[CW] Vibroplex Use on Ships, Coastal Radio Stations & Aircraft

[Dennis Berry]

You always have fascinating stories in this forum. I have never been a shipboard op. But your comment here made me have to ask the question. 
Did shipboard ops learn to have the spacing wider on the bug keys to further compensate for ship movement?  Or was it fairly standard spacing for the most part as the seas were “calm” on average?  I can understand you comment about storing the key and only using a hand key with really rough seas. 
Just curious if any other adjustments to the key spacing were developed out of necessity  
Thanks in advance if you can reply. 

Dennis, NU8S 

> On Mar 10, 2022, at 11:40 AM, D.J.J. Ring, Jr. <n1ea at arrl.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> I thought I covered that. 
> 
> When the ship rolled (and rolling port-to-starbord along the was much more common than pitching from stem to stern), you had to positron your Vibroplex 45 degrees from the axis of the roll, you can see my Vibroplex is positioned looking 45 degrees to the left, but this is also natural for a right handed operator like myself. If the key was pointed towards the bow, when the ship rolled to the port {larboard) side, if dots were being sent, their weight would grossly increase, sometimes to the point of sending a continuous long dash, always to the ire of the professional radiotelegrapher using it and likewise the frustration of the coastal station copying the Morse; conversely when the ship rolled to the starboard side, dots would become extremely light as the pendulum was barely able to strike the dot contact, and in great swells, not be able to make a dot at all resulting in frustrating silence from the key. At this point, or perhaps at the next occurance, the Vibroplex would be abandoned, and the station's straight key would be used.  Slower, surely but the message could be sent.  In times of swell, the radio room had to be secured for rough weather, and that meant making sure your Vibroplex was off the desk, in a cabinet so it wouldn't end up on the deck with a broken pivot pin as happened to me on my first trip around Cape Horn in 1980.  After my McElroy bug broke, all traffic had to be sent with the station's Nye Viking straight key in the blue box.  (photo).
> 
> A stock photo just like my repaired McElroy deluxe bug that fell to the deck whilest transversing Cape Horn, on TT WILLIAMSBURGH, nicely repaired with a new pivot pin (trunnion pin).
> <MacKey2.jpg>
> 
> 
> A ITT/Macay Marine key with the cover off.  A gift from K4NCG, Tom Chirhart, ex- USN, ex- USCG NMN, NMA, NMG, NMR.
> <itt_mackay_marine_key.jpg>
> 
> 
> 73
> 
> DR
> 
> On Thu, Mar 10, 2022, 5:06 AM Chris, G5VZ <chris at g5vz.co.uk> wrote:
>> On 10/03/2022 03:47, David J. J. Ring, Jr. wrote:
>>> It was the USA radiotelegraphers operators who popularized using a Vibroplex.  The UK General Post Office who ran the coast stations of Ireland and the United Kingdom, actually prohibited all "speed keys" but around the 1970s these regulations were relaxed and I'd hear keyers and semi-automatic keys on from the UK commercial stations.
>> David,
>> 
>> As so often is the case with your posts, this one is absolutely fascinating and doubly so because there are so many first-hand memories.  Thanks you for sharing.
>> 
>> Although I have used - and now own - Marconi keys, I've found the German Junkers excellent and - after working the Junkers anniversary Special Event Station last year - I bought another in very fine condition.
>> 
>> I only came to use a bug during 2021 when I bought a Vibroplex Lightning Jewel Deluxe and later, a Vibroplex Lightning from the early 1950s which seems easier (Or more natural) to use than the newer, shiny chrome Jewel!
>> 
>> But, please tell me, David, what was a mechanical bug key like to use onboard ship?  I have all kinds of ideas about how the mechanism, not to mention the sending, would be affected by a big swell.  How do the perform on a rolling ship in rough seas?
>> 
>> Thanks and 73
>> 
>> Chris
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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