Subj : New Adventures in Old Tech To : n2qfd From : Ed Vance Date : Tue Jul 16 2024 03:45 pm > I can't be the only CW person in here. > It was a good time this past week with the Special Event and making it a > Ham Radio focused vacation for once. Something I did find though was that > while I was stalking my prey station for the event I came across loads of > other operators calling CQ. By this time I had swapped by cootie (double > speed) key over to the keyer so that I might stand a chance with K2E who > refused for most of the week to operate at less than 35WPM and wasn't making > much in the way of replies to slower stations. > I can copy at 35-40, anyone who practices can, but it's work, and this is > my hobby. > That being said I dialed in my keyer and kept hunting but I was sort of > put off not being able to answer several SKCC calls for the change in set up. > Now combine that with a long smoldering desire for a crack at this I've > decided I'm getting a bug. > There are loads of contrivances to slow the roll of a semi-automatic keyer > such as the Vibroplex so I can work in that sweet spot of 15-20 WPM where I > like to hang out, but I can also answer the SKCC calls of my fellow looking > for numbers and chasing that next appended letter. So, back to school for me > I think, I'll have to relearn my key! > Currently I'm using a Vibrokeyer that I've got wired as double speed key > and it's been really great. I'm comfortable with the hardware but I hope I'm > able to convince my brain after a decade of this that I have to pick a > direction now! > Any other Vibroplex operators out there? I'm thinking I'll use my set up to > practice sending to something like my FLDigi of PK-232 to make sure I'm > sending quality code. I've read one should vary the speed regularly too to > keep sharp. > Any pointers for a new bug operator? > best 73 > N2QFD{Queen City BBS}:// "Does this need to be said? Does this need to be > said by me? Does this need to be said by me right now?" - Craig Ferguson > --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Raspberry Pi/32) > * Origin: Queen City BBS (21:1/154) I haven't been on the airwaves for years. Still have a HF rig but not used it. I ought to turn the RX on just to see if there is any use in the CW portions most Hams can't use unless they got the top license. Hope so. I own a Vibroplex Bug and a J-38 Key. Bought the Bug with a Case back in the early 1960's. When in the Navy, the Base Ham Shack got a Central Electronics 100V . I loved that rig, but when my Ship came back to the USA another officer was in charge of the Shack and traded off the 100V (and 600L) and replaced them with Collins S-Line (version -1). I tried to send CQ but never had a answer. I mentioned it to the Officer-in-charge of the station and he came to the shack and showed me the J-38 key was plugged in the PTT jack. He was a SSB'er and told me I could plug the key in the Key Jack but to be sure I moved the plug back into the PTT Jack when I left the shack. I finally was able to operate CW there again. While reading the 32S-1 manual I noticed that rig keyed an Audio Oscillator in Single Side Band Mode. My thoughts were that I was using A2 emission on that rig, and A2 mode was illegal on 20 Meters. I guess The Friendly Country Cousins thinks it's O.K. because Collins put it in their 32S-1 TX . 73 Ed W9ODR --- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux * Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (21:1/175) .