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Homebrew Equipment A place to show, design and discuss the weird and wonderful electronic creations from the hands of individual members. |
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26th Aug 2017, 7:23 pm | #1 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 428
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Home-made Bug Key
Finished this today, it took about a week to build. It is my own design and works very well.
Bob |
26th Aug 2017, 7:32 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 13,953
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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. |
26th Aug 2017, 7:33 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK.
Posts: 5,190
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Re: Home-made Bug Key
Oooh... VERY nice!
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26th Aug 2017, 7:51 pm | #4 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 428
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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 |
26th Aug 2017, 7:57 pm | #5 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cottingham, East Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 5,737
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Re: Home-made Bug Key
Quote:
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.
__________________
David. BVWS Member. G-QRP Club member 1339. |
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26th Aug 2017, 8:12 pm | #6 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 428
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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 |
26th Aug 2017, 9:21 pm | #7 |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,800
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Re: Home-made Bug Key
Nicely inventive!
David
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Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done |
26th Aug 2017, 10:03 pm | #8 |
Heptode
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 998
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Re: Home-made Bug Key
Wow, thats very good engineering. Well done
D |
26th Aug 2017, 10:50 pm | #9 |
Nonode
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Redruth, Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 2,562
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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 |