[Elecraft] OT - Vertical Bug

[Tom Hammond]

Hi Ron, et al:

I have an old bug used by a friend who was an HF op for the MO Hwy Patrol.

His Vibroplex runs nicely from about 18 WPM on up... BUT he (or 
someone else) modified the leaf spring by thinning it (vertically) as 
shown below:

      -----\___/-----

      _____/---\_____

This thinning reduced the 'springiness' to a level which allows for 
nice slow CW
with the weights fully out, but nice response up to 40+ WPM with the 
weights fully in.

73,

Tom   N0SS


At 04:01 PM 3/15/2011, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
>Thank you Stan. I've seen photographs of a vertical bug but I've never used
>one.
>
>I also have a Vibroplex bug - a standard model that came to me in the 1990's
>through an old friend's widow when he became a silent key. My regular bug is
>an E.F. Johnson Speed-X. The Speed-X slows easily to 10 to 15 wpm using it's
>nifty standard weight that has a finger grip clamp - just squeeze and slide,
>let go and it's securely locked in its new position.
>
>I was surprised to find that the Vibroplex would not slow to less than about
>25 wpm, even with two weights. My friend had been a commercial CW op both at
>sea and at KPH in California so I knew he had to slow it down to under 15
>wpm to match the speed wanted by the other operator. Les accomplished that
>with a common cable clamp secured to the pendulum. (See it at
>http://www.radiomarine.org/gallery/show?keyword=kphhistory&panel=pab1_1#pab1
>_1 Scroll down to Les Burger and click on the image to enlarge it). You can
>see the threaded shafts of the cable clamp sticking up through the crossbar.
>It works great, but it's a very heavy feel.
>
>Talking with a number of OT Vibroplex owners whose bugs slowed down in into
>the 15 WPM easily without special weights and comparing keys closely, we
>discovered that Vibroplex made two different leaf springs for their key
>pendulums back in the 1960's. One was much thicker with a higher vibration
>frequency than the other. I've never been able to find out why they did
>that.
>
>The sound and feel of a nice bug is, for me, just as basic to Ham radio as
>stringing up antennas and melting solder on a new project ;-)
>
>73,
>
>Ron AC7AC
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>
>I just want to share a recent discovery with other Elecraft listers who
>appreciate 'bug' keys.
>
>The following short video is a demo I made of my new vertical 'bug'
>compared to the more traditional ones.  This vertical key is a fabulous
>slow speed performer and doesn't need a pipe wrench hanging off the
>forward end to slow down - it's naturally slower but dropping the weight
>brings it up to 35 WPM.  Until recently I knew very little about
>vertical keys and pretty much concluded that with so little marketing
>going on, they must not be very good.
>
>GOSH,  WAS I WRONG !!
>
>
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5EU6wubkaE&feature=related
>
>
>73, Stan WB2LQF
>
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