[SOC] Bug keys.

[Bob Nielsen]

On 3/31/16 10:57 AM, Frank S. Tapley wrote:
> 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.)

Actually, they were, but barely.  Per Wikipedia, "In 1910, the Morkrum 
Company designed and installed the first commercial teletypewriter 
system on Postal Telegraph Company lines between Boston and New York 
City using the "Blue Code Version" of the Morkrum Printing Telegraph".  
Morkrum was one of the predecessors of Teletype 
Corporation.^<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletype_Corporation#cite_note-6> 


My coordination isn't really good enough to operate a bug very well 
anymore (let alone a straight key) but I still have my ~1952 Vibroplex 
plus a much newer model I picked up along the way.   I never really 
liked my Bencher BY-1 paddle but my Begali Simplex is a different story 
altogether.  I also have a Kent single-paddle key which isn't bad (I 
never have been able to master iambic squeeze keying).

Bob, N7XY

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