Let's face it ........ I suck

when it comes to using a straight key. I am so out of practice, that I was embarrassed how my fist sounded on Straight Key Night. I only made two QSOs, and for the second I switched to my Vibroplex Original. Can you imagine that? I sound better on a bug than I do on a straight key! How pathetic is that? 

I've dropped a long way off from my Novice days, which were completed entirely with a Nye Viking straight key.  I suppose given time, I could get my straight key fist sounding reasonably decent again, but if I'm going to go mechanical, I'll stick with my bug. My fist there may not be the best, either, but it's yards better than my straight key fist! 

As far as only two QSOs go on Straight Key Night, I took a break after the second QSO and came upstairs to get some iced tea. While I was in the kitchen, I saw a bright flash and heard a very loud rumble of thunder. I raced back down to the shack to shut down and disconnect the antennas. We had intermittent thunder and lightning for the next couple of hours. New Year's Eve thunder and lightning - wacky weather!

Tomorrow, Friday, we're supposed to get another Arctic blast and we're looking at a possible snow event next Monday into Tuesday. I'll have to make sure the outside Christmas decorations come in this weekend. We've already have had wind gusts exceeding 20 MPH, that have knocked a few things over. It won't be pleasant doing this in sub-freezing temps, but it will have to get done while the ground is not covered with snow.

On another note, that SpaceWeather Live app has been sending me all kinds of alerts. We're experiencing a lot of geomagnetic activity and just a few minutes ago, I received a notification concerning a large trans equatorial coronal hole that is directly facing the Earth. Looks for band conditions to be on the wild side for the next few days.

The QRP Fox hunts resume tonight on 80 Meters and the Foxes are "local" enough that i should be able to work both. For whatever reason, I slept terribly last night, kept waking up every few hours it seemed like. I may be sawing wood tonight by the time the Hunts begin at 9:00 PM local time.

Mom was right when she used to tell me, "Larry, don't get old." I always used to answer, "There's not much I can do about it." But boy howdy, was she ever right!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Good news and bad news

 First the good news ....... there is no bad news!

I spent a bit of time in the shack after dinner last night, and I hooked up the Vibroplex to the computer via that adapter from Ham Radio Solutions. The first thing I found out was that, as it has been such a long time since I last used it, the contacts became so dirty from oxidization as to prevent ANY dits or dahs from being created.

So out came the alcohol and a Q-Tip and an old business card that I found in our desk. Applying the alcohol and wiping it dry with the Q-Tip removed a lot of tarnish. Burnishing the contacts gently with the business card removed even more. The result was that dits and dahs are now being produced, but I have to go to my own Morse Code page connected with this blog to review the procedures for proper adjustment. Even out of whack, I was able to send some CW that the computer was actually able to decipher. My bug fist was not as bad and I had thought it would be! It's more like just plain ol' bad, instead of being horrible or atrocious. I do not think that I will be sending anyone screaming into the night with their ears bleeding, but it's going to take lots more practice before I'm confident enough to take it to the airwaves for some SKCC activity. It would appear that learning to use a bug is like riding a bicycle. You never forget how to do it, but if you've been away from it for a while, you can get pretty rusty.

After playing around with that for  bit, I turned on the KX3 and called "CQ FP" for the Flying Pigs QRP Club "Worked All Pigs" event.  I spotted myself on QRPSPOTS and I turned on RBN to see where my 5 Watts was taking me.

Not bad, as I was even heard down in the Cayman Islands! I was answered by a station most closer to home, however. Gene AA2YO (FP# 4650) from West Deptford, NJ answered my call and we had a nice 20 minute ragchew.  Central NJ to South NJ isn't a really big DX hop, but thanks to Gene, I have my first Flying Pig in the log for this newly revived event. It's a nice alternative to working POTA stations (as much as I love doing that!) with their brief "TU 599 NJ" exchanges. Sometimes you just feel the need for some Morse Code. (Sorry, Maverick!)

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

For the Key collectors and users out there.

 This was brought to my attention by David Ring N1EA on the CW e-mail reflector. It's a Kindle book for $2.99 by Ken Krause. It is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FH2MN3W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here's the description as it appears on Amazon:

"This book describes the best way to clean Vibroplex and other telegraph keys. It includes buying tips, how to clean and repair telegraph keys, and much more. This short book will teach you the best ways to clean and repair your Vibroplex key without ruining it.

Many keys get ruined by improper cleaning techniques. Don't let this happen to your key. If you plan on cleaning your Vibroplex key this book is a must read before you begin.

You will learn how to make your own cleaning solution, how to blue steel, how to make minor repairs, how to clean bases and nameplates - everything you need to know to get the job done right the first time."

It looks worthwhile to have and the fact that Dave Ring endorsed it is good enough for me ... and the price is right!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

If you have a bug ......

please take a "re-look" at my Morse Code page on "How To Adjust a Bug".  Benny Owens K5KV, who had purchased a lot bugs from an SK's estate, and spent a lot of time adjusting them all, and graciously made some suggestions/corrections to what I had written.

His remarks are in red type and are easy to see. I think it's a more complete and comprehensive treatise now, from which many neophyte (and maybe not so neophyte) bug users will benefit from.

Thanks Benny for the editorial assistance!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

My sister knows me

My sister is four years older than me; and she knows her brother very, very well. She's on vacation, heading towards New England and yesterday she and her husband stopped at Hyde Park to visit the Roosevelt residence.

Last night we were texting back and forth as I was wondering how far north they had gotten and if the leaves are changing. She sent me this:

"Here's a pic from the "Art of War" exhibit. I thought of you."

No, no, no.  Of course, I'm not a WAVE nor have I ever been in the Navy.  But from hanging around her little brother, my big sister DOES know what a bug is; and she can pick out a Morse Code apparatus when she sees one.

I've often thought that if I could somehow travel back in time, there are two periods of American history that I'd like to eyewitness. The first would be our Colonial and Revolutionary War period. I'm a bit of a Revolutionary War buff and am fascinated with that era and our founding.

The second period of time I'd love to visit would be the World War II era.  To me, it would be a gas to see what the places I know so well today looked like 60-70 years ago. To see my parents and grandparents as their younger selves would be a blast, too. My grandparents on my Dad's side of the family passed away before I was born. It would be nice to be able to meet them, even if my identity had to remain anonymous. (The sci-fi fan in me knows all about changing timelines. LOL!)

The big thing for me would be radio, of course. Television as we know it was in its infancy and was not common. Broadcast radio was the rage. Although Amateur Radio was shut down for the war - plenty of ops were performing communication duties for the military. My Dad, who had no interest in Amateur Radio whatsoever was attached to the Signal Corps and was part of the group sent to Britain to work on the RADAR development project. Maybe that's where my radio gene came from! If I was living back then, I am pretty sure that I would either be doing something like that; or if I was classified as "4F' for whatever reason, I'd probably be doing radio repair.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

From the mail bag

I received a couple of e-mails asking me to post some information - perhaps opinion, would be a better term. In the first, I was asked if I would list, in one spot, the materials that I used to build my magloop - here goes:

Capacitor -  20-240 pf - RF Parts - Part # 73-145-25 - $49
Capacitor Enclosure - PolyCase - Part # WP-33F - $18
6:1 Reduction Drive - Oren Elliot - Part # BD-602 - $18
Coax for main loop - DX Engineering LMR400 - $10
Tripod base - Husky Work Light tripod - $19

The feeder loop was made from spare #14 wire and the feedline was taken from spare RG-8X coax that I had that was just sitting around. The PVC support pieces were purchased from Home Depot - 1/2" schedule 40 PVC. In addition to the tubing (18" sections), I used one 4-way cross piece and three PVC Tees. The total cost for all materials came to less than $125, including the stand.

Nothing against the commercial magloops that are out there that are available for Amateur Radio use. They're all top notch pieces of equipment; and you wouldn't go wrong purchasing any of them. However, there's just something ultimately satisfying about rolling your own and ending up with a specimen that works, really well.

The second e-mail asked for a recommendation for keys for those who are just beginning to use Morse Code.

For the neophyte, I would recommend a straight key to start off.  This will allow you to send Morse at a speed which is most comfortable for a beginner - slow. My favorite straight key, up until recently, have been the Nye Viking Speed-X keys.

They are fully and easily adjustable and the large Navy style knob makes finger placement easy and comfortable.  Using a straight key from the beginning will allow you to concentrate on proper spacing and rhythm of Morse characters. It's harder to let the Code "run away" from you when you're using a straight key as compared to sending with a keyer and paddles, which can be set for a higher speed than a newbie should be using.

Some new Hams dive right into electronic keying, thinking that the almost perfect machine keying will mask their "newness". Actually, I've heard some pretty horrendous CW out there from people using keyers and paddles incorrectly. Yes, the dits and dahs are perfect, but the spacing between characters and words can go all over creation, making copy difficult, if not impossible. IMHO, starting out on a straight key goes a long ways towards teaching proper spacing and weight of the Code.  Once you've mastered that, you can move on to paddles and keyers with confidence in your abilities.

If you want to advance past a straight key; but the thought of electronic Morse Code somehow turns your stomach, there are always bugs and Cootie keys that you can advance to.  A bug, of course, is a semi-automatic key, which allows for the automatic generation of dits and the manual generation of dahs.

Using a bug can be difficult, as they are really meant for code speeds of about 25 WPM or higher. They can be slowed down using various methods, but even so, using a bug is not for the faint of heart. Getting the rhythm and spacing to sound good take practice - a LOT of practice!

Sideswipers or Cootie keys are kind of like a sideways straight key.  These also take a lot of practice to get used to; but not as much as a bug.  The problem with a Cootie or sideswiper is that once you get used to using paddles and a keyer, it's hard to transition back to totally manufactured dits and dahs.  It takes time to get used to the fact that you just don't hold the lever to one side or the other to have a string of dits and dahs come out!

No matter what method you use to send Morse Code, be aware that it will take time and practice to become really proficient.  There are many out there who can switch from a straight key, to a bug, to a Cootie and then to a paddle and keyer and sound fantastic on all of them. If you come across someone like that, you've come across a true Master of the art of Morse Code.  It takes a very log time to get that good!
Finally, whatever way you choose to generate code, buy the best key that you can reasonably afford. Your straight key, bug, paddle or sideswiper will become your vehicle towards sending good Morse Code.  Using a quality tool will go a long way towards adding to your enjoyment of CW.  As a comparison, yes ..... you can drive from New Jersey to California in a beat up ol' jalopy; but the journey is much more pleasurable when you're travelling in a fine luxury automobile.
72 de Larry W2LJ QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Easy listening

I had a wonderful experience today during my lunch time QSO.  Not hearing any NPOTA or SOTA station on 20 Meters, I decided to go on up to 17 Meters.  There was not much activity there, so I decided to call CQ around 18.086 MHz.

I was answered by Benny K5KV - who I can only describe as "The Master Bug Fist".

His fist was as smooth as melted chocolate on a hot fudge sundae on a Saturday in August. At first I thought he was using a keyer and paddles. But when he came back to me and said, "I switched to a slower bug for you ......", I was like "Oh .... wow!" (I was loafing around 20 WPM.)

It's not often you hear a bug fist as smooth as Benny's. Most bug fists (mine included) have a swing to them, as it's really, really hard to get that dit to dah changeover and the timing ratio down. Like many people, I tend to accentuate the dahs, as they are totally manually generated. As a result, my bug fist is not as smooth as I would like it to be.

Benny's is as close to perfection as you can get.  In fact, Benny's fist is so smooth as to be musical. He had the spacing and rhythm down pat. His is a fist you could listen to all day .... where the words just appear on a piece of paper that's inside your brain. The definition of armchair copy.

I wish that I had a recording device with me so that I could share the experience with all of you. It was THAT good.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

It's been a while

It's been a while since I really made an effort to use the ol' Vibroplex.  I gave the contacts a decent cleaning today and gave it a whirl in a QSO with Art K8CIT. I don't think I sounded terrible - and I hope Art didn't think so either. I could use some more practise, though, and I will continue to use it more often.

I haven't run this piece in a long time. It's from my old webpage on how to adjust a bug:

Using a bug is a real fun part of using Morse Code.  Adjusting one properly so that it works right for you and doesn't frustrate the heck out of you is easy; if you take your time and work methodically. Refer to the photo below for reference.

The first thing you do is to back off all the adjusting screws quite a bit.  Not all the way; but far enough out so that everything is nowhere near being set.  Once that's done you want to adjust the action of the pendulum.  Unscrew "A" - this is the pivot point for the pendulum.  Slowly tighten it. You'll know you have it adjusted correctly when the pendulum moves from side to side freely with no binding; but, at the same time, you can move the finger pieces up and down with your fingers and feel very little or no play.

The next thing you want to do is to adjust screw "B".  Allow the pendulum to hit the damper.  Screw in "B" to the point where you can either see or just perceive the pendulum has touched the damper.  Stop there and secure the screw with the knurled lock nut.  It is important not to move the pendulum too far away from the damper or else you will not be able to reliably stop your "dits".

The next thing you want to do is adjust the  left trunnion screw -  D.  This will control the amount of side to side travel of the pendulum.  For smooth code this gap should be very small.  I take a piece of ordinary printer paper, fold it in half to double it and adjust the spacing so that the paper will just slip between the point of the screw and the pendulum.  This results in a very small amount of side to side travel.  The end result is a nice and clean transition between "dits" and "dahs".  I do the same thing for the amount of spacing for the "dah" contact at C.  I turn that trunnion screw in so that the paper slips in the gap easily with no binding, then I lock the set screw in place to keep the setting.

The next thing you want to do is adjust the "dits" making part of your bug.  This is done by adjusting "E".  When "E" is adjusted correctly, you should be able to swing the pendulum to make "dits"; and get 10 to 15 "dits" before the pendulum dampens out and comes to a rest.

"F" controls the tension of the "dit" action.  I find it best to tension the spring about half way.  Hopefully, if you follow this guide and play around a little bit and experiment, you will find the "sweet spot" that will allow you to send really glassy smooth Morse Code.

Sending with a Bug is just as much fun as sending with a keyer and paddles.  However, sending with a Bug allows you to add a little personality.  Listening to CW sent with a keyer sounds sterile compared to that sent with a Bug.

If you need to slow down the speed of your Bug to a point that's even slower than what you can get with the weight(s) positioned all the way to the end of the pendulum, then clip a clothes pin or a few alligator clips to the end of the pendulum.  This will slow down a Bug to an effective speed as low as 13 words per minute or so.

In my opinion, you know that your bug is adjusted properly when you can send characters like X, Y, Q, C, F and L with little effort, and they sound good - or at least recognizable in my case!

Here's a great video that shows you how to do it, also:


72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

New Year's Day 2015

So I began 2015 in a manner not much different from where 2014 left off.  It was a quiet day, as it was a day off from work. It was quite cold here today, but that did not keep me out of the shack. The hoodie sweat shirt idea worked well. Even though it's only 59F (15C) down here, I remained comfortably warm. I think that keeping my head covered was indeed the key to feeling warmer.

I participated in the QRP ARCI New Year's Day Sprint as planned, but was disappointed in the lack of activity.  I guess everyone was sleeping off a night of merry-making and partying. In the 2 & 1/2 hours that I was on the air, I made only over just a dozen QRP ARCI contacts.  It's a good thing that it's SKN, as the bands were busy and I was able to fill in with a couple rag chews in between to keep me from falling asleep at the key.

15 Meters seemed to be the good band for the Sprint. It was less noisy than 20 Meters, and it seemed that it was there that I was hearing the most activity. Towards the end of the Sprint, 40 Meters perked up with some local QRP activity.

After dinner, I came down to participate in a little more SKN, garnering a few rag chews using my refurbished Vibroplex Original.

I was pleasantly surprised that for not having used it in a while, that my fist wasn't all that bad! I cleaned the contacts by rubbing them using a spare QSL card and re-adjusted the spacing and tension. Pretty soon I was sounding almost as good as my keyer and paddles. Notice I said almost, not quite as good as that but not horrid, either. I guess using a bug is like riding a bicycle - once you become comfortable at it, you never forget how.

I finished up the evening by tuning across 30 Meters to hear 1A0C from the Sovereign Order of Malta (Thanks for the clarification, Karl DK5LP) running a pileup. It was a pretty good pileup but he was quite strong - about 579 and getting stronger. I stayed with him for about a 1/2 hour, trying with 5 Watts. As this is a special one for me, I ended up turning up the juice to 85 Watts and nabbed him on my third attempt after that.  The DXpedition is there for about five more days, so I will try again over the weekend using QRP - if I hear them.

The Sovereign Order of Malta is a charitable arm of the Catholic Church.  They have been in existence since around 1050 and are dedicated to helping the sick and poor throughout the world. Recently, Raymond Cardinal Burke was named patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a man whom I admire greatly. It was a special treat to have worked them.

So Amateur Radio-wise, 2015 is off to a flying start. I hope it keeps going that way all year long! Let's see if I can work both Foxes in the 80 Meter Fox hunt tonight. ( I did. Yay! )

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

This post is going to get me into trouble!

John KK4ITN left a comment on my post "Conditions" over at AmateurRadio.com. Here's a line from it:

"Seems when the bands are down every person with a ‘bug’ is out calling cq. Wish they would put code oscillators and dummie loads on sale. Dits at 20 wpm and dahs at 5 wpm."

I guess it's not directly related to band conditions, and I'm not sure that John's claim is 1,000,000% accurate, however - he makes an excellent point.

Not to dump on bug users, because I have a bug. I like using a bug. Using a straight key makes the arthritis in my hands go "Hey! Stop that!" But unless I've practiced with my bug (off the air) for a while .... my sending can be pretty bad.  So I try to make it a point to take the KX3 "off the air" and practice sending with my bug on a regular basis.  Not as regularly as I should, but I try to keep in decent practice.

I agree with John and I would posit that listening to someone use a bug (or even a straight key or paddles, for that matter), who doesn't know how to use it properly, is akin to listening to nails being scratched across a blackboard. NB: For any younger readers, a blackboard is what we used in school before the advent of whiteboards and smartboards.  If you scrape your fingernails across the surface of a blackboard, it makes a sound unlike anything you've ever heard. It literally hurts to listen to it.  It will make your teeth ache. There's something about human fingernails and slate that just don't mix. Listening to someone scratch a balloon is almost as bad. But .... I digress.

The phrase, "Dits at 20 wpm and dahs at 5 wpm" resonated with me.  Morse Code sent like that is not only unreadable - even worse, it's unbearable.  No one is asking that all Morse be sent so that it sounds like it's coming from a keyer or a computer - but for Pete's sake - at least make sure your sending is copyable!

I would suggest that anyone who is inclined to use a bug perform this little exercise.  Send some Morse and record it, either with a tape recorder (do they still make those?), or, I believe most smartphones have a voice recorder feature. Do it off the air. Either send your RF into a dummy load or turn off your "VOX" - that usually will put your rig into code practice oscillator mode.

Send some Morse, listen to it, and copy what you sent. Be honest and critical with yourself. If you can honestly copy what you've sent, then you're probably good enough to go live. It might even be a good idea to wait a day or two between the sending part and the listening to yourself part - just in order to make it a bit more objective.

I can tell you for a fact, that I have done this - I have listened to my own bug fist - and have said, "Oh my!".  It was a rude, but necessary awakening. I am totally glad that I did not subject my fellow Hams to what I had thought was decent sending.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Today was a lot of fun

Well, actually last night AND today were a lot of fun!  And there's more to go tonight as the 40 Meter QRP Fox hunts start up again tonight.

I ended up working only three stations last night. First, I had a quick 2X QRP QSO with Dave NE5DL down in Texas on 20 Meters to start SKN off.  That was followed by two rag chews. The first was on 40 Meters with N4LZY, Jerry in Tennessee and was followed by a chew with K3OWZ, John in PA.  John was  using a Heathkit Apache and a National NC303 receiver.  Good stuff!

I was on the air off and on for a good portion of today. I worked Dan SM5IMO in Sweden, and had a nice chat with John VE1BA in Nova Scotia.  John was running three Watts and had a killer signal into NJ.  That was followed up by a nice chat with another John - K4BAI in Georgia.  John and I meet up in the QRP sprints and the Fox hunts.  John is a "Ham's Ham" and a gentleman to boot.  It's always extremely nice hooking up with K4BAI.

I worked Dave K3Y/2 on 40 Meters.  LOUD signal into New Jersey from New York state.

The I had an experience that was unique.  I was working Stan AEØSL on 20 Meters when the band kicked out on us and we both faded away into the QSB.  From there, I jumped on up to 17 Meters and worked VP2MRV in Montserrat.  After finishing up with Nao, I began to tune around 17 Meters and whom should my wandering ears hear calling CQ?  None other than Stan AEØSL, who I had just worked only minutes before on 20 Meters.  He was much, much louder on 17 Meters and we were able to finish up our busted QSO.  Now how many times has that happened to you?  Dare I say - not many?

I then finished up my afternoon by busting a small pileup to work K1GI/VP9 in Bermuda.  A pileup for Bermuda you ask?  Well, yes.  There were hardly ANY signals on 17 Meters, so in this instance, even Bermuda was like chum to a shark.

Last night and today, the majority of my Morse was sent with my Vibroplex Original that I restored a few years back.  I was surprised how quickly I was able to send decent  presentable code.  It's like the old adage about riding a bicycle - that once you learn, you never forget.  I didn't sound atrocious to the point that I was embarrassed to be using it; because believe me, if I was that bad I would not have subjected anyone's ears to a bad cacophony of dits and dahs.  Also, the Reverse Beacon Network was picking up my CQs, so the skimmers were able to decode my sending.  And if the computers were able to figure it out, then a real live Ham should have had even less trouble.

It's been a long time since I've had the opportunity to spend so much of a day in the shack, behind the radio. I thoroughly enjoyed it and could get quite used to it, given the chance.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Hot!

The first day of Summer came as a prototypical Summer day - hot and humid!  The high temperature did reach 96F (35C) and is expected to be about the same tomorrow (maybe a little higher) and in the 90s on Friday. A heatwave is defined as a period of at least three days with temps in the 90s - so Summer is starting off with a bang!

Unfortunately, our air conditioning unit picked a heckuva time to give up the ghost!  We have a repairman coming tomorrow and I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will not need a new compressor.  Our Central AC unit was not brandy new when we bought the house 14 years ago, so it may be time for a new one. Eeep!

On the CW-Bugs Yahoo group, Donnie WA9TGT posted a picture of a beautiful (and I mean beautiful!) picture of a bug that he fabricated himself.  I would love to post a copy here; but the original is in his picture folder on the group, so  it is not public property.  If you are a member of the group, however, you can take a  look-see for yourself at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cw_bugs/photos/recent/1291589982/view  It is a thing of beauty and I wish I had the talent to make things like this.

Now for something not radio related: If you have a kindle and are also on Facebook, here's a site to "like":
http://www.facebook.com/EreaderNewsToday

Over the past few months I have been able to "buy" about 30 or 40 books for FREE.  There are all types of genres available and there may be days when it seems that nothing good is being offered except for a bunch of turkeys.  But then the days come when there are a lot of good mysteries, suspense novels, thrillers, etc. In true Ham fashion, stuff that's offered for free can't be all bad, can it?

This weekend is Field Day and the weather here in the Northeast looks to be perfect for it. I will not be participating this year as my sister and I have to finish clearing out my Mom's apartment before the end of the month.  We've gotten a lot taken care of so far; and are about halfway done.  I think all the small stuff will be boxed up and moved out this weekend.  Whatever furniture is left over will be donated to charity and will be picked up next week.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

The opposite of the other night

It's like going from the ridiculous to the sublime.

Tonight a real treat was in store. My CQ on 40 Meters (yes, 40 Meters was quiet tonight, yay!) was answered by K4BXN, Crit who hails from Hendersonville, NC .  Crit and I have QSO'ed a few times before; and as always, listening to his fist is pure pleasure.  Crit was using an old bug with his K3, and if he hadn't mentioned it, you would have thought for sure that he was using an electronic keyer and paddles.

Courtesy of K4BXN and QRZ.com

Perfect spacing and perfect sending - period.  Music to my ears. And sending Morse like that with a bug is no mean feat.  From my own experience, I know it's so easy to develop a swing. Not that a swing is necessarily a bad thing - but it can be if you're not careful.  It takes a lot of practice and a lot of skill to be as good as K4BXN.  But boy, is it a treat to listen to!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

BugNapper by Rich WB9LPU

As promised, a little bit more on WB9LPU's BugNapper, which is a device for slowing down bugs.  First off, why even bother?  The answer is simple.  There are times when I like to send Morse Code "manually" as opposed to using an electronic keyer and paddles.  Yes, the straight key is the way to go, but sending with a straight key for a long period of time at a rate of 15 - 18 WPM gets very tiring.  On top of that, if you have arthritis in your hands like I do, after a while, sending with a straight key can actually become painful!  The side to side motion of a bug is less tiring and wearing on the wrist and fingers.  But most bugs, even with a heavy weight, will only slow down to about 25 - 22 WPM.  This can vary depending on the make and model of the bug.

The answer up to now has been to add a lot of extra weight or to extend the length of the pendulum with tubes or other types of devices.  Rich WB9LPU's approach is to use two magnets of opposite polarity in close proximity to one another.  The closer the magnets, the more their attraction for one another, thereby slowing down the vibrations of the pendulum, which in turn, slows down the speed of the dits.

If you click on the above image to see it full sized, you can see the adjusting knob for the pendulum magnet right near the Vibroplex "Bug" on the metal label.  The opposing permanent magnet is underneath it and is mounted on the metal bar which says "BugNapper" on it.  In my book, there are two main advantages to a BugNapper over other solutions:

1) Cosmetics - the BugNapper is not obtrusive at all and actually looks like part of the bug itself.  No wacky extensions or weights coming off at weird angles.  No added clothespins, alligator clips. solder rolls - whatever we have used in the past to dampen the pendulum vibrations to slow down the dits.

2) Adjustability - the BugNapper takes the guesswork out of slowing things down and offers repeatability.  No more guessing of how much weight to add; or how much extension to add.  Just twist the knurled thumbscrew and you can change the bug's speed reliably and pretty predictably once you get used to it, which takes all of a few minutes.

Rich sends a complete instruction manual on a CD along with the BugNapper.  Installation is very simple and does not require you to disassemble your bug, other than temporarily removing the weight and the dit spring.  The only tools you will need are the two Allen wrenches that Rich includes and your own flat bladed screw driver.  If you're a mechanical klutz of the highest order, like me, expect installation to take all of about 10 minutes or so.

Here's some video.  I apologize for my fist.  Currently not owning a tripod, it's hard to hold a camera with one hand and send code with the other, when normally you can't walk and chew gum at the same time.  In addition, I still have a bit of tweaking to do with the bug's adjustment screws for optimum spacing and tension.  Just so you know that any cruddy sending you hear is MY fault and is in no way due to the BugNapper.

For a CW lover, Rich's device is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  I heartily recommend the BugNapper to anyone who desires to use a bug; but so far has been wary of not being able to send with one for fear of runaway speed.  You can visit WB9LPU's website by clicking here.  I can tell you one thing ..... if I ever win that lottery, in addition to purchasing that K3, I think I'd like to buy a couple of Rich's keys to have in my shack, also!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Cool!

During the 40 Meter Foxhunt, while chasing Dave AB9CA in Alabama, I also installed Rich WB9LPU's Bugnapper on my old Vibroplex original.  Trying to multi-task and concentrate on two things at once is not exactly my forte' - but I was successful in both pursuits.  I worked Dave for a pelt and got the Bugnapper installed.

The only thing that I can say about the Bugnapper is ...... cool!  It installed very easily and it works like a charm. If you didn't understand the workings, i.e the forces of opposing magnets, you might be tempted to think that Rich's invention was based on PFM - Pretty Far-out Magic!

It's amazing to see how the twist of the adjustment screw (which sets the distance between the two magnets) changes the speed of the dits.  I didn't think that a bug could ever be made to send so slowly.  Seriously - under 10 WPM ?!? 

Now, the purists will bristle at this concept.  After all, the tool for sending slow code (up to 15 WPM) is the straight key.  And the purists area right, that is (ideally) the way to go.  But if you suffer from arthritis in your wrists, like I do, the side to side motion of sending with a bug is way easier on the joints.  So for the folks out there like me who enjoy the side to side sending, but still want to go real slow, the Bugnapper is the way to go.  I currently have mine set for a comfortable 18 WPM speed right now.  Once I get some practice in (I still think the dahs will be automatic like with the paddles, so right now I tend to stutter a bit) I will probably be making way more use of my bug.

Tomorrow night, if I get a chance, I will shoot some video and will post it here.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

A needle in a haystack!

Arggghhh!

Rich, WB9LPU sent me one of his "BugNappers", which arrived in the mail today.  Up until this point, I have been using a lever extension device, which required me to take the weights off the pendulum.  It was effective and did the job; but was not smoothly adjustable.

Of course, now that I need one, I can't find them!  I've searched the shack high and low, every nook and cranny and they are nowhere to be found. I will order a medium weight from Vibroplex and I'm pretty positive that when it arrives - the ones I already have will come out of hiding.  If I still have them.  I gave someone one of my extra bugs about a year or two ago; and I am trying to remember if I put my extra weights on that one, for storage, since I wasn't using them.  They may be gone for good.

Age 53 and I am suffering from CRS Syndrome - Can't Remember Stuff.

Anyway, Rich, if you are reading this, I have posted a check in the mail.  I'm sure you'll get it before my weights arrive.  Gosh, I can't wait to try this out!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Any wannabe bug ops out there?

So you always wanted to try a bug, but were scared off the speed?  Here's a new approach by Rich WB9LPU.



It looks like a great idea and I'll have to get one of these!  I currently use a tube that extends the pendulum to slow down my Vibroplex Original to a more comfortable sending speed for me.  This is much more elegant (as the video states).  I sure hope that Rich plans to offer these in the near future.  I'd PayPal for one of these in a heartbeat!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

More bug time

I was playing around with the bug some more tonight; and had a nice QSO with Paul AA1LL from Mason, NH.

I noticed two things in particular, which has got me thinking that I might be crazy, or maybe just a little odd.  There might be some people out there who would gladly jump at the opportunity to agree with me on that assessment.

However, the odd one first.  I seem to do better on the bug I keep my eyes closed while sending.  This allows me to send without any visual distractions and allows me to concentrate more on the sound and rhythm.  OK, maybe not so crazy after all, after thinking about it for a few minutes. 

Secondly, I do much better when I place the bug at a 45 degree angle in relation to how I face the shack bench while sitting.  I found that if I point the base of the bug between the 10:00 and 11:00 positions, that I have better control than if I place the bug straight on (12:00 position) or straight across (9:00 position).

My biggest hurdle, even after practicing on and off these many months, is getting it into my thick skull that there are not going to be any automatic "dahs" made via the bug.  Sometimes old habit guides me, and that first "dah" ends up being REALLY long!  Then it's a Homer "Doh" moment and I swing back into rhythm again.

It's a lot of work; but I think it will be worth it in the end.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!