Fw: [CW] bugs on SKN ??

Sat Dec 31 12:54:27 EST 2005

I sent this to David because it simply seems to me that
too much is being made of a rather simple skill (hand key)
that contrary to the postings is quickly learned and does
not in any way reflect the overall skill of the person using
it. People using so called "keyers" generally are by far
worse than folks using hand keys or bugs...stumbling all over themselves
trying to send ever faster when they havent
mastered the slower speeds yet...will someone pls tell
me what the big deal is with CW? Is it something like a
buggy whip? Then theres that guy who cant wait to tell
the person he is in qso with that he switches from a
keyer to a hand key under 35 wpm....he loves to add
that he is using his left hand...guy couldnt send 35wpm
with a hand key if his damned life depended on it.

Go ahead give me your best shot

W4EWJ

----- Original Message -----
From: "Earle Johnson" <stoweboats at cavtel.net>
To: "David J. Ring, Jr." <n1ea at arrl.net>
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2005 12:26 PM
Subject: Re: [CW] bugs on SKN ??

> the finest cw oprs in the world are,were, always have
> been, Russians...they use keyers...long before the
> "TO" came out back in the early 60s or whenever it
> was....they handle volumns of tfc with their huge Fishing
> fleet...even to this day...give a lsn on 12736 in the PM
> URL, Odessa Coast Station. If there was no need to
> handle more tfc faster there would never have been a need
> for anything except a so called "hand key" Theres nothing
> magic about a damned key...its simply a tool to enable the
> opr to do the assigned task...a "speed key" just speeds things up a bit in
> the hands of a skilled person. Why do you
> think there is such a thing a "burst" cw. It used to be
> electro-mechanical then via PC....Dont think they use
> "burst" anymore? then lsn on 7000khz....its there but
> random. Having fun with cw and earning ones living with
> it are two different ends of a rope with kinks and frays
> inbetween....a measure of skill ...copy on paper with a
> typewriter (mill)  and see how good you are...in your head
> simply aint gonna cut it....ever....its just fun thats all there
> is to it.
>
> W4EWJ
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David J. Ring, Jr." <n1ea at arrl.net>
> To: "Gregory W. Moore" <gwmoore at moorefelines.com>; "CW Reflector"
> <cw at mailman.qth.net>; "Ed Tanton" <n4xy at earthlink.net>
> Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2005 11:42 AM
> Subject: Re: [CW] bugs on SKN ??
>
>
> > Hello Ed,
> >
> > I too love the sound of bugs and cootie keys - they sound wonderful
> > especially in the hands of an expert operator.
> >
> > Navy and other military operators remember that they weren't allowed to
> use
> > a "speed key" until they qualified for a "Speed Key Certificate" - and
> some
> > of the members of this reflector are proud owners of that certificate.
> > Bravo!
> >
> > However, nothing will underscore the need for brevity in Morse work
except
> > using a hand key.  Why?  Because it is much more difficult to send with.
> >
> > Sometimes this leads to the false belief that faster is better.
> > Surprisingly, that is not always the case!
> >
> > I wasn't always an admirer of hand key sending - far from it.  I was a
bit
> > of a "keyer snob" and thought that fast keyer (and keyboard) operators
> were
> > better and could do much more that a pokey hand key.
> >
> > But I had my head turned around when I talked to Norman Richardson, who
> was
> > manager of TRT Communications Radio Station - Slidell (Louisiana) WNU
> > (Tropical Radio).  I found out that the fellow who sent and received
more
> > words - far more than any other operator - was Frank Estrada, a Cuban
> > operator who worked at WNU and used nothing but a Nye-Viking hand key.
> > Frank probably sent at 18 wpm, the other "fast" operators could send at
40
> > wpm and faster.  Who had almost double the traffic of the keyer and
> keyboard
> > operators?  Frank.
> >
> > Simply by economy of action, Frank generated more income for the station
> > than any other operator.
> >
> > I was simply amazed.
> >
> > American operators on ships most often used bugs or keyers.  The British
> > almost always used keys like the Marconi 365 - a beautiful long lever
with
> > ball bearings.
> >
> > I started listening to the Brits on the Marine CW frequencies - slow and
> > consistant, they had few errors and few requests for repeats.  I also
> heard
> > some very beautiful code.  It is true that some of the fists would be
much
> > better with the use of an explosive device attached to the key to
destroy
> it
> > forcing the operator to use an electronic key - but the beautiful fists
> did
> > outnumber the poor ones by a significant margin.
> >
> > In none of this do you notice that I say that "bugs or sideswipers" are
> > "bad".  I use them myself, but I decided to start using a hand key,
> > something which I really hadn't done for many years.
> >
> > When using the hand key, it was a lot of WORK.  But it forced me to
> realize
> > the benefits of:  Sending accurately so that I didn't have to correct
> > errors; to use Q signals to minimize sending; to be brief and not wordy.
> >
> > I do understand that some operators just can't send on a hand key
anymore
> > because of age or other problems.  They aren't the target of these
words.
> > It is far better to use a keyboard and enjoy morse code or any type of
> key,
> > then to do without.  Even the legendary KH6IJ who was a high speed
> operator
> > on bug and keyer resorted to a keyboard after his stroke.  But he still
> > enjoyed CW until his death.
> >
> > The other thing that I find irritating is the modern redefining of
words:
> > "Straight Key" becomes "Mechanical Key", keys in general become
"keyers".
> I
> > find this trend uncomfortable.
> >
> > A straight key is an "up and down key", a keyer is a circuit which keys
a
> > transmitter.  A sideswiper is a "sideways mechanical key", a bug is a
key
> > with a mechanical vibrator - either a pendulum or clock works device.
> >
> > Someone wrote me and suggested that Straight Key Night be renamed to
> > "Mechanical Key Night" - I'm all for that.  At least, what it is called
is
> > what it is.
> >
> > Straight Key Night when it allows other keys is no longer "Straight Key"
> > Night - it is something else.
> >
> > That isn't necessarily bad, but it isn't the same thing - it's
different.
> >
> > There is a value to the operator in feeling the operation of a straight
> > key - if only to appreciate the distinct advantage to sideswipers, bugs,
> > keyers and keyboards.
> >
> > It also puts us all on the same level - which is what I think SKN is all
> > about.  They guy with fancy software is doing the same thing that I am -
> > pumping the pump handle key.
> >
> > 73
> >
> > David J. Ring, Jr., N1EA
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Ed Tanton" <n4xy at earthlink.net>
> > To: "Gregory W. Moore" <gwmoore at moorefelines.com>; "CW Reflector"
> > <cw at mailman.qth.net>
> > Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2005 9:30 AM
> > Subject: Re: [CW] bugs on SKN ??
> >
> >
> > Thanks for the story Greg-I LOVE to hear these things!!! As I've
> > already said, I agree: "manually operated" is enough for me. I DO see
> > the other side's point-but do not think there would be a way to add a
> > BUG night and get the interest that SKN has. Also, I hadn't thought
> > about it, but you're close to right: a Cootie-key is a straight key
> > on its side... except you can only key a straight key in one
> > direction-whereas a Cootie key works in both directions as I
> > understand it. You know, if you simply arranged the contacts on a BUG
> > such that there was no bouncing possible, you'd have a Cootie-key (or
> > you could parallel the outputs on a Paddle) .
> >
> > Happy New Year all!!!
> >
> >
> >
> > Ed Tanton
> >
> > website: http://www.n4xy.com
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > CW at mailman.qth.net
> > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/cw
>