[CW] Semi-Automatic Keys - Teach an Old SEADOG New Tricks?

[Chris R. NW6V]

Wonderful eye candy Dave.

73 Chris NW6V

On Mon, Jun 12, 2023 at 2:51 PM David J. J. Ring, Jr. <n1ea at arrl.net> wrote:

> The Vibroplex Original is a beautiful key, one of the best.
>
> I refinished my Presentation because the base got scratched - I won't tell
> you how much it cost to refinish the top plate in 24k gold - it was 20
> years ago and was nearly $90 from a cousin who owns a gold plating shop and
> gave me a discount!
>
> If I had access to a shop that did PVD vapor finishing,  I would refinish
> the base in PVD finish as it is much tougher, I found even by being careful
> and stowing my 1/4 inch cord inside the Vibroplex Presentation instrument
> case, it eventually made scratches in the gold plating.  Maybe this is one
> of the reasons I don't use it much.
>
> The key I used most often?
>
> My late 1960s Vibroplex Original. I brought that with me on my ships, it
> flew in carry-on luggage from Honolulu, Singapore, Tokyo, Panama,
> Rotterdam, Puerto Arenas, Chile, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -- too bad I didn't
> have room on the carrying case for stickers.
>
> Recently though, I've started a preference for my I1QOD J-36 bug.  The
> dots almost never stop on this thing it's so beautifully made.  Alberto
> deserves credit.  I've also been sending with an Begali Intrepid which at
> first, I didn't like because it has a completely different feel that other
> semi-automtic keys.  It's like a watch rather than a pendulum clock like
> the Vibroplex.
>
> I1QOD Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8JXr3I2ycQ
> I1QOD Picture:
> [image: i1qod_j36.jpg]
>
> I also was gifted a beautiful Intrepid "Russian Bug" style with two levers
> - the added cootie lever for making every other dash - most useful on
> numbers for making uniform dashes at high speeds.  I've asked Piero for a
> spacer block to minimize the separation between the two levers.  It will be
> a better more useful key then because the "turn around time" with the wide
> spacing is just too much for smooth dashes.  The distance between flats of
> each paddle finger piece should be 23mm.
>
> Begali Video of his bug in action (short one).
> https://youtu.be/phpSHbdP2n0
> Picture:
> [image: Begali_Russian_Cootie_Bug.jpg]
>
> The spacing between the flats of the paddles in the Russian type Bug with
> two levers should be 23mm, I've asked Piero Begali for some spacers.  He
> made this bug from photos.  It works very well but the spacing makes "turn
> around on repeated dashes" at high speeds difficult to send them
> flawlessly.
>
> 73
>
> DR
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> =30=
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