Curiosity got the best of me. I wondered if keyboard switches would makes a good CW key. I type at a keyboard for a living, so it is only natural to wonder if tapping out CW with a keyboard like key would be familiar.

So I wired up a prototype. This was made using two keyboard switches, a TRS jack, and the packaging for a key switch set I have.

It works surprisingly well. I had to switch to Iambic B because A kept missing elements. For instance the last dit in F would fail to send when I rolled my fingers too fast.

I think that there are two reasons why a CW key made from keyboard switches has never taken off: 1 RSI, 2 Speed.

RSI is definately a risk with this. With a full-size keyboard, I am using move fingers and they’re is more variation to the movement. With this, I am just wiggling my fingers up and down over and over. A few hours of that and I’m sure to feel it in my knuckles.

Contrast this movement with the movement of my body while using a paddle. Most of the movement is in my elbow. It is also not much movement.

Second, this is definately slower than a paddle. It is pretty reliable at 15-18 WPM, but once I increase the speed to 25 WPM, it is really hard to transition between dits and dahs fast enough. I’m not that great at speed, but at 25 WPM, I can call CQ pretty consistently on the paddle, but with the keyboard switches, I’m missing elements constantly.

I’m not convinced this is an improvement over a paddle. I’m sure I could get better with the keyboard switches. There is definitely an unfair advantage given to the paddle because I’m used to it. Though being harder and the risk of RSI makes me weary about using it and pursuing this idea.