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Old 26th Aug 2017, 7:23 pm   #1
Variometer
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Default Home-made Bug Key

Finished this today, it took about a week to build. It is my own design and works very well.
Bob
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Old 26th Aug 2017, 7:32 pm   #2
G6Tanuki
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Default Re: Home-made Bug Key

Love it! Some would call it 'steampunk' but I hate that designation.

How well does it work? In the past, hardcore telegraphists could identify the key a particular operator was using by listening to the dot:dash ratio and the 'twang' of certain keys was well-recognisable.
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Old 26th Aug 2017, 7:33 pm   #3
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Default Re: Home-made Bug Key

Oooh... VERY nice!
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Old 26th Aug 2017, 7:51 pm   #4
Variometer
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Default Re: Home-made Bug Key

It works very well. When I was at sea (Radio officer), I used an American Vibroplex that I still have. My home-made one works just as well. I left the sea in late 1992, (after 32 years) so a bit rusty on morse, but I tried them both today, and could produce fairly good, readable morse. I am not a radio Ham, so have not used morse for many years, but can still read it easily enough in my head in excess of 25wpm. I was surprised at how sending on the bug key came back when I tried it today. I didn't build it for any particular reason. About a week ago, I woke up at about 0300 and the thought came into my head "design and build a bug key!" I didn't used springs, but magnets instead. The dots are made by a magnet on the vibrating arm working a magnetic reed switch.
Bob
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Old 26th Aug 2017, 7:57 pm   #5
David G4EBT
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Default Re: Home-made Bug Key

Quote:
Originally Posted by Variometer View Post
Finished this today, it took about a week to build. It is my own design and works very well.
Bob
And what's more, given your pedigree, you won't even need to learn how to use it Bob!

And excellent example of what can be achieved with imagination and skill, even on quite a modest small lathe.

Thanks for sharing it with us.
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Old 26th Aug 2017, 8:12 pm   #6
Variometer
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Default Re: Home-made Bug Key

Thanks,
I didn't use the lathe for much (Unimat SL). The vertical brass pillars were empy rifle shells that I picked up at Grytviken, South Georgia shortly after the battle. I cut them off to the required length, and drilled out the back ends to bolt them on the board. The tops were covered in home-made brass caps
(slices of tube with the tops soft soldered on and a fancy bolt insrted to make it look good). The magnets were neodymium. The spring steel for the vibrating arm was a short length of junior hacksaw blade. The base and paddle were coloured acrylic sheet. The dash knob is a small "button knob" as used in glass cabinets - got it in town the other day, new! Two ball races were used for the top and bottom bearings, and it has a very smooth movement.
Bob
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Old 26th Aug 2017, 9:21 pm   #7
Radio Wrangler
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Default Re: Home-made Bug Key

Nicely inventive!

David
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Old 26th Aug 2017, 10:03 pm   #8
G4YVM David
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Default Re: Home-made Bug Key

Wow, thats very good engineering. Well done

D
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Old 26th Aug 2017, 10:50 pm   #9
Philips210
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Default Re: Home-made Bug Key

Excellent work. Looks very impressive and must have been very enjoyable making all the individual parts. That would certainly make a nice display item depicting early wireless technology.

Regards
Symon
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