01/06/2006 | W8WTS SKN has become a personal tradition for me. In my school days, I always tried to put together a "unique" station for SKN -- sometimes vintage, sometimes homebrew, always different!

These days, work and family demand their share of time and make elaborate SKN stations impossible, but my SKN tradition lives on through my old keys. This year, I went back to my old favorite and used my BROWN BROTHERS Model CTL-B. I bought this combo straight key and paddle brand new, direct from the manufacturer back in 1976.

The Brown Bros. keys caught my eye right from the start because of their unique pivot construction. Unlike most keys, there are no pivot bearings at all. The moving parts are connected to the base by very thin strips of spring steel, clamped with steel bars at each end. Since only a small length of spring steel deflects, the movement is fluid and quick. There is absolutely no transverse play in the mechanism, nor are any adjustments required to insure perfect operation. The moving parts are low mass, so the key works best with a very light touch. With so little inertia in the key parts, my fingers run out of speed LONG before the key does.

Thirty years later, it's still my favorite key.
-- W8WTS