Iambic Keyer for person with quadraplegia
 

Hello!

I would like to to make a custom iambic keyer for a person with
quadraplegia. She mainly has use of only her index and ring finger. She
can only flex her thumb and cannot release the thumb pressure at will.

Does anyone know of an iambic keyer kit or inexpensive keyer that I could
dis-assemble to build a keyer with side-by-side rather than opposing
paddles? That way she could use her ring finger for the dashes and her
index finger for the dots (or visa-versa) . She cannot move her arm at all,
so I will have to make a splint that can hold the keyer and her hand in the
correct position.

The closest I have found is this site that lists alot of keyers:
http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/16 and the MFJ-561K Minature Iambic
keyer kit.

BTW, she cannot use a straw, so I cannot build her the keyer that was in QST
last month!

Thanks for any help I can get!

73,
Rick
WD5FRZ

Rick Nevill ...

^ I would like to to make a custom iambic keyer for a person with
^ quadraplegia. She mainly has use of only her index and ring
^ finger. She can only flex her thumb and cannot release the
^ thumb pressure at will.

My radio has a built-in keyer (Yaesu FT-897) so I made a simple key for it
out of two Popsicle sticks, some wood blocks, and a few nails. My key has
both a straight key and a paddle, one on each side of the block that holds
the Popsicle sticks. The tension is adjusted by moving the stick into or out
of the blocks that hold it. The nails provide tie-downs for the wires and
contacts for the keys.

It works well. Perhaps you can use something similar as a test platform to
find out what sort of key will work best for your friend.

Frank

Rick Nevill ...

^ I would like to to make a custom iambic keyer for a person with
^ quadraplegia. She mainly has use of only her index and ring
^ finger. She can only flex her thumb and cannot release the
^ thumb pressure at will.

My radio has a built-in keyer (Yaesu FT-897) so I made a simple key for it
out of two Popsicle sticks, some wood blocks, and a few nails. My key has
both a straight key and a paddle, one on each side of the block that holds
the Popsicle sticks. The tension is adjusted by moving the stick into or out
of the blocks that hold it. The nails provide tie-downs for the wires and
contacts for the keys.

It works well. Perhaps you can use something similar as a test platform to
find out what sort of key will work best for your friend.

Frank

"Rick Nevill" wrote in message
...
Hello!

I would like to to make a custom iambic keyer for a person with
quadraplegia. She mainly has use of only her index and ring finger. She
can only flex her thumb and cannot release the thumb pressure at will.

Does anyone know of an iambic keyer kit or inexpensive keyer that I could
dis-assemble to build a keyer with side-by-side rather than opposing
paddles? That way she could use her ring finger for the dashes and her
index finger for the dots (or visa-versa) . She cannot move her arm at
all,
so I will have to make a splint that can hold the keyer and her hand in
the
correct position.

The closest I have found is this site that lists alot of keyers:
http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/16 and the MFJ-561K Minature Iambic
keyer kit.

BTW, she cannot use a straw, so I cannot build her the keyer that was in
QST
last month!

Thanks for any help I can get!

73,
Rick
WD5FRZ

In one issue, I cannot recall which, QST had an article on a sip&puff
"paddle". This used pressure switches and a plastic tube. The user
activated dots and dashes by either gently blowing or "sipping" on the
tube.Here is just one link that Google found:
http://www.makoa.org/jlubin/morsecode.htm

Dale W4OP

"Rick Nevill" wrote in message
...
Hello!

I would like to to make a custom iambic keyer for a person with
quadraplegia. She mainly has use of only her index and ring finger. She
can only flex her thumb and cannot release the thumb pressure at will.

Does anyone know of an iambic keyer kit or inexpensive keyer that I could
dis-assemble to build a keyer with side-by-side rather than opposing
paddles? That way she could use her ring finger for the dashes and her
index finger for the dots (or visa-versa) . She cannot move her arm at
all,
so I will have to make a splint that can hold the keyer and her hand in
the
correct position.

The closest I have found is this site that lists alot of keyers:
http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/16 and the MFJ-561K Minature Iambic
keyer kit.

BTW, she cannot use a straw, so I cannot build her the keyer that was in
QST
last month!

Thanks for any help I can get!

73,
Rick
WD5FRZ

In one issue, I cannot recall which, QST had an article on a sip&puff
"paddle". This used pressure switches and a plastic tube. The user
activated dots and dashes by either gently blowing or "sipping" on the
tube.Here is just one link that Google found:
http://www.makoa.org/jlubin/morsecode.htm

Dale W4OP

Just read the bottom of your message re cannot use a straw- sorry for the BW
Dale

Just read the bottom of your message re cannot use a straw- sorry for the BW
Dale

On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 05:14:24 GMT, "Rick Nevill"
wrote:

I would like to to make a custom iambic keyer for a person with
quadraplegia. She mainly has use of only her index and ring finger. She
can only flex her thumb and cannot release the thumb pressure at will.

Does anyone know of an iambic keyer kit or inexpensive keyer that I could
dis-assemble to build a keyer with side-by-side rather than opposing
paddles? That way she could use her ring finger for the dashes and her
index finger for the dots (or visa-versa) . She cannot move her arm at all,
so I will have to make a splint that can hold the keyer and her hand in the
correct position.

The closest I have found is this site that lists alot of keyers:
http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/16 and the MFJ-561K Minature Iambic
keyer kit.

BTW, she cannot use a straw, so I cannot build her the keyer that was in QST
last month!

Thanks for any help I can get!

Interesting article in a recent QST about a sip and puff keyer, might
be worth a look.

The mag is out in the car, but I will try to check later, unless
someone else has posted it.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 05:14:24 GMT, "Rick Nevill"
wrote:

I would like to to make a custom iambic keyer for a person with
quadraplegia. She mainly has use of only her index and ring finger. She
can only flex her thumb and cannot release the thumb pressure at will.

Does anyone know of an iambic keyer kit or inexpensive keyer that I could
dis-assemble to build a keyer with side-by-side rather than opposing
paddles? That way she could use her ring finger for the dashes and her
index finger for the dots (or visa-versa) . She cannot move her arm at all,
so I will have to make a splint that can hold the keyer and her hand in the
correct position.

The closest I have found is this site that lists alot of keyers:
http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/16 and the MFJ-561K Minature Iambic
keyer kit.

BTW, she cannot use a straw, so I cannot build her the keyer that was in QST
last month!

Thanks for any help I can get!

Interesting article in a recent QST about a sip and puff keyer, might
be worth a look.

The mag is out in the car, but I will try to check later, unless
someone else has posted it.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

"Rick Nevill" ) writes:
Hello!

I would like to to make a custom iambic keyer for a person with
quadraplegia. She mainly has use of only her index and ring finger. She
can only flex her thumb and cannot release the thumb pressure at will.

Does anyone know of an iambic keyer kit or inexpensive keyer that I could
dis-assemble to build a keyer with side-by-side rather than opposing
paddles? That way she could use her ring finger for the dashes and her
index finger for the dots (or visa-versa) . She cannot move her arm at all,
so I will have to make a splint that can hold the keyer and her hand in the
correct position.

The closest I have found is this site that lists alot of keyers:
http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/16 and the MFJ-561K Minature Iambic
keyer kit.

BTW, she cannot use a straw, so I cannot build her the keyer that was in QST
last month!

Thanks for any help I can get!

73,
Rick
WD5FRZ


I can't give any specifics, though I thought some of the keyers had
terminals on the back for a good paddle. Come to think of it, there
was a time when the paddles were not build into the keyer, so you had
to come up with something or buy something after you had the keyer.

But I can't see any problem taking any keyer, and merely adding some
wires across the paddles so you can have an external "paddle". No
matter what the keyer, those points have got to be available to solder
on some wires.

As for they "paddle" maybe try two microswitches sitting next to each other?
Maybe that's too small? I'm sure I've seen such "paddles" described in
the ham magazines in years gone by, and it was shown as an alternative not
something specific for the disabled, though I sure couldn't offer up
any dates.

Michael VE2BVW