Begali
| Begali | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Officina Meccanica Begali |
| Founded | 1954 or 1960 (company sources differ) |
| Founder | Pietro "Piero" Begali, I2RTF |
| Headquarters | Cellatica, province of Brescia, Italy |
| Amateur radio | |
| Known for | Precision Morse paddles and straight keys |
| Example models | Sculpture, Simplex and Stradivarius paddles; Camelback and Spark straight keys |
| Other products | CW Machine electronic keyer |
| Other business | Electromechanical components for industrial knitting machines |
| Today | |
| Status | Active |
| Website | i2rtf.com |
Begali is an Italian maker of Morse code keys and paddles, formally Officina Meccanica Begali, based in Cellatica, in the province of Brescia in northern Italy. It is the business of Pietro "Piero" Begali, I2RTF, who trained in mechanical engineering and is a longtime CW operator, and it also makes precision electromechanical parts for industrial knitting machines. Its catalog includes a wide range of iambic and single-lever paddles and straight keys, as well as an electronic keyer, and its web address is taken from Begali's call sign.
History
Begali's background is in mechanics. His father had been a designer of machine guns after the First World War, and in 1940 he began his son's training as a mechanical engineer. Piero Begali completed his studies in work machines and electronics in 1954 and worked as a designer of knitting machines. The company's own pages give its founding year differently: one says the business was founded in 1954, another quotes Begali as saying he founded it in 1960. It has made precision electromechanical components since 1960, including electromagnetic actuators used in industrial knitting machines.
Begali was licensed as I2RTF in 1964 and became a dedicated CW operator. The keys and paddles grew from his wish to make high-quality keys for his own use, and the company describes them as a more recent addition to its industrial work. Begali has sold its keys directly and through dealers, among them DX Engineering in the United States.
Alongside the regular catalog, Begali has made limited and special editions marking particular events. Examples include an Eclipse 2016 model, a QSO Today 2021 edition, editions for the company's 60th and 70th anniversaries, and a WRTC 2026 edition made for the World Radiosport Team Championship, an international contesting event held in 2026.
Amateur radio products
- Iambic paddles: dual-lever paddles such as the Sculpture, Simplex and Stradivarius, several of them offered in more than one version. The Simplex, for example, has a heavy plated base weighing about 1.4 kilograms, arms held by four ball bearings set into the base, long springs to return the arms, and solid silver contacts.
- Single-lever paddles, among them the HST III Single Lever and single-lever versions of the Sculpture and other designs. A single-lever paddle can close only one side at a time, which some operators find more forgiving.
- Straight keys such as the Camelback, a straight key with a hump at the pivot and a cast-iron base of about 3.5 pounds, and the Spark.
- Other keys and paddles in the catalog include the Pearl, Intrepid, Graciella, Adventure, Expedition, Blade, Contour, Leonessa, Magnum, Stealth, Postal Key and the Magnetic series.
- CW Machine: an electronic keyer, now in a Mark II version, with special support for the Elecraft K3 and KX3 transceivers.
- Accessories such as replacement aluminum finger pieces and a bracket for the Icom IC-705.