[SOC] Bug keys.

[Frank S. Tapley]

There is nothing so magnificent and remarkable looking as a real "bug" key.
What a charmer it can be sitting on the desk in front of the rig. Especially
the chromed up ones. BUT, I agree with posting by Peter. Most of them sound
like two pieces of steel being hit together, "chink-chink-chink'itty chink."
And too many ops run the letters together like it's a off key 1910 tellatype
machine. ( Yes, I know, they weren't in existence then, that's what I mean.)


   A good adjusted bug sounds excellent. The dit pads on the swing bar
should contact squarely and flush, not hit on the edge like a chinking
machine.You get a nice "dot" sound out of them. Many of the older bugs were
used when the rf was hot off the other side of the transmitter and those dot
and dash pads are "pitted." I know, I used to run a hot key back in the
stone age. When the contact pads are pitted, you get a "tinny" sounding bug.
If you want to reproduce a tinny sound, that's cool. If you want to
reproduce a good stream of cw, its repair and polish time. 

   And don't let anyone tell you that a bug can't be slowed down to around 5
wpm. They can, but you have to make your own swing bar weights. There are
tricks, but they work. And as you learn how to change weights and wotnot,
get good contact points working for you, you're in business. Its just
practise. Other than that, like I told John, they make for good trolling
just before the dodger and herring while salmon fishing. 

   Yes, I have one. it looks like it went through the cival war, and rebuilt
from old muskit parts. I'm still working on it. It's the first one I've
owned in years, and maybe the last one I'll ever own for years. My good one
went to me brother ham years ago. Traded for a good J-38 me used in 1959,
and "love that little key." A trade well made. 

   Totally agree with John, can't have too much fishing gear,hunting gear,
or radio gear. After all, might as well have fun with hobbies after all,
they are sustinence.

  WB7NZI, soc 1126