The QRPer Board

Hi All

Currently learning CW and I have become completely fascinated by it.
I’m finding in my learning experience that I send better on a straight key rather than a paddle
Please recommend and/or show me your straight keys you use for backpack portable use

My go-to straight key for portable ops is one of the "Micro Keys" from https://cwmorse.us - with the black plastic base not the aluminum one (just what I chose)

Pick your color and then the type of knob you want and away you go.

I do have one of their 'nano keys' as well and while it certainly works and is much smaller, I don't find it to be quite as easy to use and it doesn't have as much ability to be adjusted and tweaked to your liking.

I have also used the now unobtanium Palm Radio PPK Portable Key. While it is very transportable and had good feel and action, the cwmorse micro key is a bit easier to use due to it's slightly larger size.

Another good option might be: https://www.americanmorse.com/ms2.htm but I've never tried that one.

I'm sure there are others out there.

I couldn't find anything I liked, so I experimented and built my own. This is
about the 5th version. No adjustments needed because I built to my specs.
It's made from copper foiling tape, an old g(ift card and an old earphone wire and plug.

Here's one I built with my grandson. He looked at my straight key one day, and said, "Why do they call it a key? It don't look like a key to me".

So we took one of his play keys, a plastic box he got with candy in it, a couple of small bolts and built this.
We were gonna add a small oscillator inside so he could practice, but he lost interest before that happened. We built it when he was 8 and now he's 20!

I have used it as a portable key often thru the years. It works well and is pretty indestructible.

Have fun!