[CW] What is the best telegraph key??

[Sherrill Watkins]

Dear Buck: The "Cootie" key was made and sold commercially during the zenith
of commercial landline and wireless telegraphy; actually during the 1920's, I
believe? I also think it was sold at a lower price and to compete against the
Vibroplex. However, it did not catch-on for good reason. Unlike the
Vibroplex, it did not make a continuous string of equally spaced dits. All it
consisted of is a simple single horizontal leaver that was rocked back and
forth to make the dits and dahs. Unlike the vibroplex that has relatively
constant dit length and spacing between the dits; nothing was constant on the
Cootie Key. It was only a gimick and did not sell well for good reason and
the company did not last long. If you find one, bear in mind it is only a
collectors item and you will quickly re-discover and realise what the
commerical and ham operators 80 years ago discovered. That it is a gimmick
and the Vibroplex is vastly superior for sending code.-73-Sherrill W. k4own.

-----Original Message-----
From: Buck [mailto:na4fm-list at towncorp.net] 
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2004 2:45 AM
To: 'Gene Buckle'
Cc: cw at mailman.qth.net
Subject: RE: [CW] What is the best telegraph key??


Is this like the single electronic keyer with contacts on both sides?
Obviously there are no electronics so the dits and dahs are hand controlled.

I think I get the picture but I would love to see a picture. 
Buck
N4PGW


-----Original Message-----
From: Gene Buckle [mailto:geneb at deltasoft.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2004 6:11 PM
To: Buck
Cc: cw at mailman.qth.net
Subject: RE: [CW] What is the best telegraph key??

> I was suggesting using these as strait keys, not the keyer.  My rig 
> has a keyer built in.  When I turn off the internal keyer, I have a 
> strait key using the right paddle. :)
>
Ahh, gotcha.

> That's what I was suggesting.  Is the Cootie a mechanical bug?  That 
> would work too.  Just don't hit the dits side. :)
>

A Cootie key is kind of paddle key.  It's also known as a side-swiper. It's
electrically the same as a straight key, but you make side to side motions.
For instance, if I was going to send "Y", I'd move the lever
left-right-left-right  The first and last two motions would be held long
enough for the "dah" and the 2nd motion would be held a shorter period for a
"dit".  It's actually a really cool key to use.  I'm going to fabricate one
soon using a cut down hacksaw blade like they did in the "olden days" hi hi.
:)

g.






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