Ron, I enjoyed seeing the pictures of KPH and realized that Point Reyes is less than an hours drive away from us. Do you know if there is a museum there still ? If so I'll go check it out.
Bob K6UJ On Mar 15, 2011, at 2:01 PM, 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 > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[email protected] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
