[CW] Bugs on SKN ??

[Donald Chester]

>I am surprised that the ARRL Contest Bureau considers a bug and/or
>sideswiper a straight key, even for this contest.  Seems a name change may
>be in order.  Maybe MKN (manual key night) might be more appropriate with
>the inclusion of these other keys? I've been in this great hobby for 50
>years (mostly CW), and a straight key, a bug and a sideswiper were always
>considered a different breed of cat, and for good reason!

I can see why a semi-automatic bug might be questionable as a "straight" 
key, but a sideswiper is simply a different breed of straight key; you 
manipulate it sideways instead of up and down, and it makes contact in both 
directions.  One still has to manually form both dits and dahs.  It has the 
advantage of requiring less wrist work to send at a given speed, if one ever 
becomes proficient at using one.

Don K4KYV

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