A straight Morse key has a fulcrum away from you, but your wrist
articulates in front of the key, in a mirror image of that of the key.

Therefore, your wrist is constrained to follow an unnatural arc
when keying.

Have there been any mechanical designs published so that the
keying arc is in the same sense as the wrist arc?

(cf. Watts' parallel motion, perhaps?)

Hi OM Gareth,

How about keeping the key turned 180° (facing away from you)?!

73,

Nandu.

"vu2nan" wrote in message
...
gareth;821995 Wrote:
A straight Morse key has a fulcrum away from you, but your wrist
articulates in front of the key, in a mirror image of that of the key.
Therefore, your wrist is constrained to follow an unnatural arc
when keying.
Have there been any mechanical designs published so that the
keying arc is in the same sense as the wrist arc?
(cf. Watts' parallel motion, perhaps?)

How about keeping the key turned 180° (facing away from you)?!


That thought did occur to me in bed last night. The main difficulty would be
in needing a special-purpose table with an indentation to hold the Morse key
so that one's forearm remained flat on the table.

However, such an arrangement would solve the "glass arm" form of RSI because
one's wrist would not be turned up at an awkward angle to grasp the knob, so
that the point of contact of the thumb and finger would be level.

I took such an approach a couple of years ago when making my ersatz
vibroplex,
by having a downward right angle bend for the paddles, you keyed
horizontally.

Hi OM Gareth.

Or the key should be below the table-top with only the knob projecting out!

73,

Nandu.

"vu2nan" wrote in message
...

gareth;822016 Wrote:
"vu2nan" wrote in message
...-
gareth;821995 Wrote:-
A straight Morse key has a fulcrum away from you, but your wrist
articulates in front of the key, in a mirror image of that of the key.
Therefore, your wrist is constrained to follow an unnatural arc
when keying.
Have there been any mechanical designs published so that the
keying arc is in the same sense as the wrist arc?
(cf. Watts' parallel motion, perhaps?)-

How about keeping the key turned 180° (facing away from you)?!
-

That thought did occur to me in bed last night. The main difficulty
would be
in needing a special-purpose table with an indentation...............by
having a
downward right angle bend for the paddles, you keyed
horizontally.

Hi OM Gareth.

Or the key should be below the table-top with only the knob projecting
out!


Yes, the knob protrudes, but the skirt of the knob is flush.

On 7/20/2014 3:31 PM, gareth wrote:
"vu2nan" wrote in message
...

gareth;822016 Wrote:
"vu2nan" wrote in message
...-
gareth;821995 Wrote:-
A straight Morse key has a fulcrum away from you, but your wrist
articulates in front of the key, in a mirror image of that of the key.
Therefore, your wrist is constrained to follow an unnatural arc
when keying.
Have there been any mechanical designs published so that the
keying arc is in the same sense as the wrist arc?
(cf. Watts' parallel motion, perhaps?)-

How about keeping the key turned 180° (facing away from you)?!
-

That thought did occur to me in bed last night. The main difficulty
would be
in needing a special-purpose table with an indentation...............by
having a
downward right angle bend for the paddles, you keyed
horizontally.

Hi OM Gareth.

Or the key should be below the table-top with only the knob projecting
out!


Yes, the knob protrudes, but the skirt of the knob is flush.

I can't see how the arc of the key is important. The key only moves a
tiny amount and the arc is very small with a miniscule perpendicular
movement. The issue of the key being above the table is a different
matter. This could be handled without making holes in the table.

A good key only moves a tiny amount. The key can be curved so the
actual key can be just a small paddle a few mm above the table top. Or
the user can use a wrist rest to elevate the wrist.

====O=====+
/ \ |
/ \ +----- -- Key "knob"
==================== Table

Does this make sense?

--

Rick

On Sat, 19 Jul 2014, gareth wrote:

A straight Morse key has a fulcrum away from you, but your wrist
articulates in front of the key, in a mirror image of that of the key.

Therefore, your wrist is constrained to follow an unnatural arc
when keying.

Have there been any mechanical designs published so that the
keying arc is in the same sense as the wrist arc?

(cf. Watts' parallel motion, perhaps?)

I seem to recall paddles that did nothing, ie it was a key that went side
to side, but no automatic sending of dots (like on a bug) or dots and
dashes (like on a keyer). I think there was a period when such things
existed, I don't think it's even considered in more recent times.

Why not just a pushbutton? Then you can just move your finger, no need
for the whole wrist to move. I was going to say keys had to be as they
are because they handled large current in the early days of radio, but the
form of the key relates to the telegraph, and that wasn't high current.

Michael

"Michael Black" wrote in message
xample.org...

Why not just a pushbutton?

You're not a Morse man, then?

On 7/21/2014 5:09 AM, gareth wrote:
"Michael Black" wrote in message
xample.org...

Why not just a pushbutton?

You're not a Morse man, then?



It's obvious YOU aren't!

Properly adjusted, you should have little or no wrist movement. And
even if you do, the fact your hand and the key move on different
fulcrums is immaterial.

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry, AI0K

==================

"Jerry Stuckle" wrote in message
...
On 7/21/2014 5:09 AM, gareth wrote:
"Michael Black" wrote in message
xample.org...
Why not just a pushbutton?
You're not a Morse man, then?

It's obvious YOU aren't!

Properly adjusted, you should have little or no wrist movement. And
even if you do, the fact your hand and the key move on different
fulcrums is immaterial.

From your previous Childish Broadcasting (CB) into these NG,
it was inevitable that you would not have the mental capacity to recognise,
and partake in, a philosophical discussion for the edification of _REAL_
radio amateurs.