahs that came from my Scheunemann-Morsetasten SP-1 which was also a single lever paddle and made in Germany. The SP-1 was indeed a beautifully machined key with an integral dust cover. I just could not get the spacing close enough for my personal style. When I did, the random characters would start to appear. The SP-1 was not a magnetic return key but used springs. When my new ZN-SLR arrived, I plugged it into the K2, set the keyer speed to 18 wpm and sent an entire page of QST with not a single error. I continued to test it out at speeds from 12 wpm (I'm presently making digital files at this speed for a ham to whom I've teaching Morse) up to 30 wpm (the fastest speed at which I can reliably send and receive). Solid performance throughout this range! The feel of the ZN-SLR is silky-smooth for want of a better term, and it makes me feel very confident that each character I'm going to send is going to come out just as intended. Once again, this is difficult to describe in words, but a cw op will know what I'm talking about. There is no annoying clacking - the ZN-SLR actually makes very little noise. This was a great relief for me because my previous SP-1 was quite loud at the spacing I needed to use to send without the random dits and dahs. Another VERY important discovery I made was that the ZN-SLR CANNOT BE PUSHED AROUND ON MY DESK! This was a grand discovery for me. I'm an ex-Navy radioman and, although I prefer closer spacing, I sometimes like to slap my bugs and paddles (and even the cootie!). All my other keys required some of that rug anti-skid material under them to stay put. With the ZN-SLR just sitting on my wooden desk, it didn't budge, not once, and no matter how hard I whacked it. The four rubber feet that Tony installed seem to be made of a nice soft rubber material. I suspect that the round base design and the center of gravity also may play a role in the key's superior ability to stay put. Although I've stated that I like to slap my keys sometimes, when using my wrist and elbow, I also like to rest my hand on the desk and stroke the fingerpiece with my thumb and forefinger in a sliding motion. The ZN-SLR responds equally well, with comfort and accuracy, to this technique. For a non-iambic operator, the single lever paddle, in my opinion, is a better choice and substantially reduces sending errors. I asked Tony Baleno to double the fingerpiece thickness for me (as suggested by one of the Elecraft listers here) and it turned out to be a great idea. Tony advised me that he now intends to make this a standard feature on the ZN-SLR. The construction of this key is very impressive. It easily, in my opinion, competes with the German SP-1. I never could find a single fault with the SP-1 and I can't find one on the ZN-SLR either. I tend to be a stickler for precision, having built a couple of experimental airplanes. There are no tooling marks to be found on my key; no unfinished edges, no skimping on the workmanship and finish on the bottom! For example, there are three setscrews on the front, above the fingerpiece. I measured them and they are perfectly spaced and the middle one is dead center on the fingerpiece seam. It also lines up with the exact center of my callsign plate which is just above. These are the sort of details which, in my opinion, distinguish the true craftsperson from the rest of the pack. Did I mention that the WB2LQF callsign plate was a no-charge item, as was the nice soft brush to dust the key? The key arrived in an oversized box densely packed with peanuts. Inside was a smaller box in which the key was packed with handcut foam to protect it. More evidence of a total quality approach. In my opinion, I really got my money's worth. I cannot imagine ever needing or wanting another paddle. The ZN-SLR's performance and workmanship is a fitting companion to my all-Elecraft station. I now feel like I'm totally surrounded in Made in America quality. I had Rose Kopp make me a ZN-SLR paddle dust cover. She called Tony
Re: [Elecraft] N3ZN Key Report
The ZN-SLR is certainly amongst the best single lever keys ever made. I don't know to what extreme you like your spacing, but I typically have mine set to the point where the contact is closed and then backed off ever so slightly; I also set magnetic tension rather light. Most single levers suffer from the inability to precisely return to center and need to be adjusted to compensate for the sloppiness. The ZN-SLR is the best I've ever seen in that respect, ie. dual-lever type spacing can be achieved. 73 - Eric NO3M SLR 034 On 10/20/10 14:50, stan levandowski wrote: A number of Elecraft listers asked me to report my impressions when my ZN-SLR paddle arrived. I'd like to report that the Tony Baleno (N3ZN) model ZN-SLR single lever paddle has exceeded my expectations in every respect. Foremost, it is giving me that special feel that I've been searching for since I tried out a real Mercury key at W1AW a few years ago. My impressions are, of course, mine, and perhaps not everyone will agree but that's OK. My report is within the following context: I've been a Morse-only operator for over 50 years and I am fluent with straight keys, bugs, a sideswiper, and the paddle. I don't do iambic and I copy my own code (code readers are about as welcome as microphones in my house). I prefer sending and receiving code somewhere in the neighborhood of 18-22 wpm. The main problem that this ZN-SLR solved for me was the random extra dits and dahs that came from my Scheunemann-Morsetasten SP-1 which was also a single lever paddle and made in Germany. The SP-1 was indeed a beautifully machined key with an integral dust cover. I just could not get the spacing close enough for my personal style. When I did, the random characters would start to appear. The SP-1 was not a magnetic return key but used springs. When my new ZN-SLR arrived, I plugged it into the K2, set the keyer speed to 18 wpm and sent an entire page of QST with not a single error. I continued to test it out at speeds from 12 wpm (I'm presently making digital files at this speed for a ham to whom I've teaching Morse) up to 30 wpm (the fastest speed at which I can reliably send and receive). Solid performance throughout this range! The feel of the ZN-SLR is silky-smooth for want of a better term, and it makes me feel very confident that each character I'm going to send is going to come out just as intended. Once again, this is difficult to describe in words, but a cw op will know what I'm talking about. There is no annoying clacking - the ZN-SLR actually makes very little noise. This was a great relief for me because my previous SP-1 was quite loud at the spacing I needed to use to send without the random dits and dahs. Another VERY important discovery I made was that the ZN-SLR CANNOT BE PUSHED AROUND ON MY DESK! This was a grand discovery for me. I'm an ex-Navy radioman and, although I prefer closer spacing, I sometimes like to slap my bugs and paddles (and even the cootie!). All my other keys required some of that rug anti-skid material under them to stay put. With the ZN-SLR just sitting on my wooden desk, it didn't budge, not once, and no matter how hard I whacked it. The four rubber feet that Tony installed seem to be made of a nice soft rubber material. I suspect that the round base design and the center of gravity also may play a role in the key's superior ability to stay put. Although I've stated that I like to slap my keys sometimes, when using my wrist and elbow, I also like to rest my hand on the desk and stroke the fingerpiece with my thumb and forefinger in a sliding motion. The ZN-SLR responds equally well, with comfort and accuracy, to this technique. For a non-iambic operator, the single lever paddle, in my opinion, is a better choice and substantially reduces sending errors. I asked Tony Baleno to double the fingerpiece thickness for me (as suggested by one of the Elecraft listers here) and it turned out to be a great idea. Tony advised me that he now intends to make this a standard feature on the ZN-SLR. The construction of this key is very impressive. It easily, in my opinion, competes with the German SP-1. I never could find a single fault with the SP-1 and I can't find one on the ZN-SLR either. I tend to be a stickler for precision, having built a couple of experimental airplanes. There are no tooling marks to be found on my key; no unfinished edges, no skimping on the workmanship and finish on the bottom! For example, there are three setscrews on the front, above the fingerpiece. I measured them and they are perfectly spaced and the middle one is dead center on the fingerpiece seam. It also lines up with the exact center of my callsign plate which is just above. These are the sort of details which, in my opinion, distinguish the true craftsperson from the rest of the pack. Did I mention that the WB2LQF callsign plate was a
Re: [Elecraft] N3ZN Key Report
I found Tony out in the parking lot at Dayton several years ago selling his keys out of his trunk. They were absolutely perfect for me. Except, I could not part with that kind of money. I encouraged him to come up with a single lever paddle and he said he had some thoughts about making a very good one. We talked for quite some time. His workmanship is second to noneon this continent or anywhere else in the world. I wish him a profitable business. I did get a single lever paddle from K8RA and find the use better than iambic (at least for me) Thanks for your review of Tony's work Lee - K0WA == In our day and age it seems that Common Sense is in short supply. If you don't have any Common Sense - get some Common Sense and use it. If you can't find any Common Sense, ask for help from somebody who has some Common Sense. Is Common Sense divine? Common Sense is the image of the Creator expressing revealed truth in my mind. - J. Wolf From: stan levandowski sjl...@optonline.net To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Wed, October 20, 2010 1:50:03 PM Subject: [Elecraft] N3ZN Key Report A number of Elecraft listers asked me to report my impressions when my ZN-SLR paddle arrived. I'd like to report that the Tony Baleno (N3ZN) model ZN-SLR single lever paddle has exceeded my expectations in every respect. Foremost, it is giving me that special feel that I've been searching for since I tried out a real Mercury key at W1AW a few years ago. My impressions are, of course, mine, and perhaps not everyone will agree but that's OK. My report is within the following context: I've been a Morse-only operator for over 50 years and I am fluent with straight keys, bugs, a sideswiper, and the paddle. I don't do iambic and I copy my own code (code readers are about as welcome as microphones in my house). I prefer sending and receiving code somewhere in the neighborhood of 18-22 wpm. The main problem that this ZN-SLR solved for me was the random extra dits and dahs that came from my Scheunemann-Morsetasten SP-1 which was also a single lever paddle and made in Germany. The SP-1 was indeed a beautifully machined key with an integral dust cover. I just could not get the spacing close enough for my personal style. When I did, the random characters would start to appear. The SP-1 was not a magnetic return key but used springs. When my new ZN-SLR arrived, I plugged it into the K2, set the keyer speed to 18 wpm and sent an entire page of QST with not a single error. I continued to test it out at speeds from 12 wpm (I'm presently making digital files at this speed for a ham to whom I've teaching Morse) up to 30 wpm (the fastest speed at which I can reliably send and receive). Solid performance throughout this range! The feel of the ZN-SLR is silky-smooth for want of a better term, and it makes me feel very confident that each character I'm going to send is going to come out just as intended. Once again, this is difficult to describe in words, but a cw op will know what I'm talking about. There is no annoying clacking - the ZN-SLR actually makes very little noise. This was a great relief for me because my previous SP-1 was quite loud at the spacing I needed to use to send without the random dits and dahs. Another VERY important discovery I made was that the ZN-SLR CANNOT BE PUSHED AROUND ON MY DESK! This was a grand discovery for me. I'm an ex-Navy radioman and, although I prefer closer spacing, I sometimes like to slap my bugs and paddles (and even the cootie!). All my other keys required some of that rug anti-skid material under them to stay put. With the ZN-SLR just sitting on my wooden desk, it didn't budge, not once, and no matter how hard I whacked it. The four rubber feet that Tony installed seem to be made of a nice soft rubber material. I suspect that the round base design and the center of gravity also may play a role in the key's superior ability to stay put. Although I've stated that I like to slap my keys sometimes, when using my wrist and elbow, I also like to rest my hand on the desk and stroke the fingerpiece with my thumb and forefinger in a sliding motion. The ZN-SLR responds equally well, with comfort and accuracy, to this technique. For a non-iambic operator, the single lever paddle, in my opinion, is a better choice and substantially reduces sending errors. I asked Tony Baleno to double the fingerpiece thickness for me (as suggested by one of the Elecraft listers here) and it turned out to be a great idea. Tony advised me that he now intends to make this a standard feature on the ZN-SLR. The construction of this key is very impressive. It easily, in my opinion, competes with the German SP-1. I never could find a single fault with the SP-1 and I can't find one on the ZN-SLR either. I tend
