[CW] G3HGE, Tom Withers, Key and Equipment Maker, SK

[Joe Pontek Sr]

Hi, David.

Yes, I was sorry to hear of Tom's passing as well.  I have one of his 
dual lever
bugs as well, but in Belize, damn it.  It is one of three double lever 
bugs I have
and like all, after I adjusted MY sending with all, they are sweet 
senders.  It
seems like I got mine second hand, but my memory may be fading on details.
I set mine according to Tom's recommendations and it did very well.  
Like you
said, he aimed at having it be like an EL paddle and it did that for 
me.  When
I got back into using a bug again, I only had a problem with bugs not being
self dots and dashes completing.  Normal bugs required a little muscle 
applied,
but the Olympic did not.  Very sorry to see Tom pass. Great CW op as well as
a great machinist and friend.

Back off of my feet again.  Doctor's orders, 50/50, up & down.

73, Joe, K8JP/K5

On 11/7/2019 2:49 PM, David J. J. Ring, Jr. wrote:
>  From Rich, G4FAD via the Side Swiper Net mail list:
>
> Hello All,
>      Tom Withers G3HGE has passed on, he passed away on Tuesday 5th
>     November after a short illness. He was a great CW operator and maker of
>     Morse keys.
>     Tom was the inventor of the Twanger Side Swiper key. I was chatting one
>     night on 80 Metres and we got talking about keys. I said to Tom what we
>     really need is a good Sideswiper key. About a week later he sent me an
>     email to say he had made one would I test it for him. I replied no but
>     if you send it to Sandy G0VQW he will do a video on it and I will buy
>     your first key. So Sandy has #000 and I have#001.
>     Another good CW operator gone, may he rest in peace,
>     Kind Regards Rich G4FAD..
>
> I'm sorry to hear the sad news of not only a great Morse man, but a
> maker of nice Morse keys as well.
>
> Tom sent me his dual lever bug, Olympia.  He was aiming for a bug that
> felt like sending on a electronic keyer, the movement was very slight on
> the pendulum.  I have no idea if that was successful for him because
> such small movement on a bug was troublesome for me, so I widened the
> spacing and let the pendulum swing a bit.  Maybe I have sensitive ears
> for dot sparkiness, but the dots sounded "flaky" when made with tiny
> amount of swing to the lever.   To my mind, you have to compress the dot
> spring to get the dot formed well and get push back to get the pendulum
> to push back to keep the vibrator moving back and forth.
>
> I told him that I liked the idea of dual levers because you could send
> better code with practice especially on letters where a dash followed a
> dot because you could start the dash a bit earlier to compensate for any
> transition delay - moving from vibrator to the dash closure - it's a
> tiny amount but at high speeds you can hear it and it sounds like
> awkwardly sent code.  Tom's design eliminates this with the dual levers.
>
> Tom, I hope Saint Peter has a solid gold Olympia waiting for you, go
> give those Vibroplex senders a good QSO and join the heavenly choir of
> beautiful sending!
>
> RIP old friend.  We at the CW list will make some beautiful music for you.
>
> 73
>
> DR
> David N1EA
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> =30=

-- 
Regards, Joe, K8JP/V31JP, Ronnie, Martin & Sidney Pontek
175 Diamond Loch Rd., Apt. 5
Gilmer, TX 75644-9374
U.S.A.
or
P.O. Box 280, Dangriga, Stann Creek District
(Hopkins Village) Belize

903-204-2318 (My TX cellular)
903-884-5990 (Skype telephone number, Belize & TX)
Also, K8JP, member FOC-1743, QCWA-LM21894, OOTC-4607, A1OP, SKCC-3171T, NAQCC-5798, Flying Pig-2819, FISTS-7625CC951, A1C-2299, SOC 1075, 10-10 22977, PG1915841, CW Rag chewers #21,
Facebook: Joe Pontek
Skype: v31joepalooka
I am looking for Vibroplex Model X and prefer basket case to restore.
LotW