Bencher BY-1
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| Frequency | n/a |
| Power | A passive iambic keyer paddle, not a radio. It needs the transceiver's built-in keyer or an external electronic keyer to turn its contacts into Morse. |
| Modes | CW (dual-lever iambic paddle) |
| Weight | 1.36 kg (3 lb) |
| Year | 1974 |
| key | Three disconnect terminals (DIT, DAH, ground) on the underside - not a built-in plug. The optional EZ-1 kit adds a no-solder 3-wire cable that plugs onto the base and ends in a 3.5 mm plug with a 1/4-inch adapter for the radio's KEY jack |
| power req | None; it is a passive paddle driven by the radio's internal keyer or an outboard electronic keyer. |
A long-running, widely used iambic paddle at a moderate price. The solid-brass mechanism on needle bearings gives a smooth, light action, the contacts are gold-plated solid silver, and the heavy steel base keeps it from sliding. It is simple to set up (mainly contact spacing), spare parts and advice are easy to find after fifty years in production, and the EZ-1 kit makes hookup solder-free.
It needs an electronic keyer (in the radio or outboard) and does not include a cable, so most buyers add the EZ-1 kit. The light spring feel is not to everyone's taste, especially for operators used to magnetic-return paddles, the mechanism is open to desk dust, and the wide Lucite finger pieces suit some hands better than others.
The Bencher BY-1 is the standard, moderately priced iambic paddle that a large share of CW operators have used: a smooth solid-brass mechanism on needle bearings, silver contacts and a heavy non-slip base, simple to adjust and easy to support. It suits a first serious paddle or a dependable everyday key; the chrome BY-2 is the same paddle, and boutique paddles cost several times more for a different feel.
The Bencher BY-1 is a dual-lever iambic paddle for sending Morse, and it is one of the most widely used keys in amateur radio. Introduced in 1974, it has sold more than a hundred thousand units by the maker's count, which is much of why so many club stations and home shacks have one and why its feel is a common reference point. It is a passive paddle: the radio's built-in electronic keyer, or an outboard keyer, turns its two contacts into the dots and dashes.
The mechanism is machined from solid brass (the main frame, contact post and bearing ring) and rides on self-adjusting needle bearings for a smooth, light action, with gold-plated solid-silver contacts and polished clear Lucite finger pieces. It sits on a heavy powder-coated steel base of about three pounds with non-skid feet, so it stays in place without being held. Setup is simple: the spring tension comes usefully factory-set (the factory manual shows it can be fine-tuned at the small screws that anchor the return springs), so the main thing to adjust is contact spacing, using the small wrench stored under the base.
For connection, the underside has three disconnect terminals for DIT, DAH and ground rather than a built-in plug, so most operators add Bencher's EZ-1 kit, a solder-free three-wire cable that plugs onto the base and ends in a 3.5 mm plug with a quarter-inch adapter for the radio's KEY jack. The BY-1 has a black base with chrome parts; the BY-2 is the same paddle with a chrome base.
It is a moderately priced standard paddle. The single-lever Bencher ST-1 uses the same construction in a one-lever key, the Vibroplex Iambic is a comparable paddle from the same parent company, and the Begali Sculpture is a premium alternative at several times the price.