Paddle Orientation

[foggycoder]

My preferred paddle orientation is with the paddle blades pointing towards my right (I normally have the paddle rotated about 20 degrees clockwise from strictly horizontal). With a single paddle (which has more hand movement than a double paddle), my fore-arm rest lightly on the desk and rocks about a pivot point and pressure point at my elbow. The paddle blades are pointing down my arm and at my elbow.

I've seen some paddles at 45 degrees, but many guys seem to have them at 90 degrees (blades pointing towards you). This is very uncomfortable for my wrist, arm and shoulder.

Does anyone have any views or observations on paddle orientation?

 

[Ham4CW]

Not really given it much thought before, but most times I tend to have the paddle rotated at about a 45deg angle to my body. Just seems 'natural' that way. I find that if the paddles are at 90deg in front of me it feels as though you are having to reach out to the key and gets uncomfortable quite quickly. Seems to make the back of my forearm ache too for some reason :-*

Just lately while using CW-Com in the car at work (via company wifi!) I've been using the key across my body, holding the body of the key (Palm Radio Mini Paddles) with my left hand and of course keying with my right hand. Again it feels 'natural' to do that without having a table or what have you to place the key on.

I know some operators use a clip board or similar to attach the key and note pads too, but for the time I have to play CW in the car it is not worth carrying the extra gear around.

As it is I just have laptop, converted mouse adapter, and Palm Paddles. Oh, and a sandwich and a cup of tea!


73, Mark...

 

[foggycoder]

Morse-over-the-internet whilst mobile - nice one. No antennas to rig; nice comfy seat; out of the weather. Stealth Morse.

 

[Ham4CW]

Morse-over-the-internet whilst mobile - nice one. No antennas to rig; nice comfy seat; out of the weather. Stealth Morse.

When I mentioned to Gerry that I was sitting in a car eating my lunch he suggested that I add /M to my callsign, which I duly did.

It's kind of 'stuck' now, for he knows whenever I'm /M I'm at work, otherwise I'm at home.

And it is kind of radio, at least for about 60 feet to the nearest WiFi connection. ;D

I get comments now from the other guys such as, "I heard you, bleeping away in the back of your car", or, "Are you some kind of Russian spy or something?"  ;D

73, Mark...

 

[MI0PYN]

The key/paddle combo I have on my desk (Kent Two) actually sits rather straight, just behind my trackball mouse. This simply allows me to push my trackball out of the way and use the key without changing the position of my arm much, which is pretty perpendicular to my desk. Of course that may change if I do longer sessions, but for now it's comfortable enough and seems to work fine.

 

[foggycoder]

We obviously have very different arms - I've never got the hang of track balls either!