Blackink
Member
I'm not an amateur radio buff, but I saw this news segment on my local WCAX news station tonight and thought I'd pass it along to those who may find it interesting.
Made in Vermont
Made in Vermont
It may be called amateur radio, but these Morse code keys are anything but amateur.....
- Thread starter Blackink
- Start date
Those are some sweet looking, solid paddles. I was a Vibroplex user for years, which a couple Bencher paddles thrown in. I finally bought a Begali a couple years ago and will never look back.
Jim
Jim
That is a nice keyer. My first I used many years was a Vibroplex 'BUG' a bit like this:
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K7MEM
Member
Yes, the paddles made by W1SFR do look nice.
Here is a picture of my Bug. It's a 1916 Vibroplex Blue Racer. It's kind of beat up and has lots of patina, but it does still work. However, I am not a Bug user, so it's mostly for decoration. The same is true for the straight keys that I have. The only key/keyer that I use is an old Heathkit HD-1410, that I built while I was in Germany in 1981 and operated as DA2EU. Many people don't like the action of the Heathkit key, but it works fine for me. Once I started using it, I never looked back.
Aside from several bugs from my father (SK), I have several paddles in my collection, all but 4 are single lever. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not grasp the iambic. My dad was very proficient at using bugs and straight keys, as well as about 65wpm using single lever paddles. My own bug and straight key performance is very QLF.
K7MEM
Member
Iambic is not that big of a deal. There is no requirement to go full Iambic. When you are using a dual paddle key and a keyer with Iambic capabilities, it comes naturally as your speed increases. No need to force the issue. Trying to force yourself to go full Iambic only causes your error rate to go up.
When I first started using a Iambic keyer (around 1981), I tried to learn Iambic keying. I found it very clumsy and error prone. But that was before I got my code speed increased. Instead, I just used the two paddles as if they were a single paddle and banged them back and forth. And, as I said above, Iambic methods started to creep in when my speed went up. I think it started to feel comfortable with some characters at around 20 WPM. But I still don't bother with all of the Morse characters.
You might want to get a copy of Iambic Keying - Debunking the Myth. It's a pretty good read. And, if you want to go even further, there is a such thing as Triambic Keying. But that never really caught on.
I definitely enjoyed revisiting iambic when I received that nice, heavy iambic key that came with my TS-590SG Anniversary Edition. But just fell back into my comfort zone, especially with the Begali. I downloaded the "Debunking the Myth" paper and will definitely check it out! Thanks Martin...
Jim K2JL
Jim K2JL
It is nice to see a craftsman produce a product he loves.
Quality like that is rare.
Quality like that is rare.
