[Elecraft] Bug mode on K3?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Well....

It would be extremely hard to duplicate the "feel" and timing of a
mechanical bug in anything electronic. The application of timing from the
dit side on a bug is NOT linear with the code speed. The time interval to
move the bar from not ditting to the point where it does dit is FIXED
without any relationship to dit speed. Also the delay varies depending on
how hard you hit the bug with your thumb. Then once the bar is moved to
ditting, thereafter it dits at the speed based on the placement of the
weight.

There also is a difficult to predict minor additional delay because the end
of the weighted bar does not move immediately, but with the buildup of
tension in the bending point of the bar.

If that were not enough, my Vibroplex has seven different adjustments that
will vary one or the other or all of these mechanical delays.

Anyone who ever learned to send perfect tape machine code with a bug simply
got used to those delays and accommodated for them unconsciously in their
wrist and thumb movement. Those who did not accommodate had an immediately
recognizable "swing" to their "fist". Also, in the "fist" discussion, there
were many that sent dits at one speed and dahs at another. The resulting
sent CW was as easily recognizable at anyone's voice.

On a mechanical bug, a B would send differently than a V, because the the
dit pressure in the B would have to be advanced in timing to prevent a too
long spacing between the dah and the first dit. Since the dah is a simple
mechanical press, the dits are uncousciously started whenever they need to.
In the V, the correct space between the last dit and the dah is easy.
Someone whose muscle memory had the unconscious adjustment for all the
mechanical issue, now using an uncompensated electronic device would find
themselves overwriting the opening dah of the B with the dits, now being
sent too soon.

IMHO, someone who goes from operating a real mechanical bug to some
electronic rube goldberg is going to stumble all over it because the
programming to allow dits at one speed and dahs at another WITH the fixed
bar movement delay, etc, is an expenditure of commercial funds that ain't
gonna happen in a for-profit enterprise.

Those of you who want to program an electronic bug WITH the appropriate
mechanical biases employed, you go right ahead with your own time and
money. Some of us will test it for you and see if it FEELS or SENDS like a
bug. Then someone tell me we should put that firmware in a K3 because ???

73, Guy K2AV

On Mon, Dec 8, 2014 at 11:16 AM, Bill Breeden <breedenwb at cableone.net>
wrote:

>
> A real "bug" works fine works fine in the straight key jack, but some
> would like their paddles to send automatic dits and manual dahs like a bug.
>
> 73,
>
> Bill - NA5DX
>
> On 12/8/2014 7:17 AM, elecraft-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:
>
>> Message: 2 Date: Sun, 7 Dec 2014 11:48:32 -0600 From: Jim Allen <
>> jalleninvest at gmail.com> To: John Fritze <fritzejohn at gmail.com> Cc:
>> elecraft <elecraft at mailman.qth.net> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Bug mode on
>> K3? Message-ID: <CAABX7hpMGifLwsH6ztN62Mqw6i4mAbKkT2zNP=
>> Ypz9JQi2NBww at mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>> Maybe an even dumber question: Why do you need a bug mode? The radio
>> doesn't know you are using a bug, or a straight key, does it? 73 de W6OGC
>> Jim Allen On Sun, Dec 7, 2014 at 11:45 AM, John Fritze <
>> fritzejohn at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> >I have a really dumb question:
>>> >
>>> >For those that want a "bug mode" on the K3, why is it not possible to
>>> wire
>>> >a set of paddles (or even a single lever keyer)  with the dot going to
>>> the
>>> >paddles input and the dash going to the straight key input?
>>> >
>>> >--
>>> >John Fritze Jr
>>> >K2QY
>>> >k2qy at arrl.net
>>> >ACACES president 2014
>>> >Albany County RACES Radio Officer
>>> >ARES ENY DEC Northern District
>>> >Hudson Div. Asst. Director
>>> >Twitter: @k2qy
>>> >401 261 4996 (cell)
>>>
>>
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