[CW] Frattini Bug

[D. Chester]

>> On Frattini's bug there are individual
>> pivots for the dit and dah swing.  Tension
>> is via opposing magnets except for the
>> extra magnet for the dit swing which is
>> located out front opposite where the dit
>> spring is attached to the swing bar.   It
>> would seem to me this magnet is attracting.
>>
>> de Joe, aa4nn

> The extra magnet on the Fratinni Semi-automatica (bug) is to eliminate
> "extra rebounds" according to Alberto.

> David N1EA

Interesting.  I have seen magnetic electronic keyer paddles; in fact I own 
one, but this is the first time I have ever heard of the concept being used 
with a bug. I assume the Fratinni is of recent design, not a vintage piece.

At Dayton I picked up a March magnetic key.  It is different from the others 
in that the magnets are set up to repel instead of attract.  Sounds  like 
Frattini's bug works the same way.

I also have a Bencher key, that uses springs (whenever it doesn't fall apart 
while in use).  I like the March much better.  Has a solid feel, whereas the 
Bencher feels flimsy and hard to control.  I have tried out (I believe) a 
Vibroplex magnetic key, whose magnets are set up to attract, and I noticed 
the same touchy hard-to-control feel.

I can actually send code with the March, whereas with the Bencher, after 
about 5 minutes I start making mistakes every other letter.

But I still use my well-worn 1925-era Vibroplex Original 99% of the time.  I 
easily got the hang of iambic keying, and can switch between bug and keyer 
with no problem, but I am still far more comfortable using the bug. Maybe I 
just need to practise more with the keyer before trying to use it on the 
air.

I have several bugs, but that old Vibroplex is velvet smooth, with hardly 
any contact bounce. My others, including a 1947-era Original, are stiff and 
have so much contact bounce that the keying sounds mushy.  My military bug, 
a Lionel J-36 (IIRC), wouldn't slow down below about 30 wpm until I filed 
down the pendulum spring, and its contact bounce is worse than that of the 
1947 Original. I have tried various methods of damping the dit contact 
springs in both bugs to no avail.

Don k4kyv

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