KJD QU7025 Portable Dual Paddle Automatic Key Shortwave Radio CW Morse Code Base Magnetic

This paddle is a perfect match for my QRP rig. Just what was needed. It's surprisingly stout, comes with strong magnetic feet, two steel discs with adhesive to anchor the feet, rubber pads to cover the feet if desired, an Allen key for adjustments, and male-male stereo cable (1m). All was nicely packaged in a sturdy plastic box.

I’ve used this a few times. It is straight forward enough for a small form factor. It’s priced well for a compact keyer in my opinion. It does dots and dits. :)

No key, paddles, or bug is perfect. We have been pursuing that ideal for over a century. The best ones are high budget items, and often cost as much as the rigs they are connected to.This item falls into a class of cheaper-is-good-enough. It is by no means a great set of paddles, but it does work, and for the money you are hard pressed to do much better. The great advantages of this item is that it is very small and lightweight, so it really fits the portable operation requirement that it intends to meet. It is not going to be the choice for any CW contest, but I am finding it nicely does the job with my TX-500 setup.On the price, I do think it could have been priced lower, considering how cheaply this is made and everything, but also considering the small market and the competitive pricing, I also understand why the price is higher than that. Overall, I would say the price is not bad compared to how overpriced other ham gear has been. So, I do recommend this item, but just make sure your expectations are low even considering the price. This is about the cheapest way to go, and yet it is still not awful. I would have no regrets buying another one and having it sit alongside my VibroPlex collection in the shack.Another thing I am considering, like most hams, is how to improve it. I think with some material improvements and just a minimum of design changes, which will add a small amount of weight and cost, I can make a set of much better paddles. So, one final benefit of this item is the inspiration for innovation, which is part of why we have this hobby.

Ok, first off, this cost me about $25. In the world of keys, that's about as cheap as they get, without getting into PCB DIY stuff. Let's look at what you get for that $25 first:1. You get a very small/compact key2. Made of reasonably sound materials3. A feeling of reasonable quality in hand4. Magnetic feet with soft coverts5. A cord to plug it in with6. Adjustable bolts and a wrenchSo far, so good. Let's look at the problems out of the box:1. The key doesn't function reliably2. The magnets are a bit weak3. Bolt adjustments are limitedYou might think that #1 on that list makes this a dud. HOWEVER, if you remember that you're a HAM and not just some default Amazon customer, you'll quickly realize that making this key work requires just a little work, and as a HAM you should feel pretty much OK with that. Especially at $25.After fiddling with the screws and bolts on the thing, it became abundantly clear that this thing would not work as designed. The solution, I found, was to simply remove the post that the paddles contact, and file down the two sides so it was more square instead of round. I also filed the contact bolts just a little. This small modification, accomplished with a file and screwdriver and a few minutes of time, made the key vastly more usable and reliable. Even the magnets do a reasonable job, when you're not fighting against the key so much.Five stars for being an easily modified, workable key for $25.

Got this as a low cost entry for an iambic paddle. So small, I need to decide where to mount the mag-plates for using it yet. I plan to use loc-tite if I need to for the set-screws on depth, but I still need to learn Morris code.Like the review title said, the 1/8" aka 3.5mm cable that came with it had no continuity on the tip, but ring and shield were fine. Made use of another cable and the unit works for me. It is small enough to make me wonder where I could use it when in the field and keep a hand free for notes while not loosing it and needing to go fishing with the cable to retrieve it. Pairing with IC-705, so no magnetic case to stick it to naturally other than a case screw or two which does not work well when at home or out. May just stick it to the clip on a clipboard... we shall see how well that works.

Very small key works well with X-6100 and IC-705 transceivers. Magnetic rare earth magnets allows it to hold fast on steel surfaces. Also comes with two stick-‘em steel disks so the key can be mounted on non-metallic surfaces. Comes fully assembled. Very light/small key for easy stowage.

Worked great about taking a grinder to the attachment plates. Beforehand the key would slide around too much.

Zero documentation. Magnets not strong enough to prevent moving around. Gap is too wide, no way to adjust.