[CW] Vibrokeyer question for David N1EA...

[David Ring]

A VibroKeyer when used as a cootie key (by shorting the left and right
terminal nuts) can't be used extremely tight.  Vibroplex bugs won't
work with tight spacing and tiny amounts of pendulum movement - you
won't get good dots.

Originally people sent with Vibroplex and had about 1/16 spacing or so
on the contacts.  When keyers were designed they used their bugs,
VibroKeyer was an answer to a elegant solution to hacking up a bug for
use with a keyer.  The spacings stayed the same until people tried to
achieve very very high speeds - 45 to 65 wpm.

If you're sending 20 wpm on any key the play in the key won't be
bothersome in sending ability.  They key might feel funky, but either
adjust it for minimum nuisance or get used to it.

Paddles can be triggered by finger drumming.  Semi-Automatic keys and
side swipers (cootie keys) need arm rolling with no finger motion.


Just like with the arm bent by your side, key on the edge of UK
Marconi style straight key sending, the arm rolling of the heel of the
palm used for sideswiper and semi-automatic bug will pay great
dividends in speed and accuracy with practice.

Like most things it is awkward at the beginning of doing it.

73
DR

73

DR

On Sat, Feb 23, 2008 at 4:26 PM, David Curry <kb8tt at ncweb.com> wrote:
> Hi Steve--
>
>  Although the question was directed to David N1EA, I thought I'd add
>  my 2 cents worth. I don't have a Vibrokeyer, but I do have the Iambic
>  paddles, a new 2000 Blue Racer bug, and an old Champion bug. Of the
>  three, the Champion is the easiest to live with--very easy to find
>  the sweet spot and keep in adjustment. My impression is that most
>  Vibroplex keys (bugs or paddles) are somewhat finicky, and you have
>  to play with them for quite a while before you find the settings that
>  are right for you--but I still love them.
>
>  The Blue Racer was driving me crazy for a while, but after a couple
>  of weeks playing around with it and lots of great feedback from this
>  group, I've finally got it locked in just the way I like it, and will
>  never ever let anyone else even think about touching it. (I've found
>  that the clean dollar bill works very well at keeping the contacts
>  clean. I do this a couple of times a week, and have not had to play
>  with any adjustments for a couple of months now.)
>
>  The Iambic paddles also have a reputation of being difficult to live
>  with. And, Vibroplex even sent me a CQ article reprint when I bought
>  the paddles ten years ago. According to the article, many users have
>  the experience that the paddles are somewhat stiff, and they have
>  difficulty finding the sweet spot. After nearly 10 years of using
>  them, I finally found the real sweet spot for me just recently. For
>  me, the paddles must have just a tiny bit of vertical slop--which
>  nobody else recommends. I then adjust the contact spacing just shy of
>  hair-trigger operation (I find that I can squeeze the the ends of the
>  contact adjustment screws with my fingers to close both the dit and
>  dah contacts at this spacing). There is just a hint of a mechanical
>  click for tactile feedback. With this setting, they almost become an
>  extension of my hand, and I find I  can send without any conscious
>  attention to making the characters. (I'm not a high-speed operator--
>  normally don't go much above 18 wpm for rag chews and usually max out
>  at 25 wpm for contest operation.)
>
>  I'm sure that everyone else on the list will have an entirely
>  different perfect sweet spot for them, and it would be interesting to
>  get some additional feedback from other Vibroplex users (both bugs
>  and paddles) on how they adjust their keys.
>
>  Dave
>  KB8TT
>
>
>
>  On Feb 23, 2008, at 2:41 PM, Steve Kallal wrote:
>
>  > Hi David,
>  >
>  > I found your little CW reflector the other. I have a question/
>  > observation
>  > about the Vibrokeyer.
>  >
>  > You saw the Vibrokeyer I have. I posted a photo for you on one the
>  > Yahoo
>  > reflectors. It is a 1965 vintage model with a beige base and jeweled
>  > bearings. After considerable practice, I do see its merits as a
>  > sideswiper.
>  > I think using some other keys gave me the correct idea on how to send
>  > properly, that is rolling the wrist.
>  >
>  > But the Vibrokeyer feels clunkly to me. A search of the eham.net
>  > reviews,
>  > reveals other many hams feel the same way. It simply doesn't have a
>  > smooth
>  > feel no matter how I adjust it. That said, it has the widest range
>  > of adjust
>  > of any single lever paddle out there. I send some of my best
>  > sideswiper code
>  > with, and with the most comfort. But I can't help but sense the key
>  > feels
>  > like it is about to fall apart. I have the trunion adjusted to the
>  > sweet
>  > spot, that is the most tension without binding. There is no
>  > vertical slop. I
>  > do have to readjust the trunion often, even with the set pin
>  > tightened.
>  >
>  > Also it makes a lot of noise while sending. A good pair of headphones
>  > removes most of the noise. But it distracts me from hearing the
>  > sidetone.
>  >
>  > Do I have a lemon? Or is that the nature of the Vibrokeyer?
>  >
>  > 73,
>  >
>  > Steve N6VL
>  >
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>  Dedicated to Thomas D. Curry and the men he fought with in 331st
>  Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division
>
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