Re: Topband: Topband cw - bugs rhythm, swing
As a new Novice in 1958, a high school friend (not a ham) introduced me to an older neighbor of his (also not a ham). The old guy lived in a two-story house, a rarity in our Tucson neighborhood. The second story was just one big room filled with keys, sounders, clocks, etc. IIRC, the guy had been a Western Union operator and he built a replica of a station. He did have a homebrew receiver and a surplus Navy TRF receiver, but he and my friend were experimenting with common-carrier communications over the power line. After learning that I was a new ham and operating with some junk key, he gave me a Western Union Telegraph Co, "1 B, Pole Changer Key" made by Bunnell. My rig in those days was a crystal-controlled Millen transmitter (6L6-807) and a BC-342 receiver. I remember making a 40 meter QSO one day with a guy with a two-letter call, who painstakingly rag chewed with me for 30 minutes or so. When we ended our QSO he was called by another two-letter guy, probably a friend, and they proceeded to comment, very favorably, on my fist. I about popped a button or two. Regrettably, I no longer have the logbook, but I still have the key, 65 years later. Wes N7WS On 7/2/2023 3:37 AM, Rob Atkinson wrote: There were a few electronic key designs that surfaced in the '50s, maybe even late '40s, usually appearing in QST. But then Jim Ricks W9TO designed his TO Keyer which Halicrafters started manufacturing and that pretty much ended the other designs such as the MON-KEY. Vibroplex made a single lever paddle, the Vibrokey, in colors to match the TO Keyer and the combination was and is unsurpassed in my opinion, if you want a fully automatic key that feels like a bug. I never liked sending with a straight key and not long after I was first licensed I found a J-36 at a hamfest and stuck with that for years. I tried an iambic keyer and paddle set around 20 years ago and never really liked it. Then I fixed up a used TO Keyer and Vibrokey paddle and felt like I'd found a fully automatic bug, to me it was wonderful. A friend sold me a spare Original Deluxe a few years ago and I think that model is the best bug you can buy. If you look at old photos of commercial radiotelegraph operators, they're usually using Original Deluxes. Sadly, I don't operate CW much at all now and lately have been wanting to get back into it because believe it or not, I think it might help stave off dementia. Sending and receiving CW, if you don't use any gadgets to copy, uses your brain a lot more than yakking into a microphone. Rob K5UJ _ Searchable Archives:http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Topband cw - bugs rhythm, swing
There were a few electronic key designs that surfaced in the '50s, maybe even late '40s, usually appearing in QST. But then Jim Ricks W9TO designed his TO Keyer which Halicrafters started manufacturing and that pretty much ended the other designs such as the MON-KEY. Vibroplex made a single lever paddle, the Vibrokey, in colors to match the TO Keyer and the combination was and is unsurpassed in my opinion, if you want a fully automatic key that feels like a bug. I never liked sending with a straight key and not long after I was first licensed I found a J-36 at a hamfest and stuck with that for years. I tried an iambic keyer and paddle set around 20 years ago and never really liked it. Then I fixed up a used TO Keyer and Vibrokey paddle and felt like I'd found a fully automatic bug, to me it was wonderful. A friend sold me a spare Original Deluxe a few years ago and I think that model is the best bug you can buy. If you look at old photos of commercial radiotelegraph operators, they're usually using Original Deluxes. Sadly, I don't operate CW much at all now and lately have been wanting to get back into it because believe it or not, I think it might help stave off dementia. Sending and receiving CW, if you don't use any gadgets to copy, uses your brain a lot more than yakking into a microphone. Rob K5UJ _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Topband cw - bugs rhythm, swing
With a tear in my eye, I read memories of old telegraph keys. Does anyone remember a electronic key designed on two triodes and two stabilivolts (105 and 150 V). This key was designed by W6DPU. Very popular in the 1950s and 1960s. The VFOs commonly used in those years used a Colpitts and Clapp type oscillator. With small feedback, you could get a beautiful ringing tone Regards Andrzej SP6AEG === W dniu 01.07.2023 o 19:29, w3...@roadrunner.com pisze: Got started in 1956 as a novice using a mil surplus straight key (J-47 if I recall correctly - its around here someplace. ) Then as a general got a Lightning Bug for Christmas and used that for 2-3 decades. Then purchased a new one about 20 years ago and still use it, but less since I received a plug-in keyboard keyer (with memories) from a ham friend. Made many terrific bug qsos over the years, some lasting 1-2-3 hours. One with a VE3 about 7-8 years ago that ran til 3:30am. We kept hitting on new topics that we both had in common. Used to work F5IN into his mid 90s. And a ZS and a 9J2 in their late 80s. Bugs attract bugs. Im 90% cw ( no digital) these days, on 160-6m, and chasing the final 9 DX entities. now that we put 3Y0J in the log on 30m cw at 2:30 am a few months ago. Bob _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Topband cw - bugs rhythm, swing
Got started in 1956 as a novice using a mil surplus straight key (J-47 if I recall correctly - its around here someplace. ) Then as a general got a Lightning Bug for Christmas and used that for 2-3 decades. Then purchased a new one about 20 years ago and still use it, but less since I received a plug-in keyboard keyer (with memories) from a ham friend. Made many terrific bug qsos over the years, some lasting 1-2-3 hours. One with a VE3 about 7-8 years ago that ran til 3:30am. We kept hitting on new topics that we both had in common. Used to work F5IN into his mid 90s. And a ZS and a 9J2 in their late 80s. Bugs attract bugs. Im 90% cw ( no digital) these days, on 160-6m, and chasing the final 9 DX entities. now that we put 3Y0J in the log on 30m cw at 2:30 am a few months ago. Bob -From: topband-requ...@contesting.com To: topband@contesting.com Cc: Sent: Saturday July 1 2023 12:00:45PM Subject: Topband Digest, Vol 247, Issue 1 Send Topband mailing list submissions to topband@contesting.com To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/topband /> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to topband-requ...@contesting.com You can reach the person managing the list at topband-ow...@contesting.com When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Topband digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: CW rhythm, swing, speed (Jim Brown) -- Message: 1 Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2023 11:22:33 -0700 From: Jim Brown To: topband@contesting.com Subject: Re: Topband: CW rhythm, swing, speed Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed On 6/30/2023 2:48 AM, Roger Kennedy wrote: > I reluctantly changed over to an Electronic keyer about 5 years ago In the '50s, I used a Vibroplex that a cousin had used in the Navy. I switched cold turkey in the late '60s. 73, Jim K9YC -- Subject: Digest Footer ___ Topband mailing list Topband@contesting.com http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/topband /> -- End of Topband Digest, Vol 247, Issue 1 *** _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
