‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  
IS SUPPLIED THROUGH AN MFJ 4117 BIAS T AND 12 V WALL TRANSFORMER INCLUDED
WITH THE ANTENNA SEE FIGURE 8.  CONNECT A SHORT FEED LINE FROM YOUR
RECEIVER TO THE BIAS T, AND THEN ANOTHER FEED LINE FROM THE BIAS T TO THE
ANTENNA.  AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, SIGNALS FROM A 3 FOOT LOOP ARE WEAK, AND
QUITE A BIT OF AMPLIFICATION IS REQUIRED TO BRING THEM UP TO USABLE LEVELS.
A SCHEMATIC ON MFJS WEBSITE SHOWS THAT THE PREAMPLIFIER USES A PAIR OF GALI
74 MMICS OPERATING IN PUSH PULL.  THE WE

K1EL SYSTEMS PADDLESTICK CW KEYER WITH BASE KIT  REVIEWED BY STEVE FORD,
WB8IMY, QST EDITOR  IF THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A TOUCH PADDLE CW KEYER KIT
THAT DOES IT ALL, THIS MAY BE THE ONE.  THE K1EL SYSTEMS MODEL PS2B
PADDLESTICK KEYER IS MORE THAN JUST A SET OF PADDLES THIS IS A COMPLETE,
FULL FEATURED CW KEYER.  AT NOT ONLY IS THE PS2B ECONOMICAL, ESPECIALLY
CONSIDERING ITS FUNCTIONALITY, IT IS ALSO A KIT THAT EVEN BEGINNERS CAN
TACKLE.  IT WOULD BE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR YOUR NEXT CLUB PROJECT.  THE PS2B
INCLUDES MESSAGE MEMORIES, A CONVENIENT SPEED CONTROL POTENTIOMETER, AND A
SOLID STATE RELAY OUTPUT THAT IS CAPABLE OF KEYING BOTH MODERN AND GRID
BLOCK VACUUM TUBE TRANSMITTERS.  THERE IS EVEN A FREQUENCY ADJUSTABLE
SIDETONE CIRCUIT THAT DRIVES A TINY SPEAKER.  THIS IS GREAT TO HAVE WHEN
YOURE USING THE PS2B WITH A RADIO THAT LACKS ITS OWN SIDETONE.  THE PS2B
KEYER OPERATES FROM 5 TO 59 WPM.  THERE IS A POOL OF 236 MESSAGE CHARACTERS
SHARED AMONG 12 MESSAGE AND TWO CALL SIGN SLOTS.  SLOT SIZES ARE NOT FIXED.
YOU CAN EVEN STORE TWO SEPARATE USER CONFIGURATIONS IN MEMORY.  ALTHOUGH
EVERYTHING IS POWERED BY A 9 V BATTERY, THE MEMORIES ARE RETAINED WHEN
POWER IS REMOVED.  BUILDING THE PS2B  THE KIT ARRIVES IN A SMALL BOX, BUT
YOUR FIRST SURPRISE WILL COME BEFORE YOU EVEN OPEN IT.  IF YOURE LIKE ME,
YOULL BE ASTONISHED AT THE FACT THAT THE NONDESCRIPT SHIPPING BOX WEIGHS

MORE THAN 1 1/2 POUNDS.  I WASNT EXPECTING THE WEIGHT AND NEARLY DROPPED
THE BOX WHEN I FIRST PICKED IT UP.  THIS IS THANKS TO THE POWDER COATED
STEEL BASE UPON WHICH THE KEYING CIRCUITRY AND THE PADDLES REST.  WHEN YOU
OPERATE THIS KEYER, YOU CAN REST ASSURED THAT IT WONT BE SLIDING ACROSS
YOUR TABLE.  ONCE YOUVE DOWNLOADED THE ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE K1EL
SYSTEMS WEBSITE, EVERYTHING ELSE IS STRAIGHTFORWARD.  THE FIRST STEP IS TO
BUILD THE TOUCH PADDLES AND THEIR ASSOCIATED CIRCUITRY.  THE PADDLES ARE
PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD STRIPS THAT ARE USED TO SENSE THE CAPACITIVE EFFECT
WHEN YOUR FINGERS MAKE CONTACT.  YOU ESSENTIALLY MAKE A SANDWICH OF THE TWO
BOARDS USING A POWERFUL ADHESIVE STRIP, AND THEN MOUNT A HANDFUL OF PARTS,
NONE OF WHICH ARE SURFACE MOUNT COMPONENTS.  THE NEXT STEP IS TO ATTACH THE
PADDLE BOARD TO THE MAIN BOARD.  IN ADDITION TO A MULTIPIN HEADER, YOU MUST
APPLY COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF SOLDER TO THE JUNCTIONS OF SEVERAL PRINTED CIRCUIT
BOARD PADS TO HOLD THE BOARD IN PLACE ALL WHILE ENSURING THAT THE PADDLE
BOARD IS AS VERTICAL AS POSSIBLE.  THIS MAY SOUND TRICKY, BUT THE MULTIPIN
HEADER CONNECTION KEEPS THE BOARD STABLE AND VERTICAL DURING THIS PART OF
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ