Chickadee Double Tap

All About the Double Tap

The Chickadee DoubleTap is an ultra-lightweight, compact iambic Morse code paddle designed around mechanical keyboard switches. It was created for amateur radio operators who want the speed and convenience of an iambic paddle without the size, weight, or cost of a traditional paddle.

Like the Chickadee Tap, the DoubleTap is 100% passive. It contains no active keying electronics, requires no batteries or external power, and does not generate Morse code itself. Instead, the two mechanical switches provide independent dit and dah inputs to the electronic keyer built into your radio.

This makes the DoubleTap particularly well suited for POTA, SOTA, QRP, field operations, portable stations, CW practice, or anyone looking for an inexpensive and compact paddle that doesn't take up much desk space.

How the Chickadee DoubleTap Works

Unlike a straight key, an iambic paddle has two separate inputs:

Dit Paddle → Radio Keyer Generates Dits

Dah Paddle → Radio Keyer Generates Dahs

Press and hold the dit side and your radio's electronic keyer generates a repeating series of dits. Press and hold the dah side and the keyer generates a repeating series of dahs. When using an appropriate iambic keyer mode, pressing both sides allows the keyer to alternate between dits and dahs. This makes it possible to send Morse code with significantly less physical movement than is required with a traditional straight key.

The important distinction is that the DoubleTap does not determine the timing of the Morse code. Your radio's electronic keyer handles the timing based on settings such as your selected CW speed.

The DoubleTap simply tells the keyer:

DIT

DAH

or, when appropriate:

BOTH

Keyboard-Based Design

One of the defining characteristics of the Chickadee DoubleTap is its use of mechanical keyboard switches instead of a traditional mechanical paddle assembly.

Mechanical keyboard switches are small, lightweight, readily available, and designed to withstand a very large number of actuations. Depending on the switch used, many are rated for 50 million actuations or more.

Using keyboard switches allowed us to create an iambic paddle that is:

• Extremely lightweight

• Compact

• Mechanically simple

• Responsive

• Durable

• Easy to transport

• Highly customizable

The keyboard-based design also gives you something that isn't as easy to change on many traditional paddles: the feel of the paddle itself.

There are many different mechanical keyboard switches available, each with its own actuation force, spring weight, travel, sound, and feel. Changing switches allows you to experiment with the DoubleTap and find the combination that works best for the way you send CW. For even greater customization, the internal springs of many switches can also be replaced with different spring weights.

Switch Actuation and Paddle Feel

One of the biggest differences you'll notice when moving from a traditional paddle to the DoubleTap is the travel of the switches. A mechanical keyboard switch does not need to be completely pressed or "bottomed out" before it activates. Actuation occurs partway through the switch's travel. Once you become accustomed to the actuation point, you can operate the DoubleTap using relatively small finger movements rather than fully depressing each switch.

This can make the paddle surprisingly quick and responsive once you develop a feel for it. Just like any Morse code paddle, there can be an adjustment period. Start at a comfortable CW speed and concentrate on learning where the switches actuate rather than trying to completely bottom out each switch.

Iambic Paddle Operation

The Chickadee DoubleTap is an iambic paddle, not a straight key. This distinction is important when configuring your radio.

Unlike the Chickadee Tap, where the operator manually determines the length of every dit and dah, the DoubleTap relies on an electronic keyer to generate correctly timed Morse code elements.

Most modern amateur radios designed for CW operation include an electronic keyer.

Depending on your radio, look for a CW key configuration such as:

• Paddle

• Electronic Keyer

• Iambic

• Iambic A

• Iambic B

Your radio may also allow you to configure options such as keyer speed, paddle polarity, weighting, and iambic mode. Refer to your radio's documentation for the appropriate settings.

Iambic A vs. Iambic B

You may notice that your radio provides options for Iambic Mode A and Iambic Mode B.

Both modes allow you to squeeze the dit and dah paddles together to generate alternating Morse code elements. The primary difference is what the keyer does when you release the paddles during an element. The DoubleTap itself does not determine whether Mode A or Mode B is used. That behavior is controlled by the electronic keyer in your radio. If you're new to iambic keying, don't worry too much about choosing the "right" mode initially. Try both and use whichever feels more natural to you.

Connecting the Chickadee DoubleTap

The Chickadee DoubleTap connects to the CW paddle/key input of a compatible amateur radio.

A typical iambic paddle connection requires three electrical connections:

Dit

Dah

Common/Ground

Different radios can use different connectors and may assign these signals differently, so always verify the CW paddle pinout for your specific radio before connecting the DoubleTap. Some radios may also provide an option to electronically reverse the dit and dah paddle assignments. If your radio supports this, you may be able to change paddle orientation directly through the radio's settings.

Always refer to your radio's documentation before connecting a key or paddle if you're unsure of its pinout or keying requirements.

No External Power Required

Like the Chickadee Tap, the DoubleTap is 100% passive and requires no batteries or external power source. The switches simply make and break the dit and dah connections used by your radio's electronic keyer.

That means:

• No batteries to replace

• No charging

• No power switch

• No firmware

• No configuration software

• No additional electronics to manage

Connect the DoubleTap to a compatible radio, configure the radio for paddle operation, set your desired keyer speed, and you're ready to send CW. For portable operation, that's one less device that needs to be charged before heading into the field.

Designed for Portable Operation

The Chickadee DoubleTap was designed with portable amateur radio in mind.

Traditional iambic paddles can provide an excellent operating experience at a home station, but many use substantial metal bases and larger mechanical assemblies. That additional size and weight isn't always desirable when your entire station needs to fit inside a backpack.

For POTA and SOTA operators, particularly those hiking their equipment to an activation location, reducing weight and volume can make a meaningful difference. The DoubleTap provides the functionality of an iambic paddle in a much smaller and lighter package.

It's a great fit for:

• POTA — Parks on the Air

• SOTA — Summits on the Air

• QRP operation

• Backpack radio kits

• Field operations

• Emergency radio kits

• Travel stations

• CW practice

• Compact home stations

Throw it into your radio bag and it's ready when you need it.

Getting Comfortable with the DoubleTap

The DoubleTap will feel different from a traditional mechanical iambic paddle.

Traditional paddles often provide adjustments for contact spacing, spring tension, magnetic tension, and other mechanical characteristics. The Chickadee DoubleTap instead relies primarily on the characteristics of the installed keyboard switches.This makes the DoubleTap mechanically simple while also providing a different kind of customization.

If you want a lighter touch, experiment with a switch that has a lighter spring. If you prefer more resistance, try a heavier switch. Different switch types can also change the overall feel and feedback of the paddle.

Most importantly, remember that you do not need to bottom out the switches. Once you become familiar with their actuation point, smaller movements can be used to trigger the dit and dah inputs. If this is your first time using an iambic paddle, start slowly. Reduce your radio's keyer speed and concentrate on consistent paddle movements before gradually increasing your WPM.

Tap vs. DoubleTap vs. Touch

The DoubleTap sits between the mechanical simplicity of the Tap and the electronic touch interface of the Chickadee Touch.

	Tap	DoubleTap	Touch
Key Type	Straight Key	Iambic Paddle	Iambic Paddle
Input	Mechanical	Mechanical	Capacitive Touch
Dit/Dah Controls	Single	Separate	Separate
Electronic Keyer Required	No	Yes	Yes
External Power	No	No	Yes
Moving Key Components	Yes	Yes	No

Choose the Tap if you want a traditional straight-key experience in the smallest and simplest package.

Choose the DoubleTap if you want an iambic paddle while retaining the tactile feel, simplicity, and customization possibilities of mechanical keyboard switches.

Choose the Touch if you want an iambic paddle with capacitive touch sensing and no moving keying components.

73 and happy keying!