# Home-Made Bug Key



## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

Semi Automatic "Bug" Morse Key
Feeling like a change from ship models, a few days ago, I decided to try and build a semi-automatic bug key. This type of morse key was first developed in the United States. Conventional morse keys move up and down, and both dots and dashes have to be made manually. When I first went into passenger liners as a junior radio officer in 1965, I found it very hard going sending large numbers of messages, often containing hundreds of words. My wrist was quickly in danger of seizing up, so I obtained a cheap Japanese bug key in Cape Town. The bug key works horizontally, and the side of the palm can be rested on the desk. Pushing the paddle to the right with the thumb, produces a string of dots by vibrating a piece of weighted steel spring with electrical contacts fitted. Pushing it to the left with the forefinger, the dashes have to be made individually. I found this a great help, and was soon able to send for considerable lengths of time without getting tired. In the next twelve years, I got through two Japanese bug keys, the first being accidentally dropped by the third radio officer when it was only a few weeks old. That broke the paddle arm off, and I had to effect a temporary repair until I could replace it again in Cape Town. Despite being quite cheap, I had no complaints about the Japanese keys, they were really good. But I had heard that the American Vibroplex keys were the best of the best. Eventually, I was able to purchase on in Houston, Texas, for about £50. I used that one regularly from 1977 until leaving the sea in late 1992, and still have it today. The key illustrated is purely my own design based on trial and error, and it took almost a week to get it working correctly. I have compared it with my Vibroplex, and although I am a bit "rusty" at morse after 25 years, can still produce perfectly readable code, and cannot tell any difference in handling between mine and the Vibroplex,
I incorporated small ball races for the top and bottom bearings that gave a very smooth action. The spring steel is a piece of a junior hacksaw blade with the teeth ground off. The vertical pillars are all old rifle shells cut off to the correct length, and bolted to the acrylic base via holes drilled through ends. The dent caused by the firing pins was a great guide for the drill. The open tops were fitted with home-made caps made from brass, with a fancy brass bolt in the top for purely aesthetic reasons. Solving the spring problem was beyond me, as I could nor find any springs small enough, or of the correct strength. I got round this by using powerful neodymium magnets instead of springs, and they work really smoothly. The tension can be easily adjusted by moving the magnets further apart, or closer together. Neither could I get the dot contacts correct, so I used a small magnetic reed switch. It is actuated by a magnet fixed the vibrating arm. The speed of the dots can be adjusted by moving the brass weight along the vibrating arm. The closer it is moved to the front of the key, the faster the dots. Most of the construction is in brass. The base and paddle are acrylic sheet and the finger knob is a small "button knob" normaly used for glass cabinets.
Bob
PS
Most of you will know what a bug key is, but I wrote this for my Facebook page!


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## twogrumpy (Apr 23, 2007)

Neat job!

I remember some people using "Bug" keys back in the early 60's when I had an interest in the subject, at the time many were using ex government keys left over from the war.
As you say, most I believe originated in the US>


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## gwzm (Nov 7, 2005)

Looks well thought out and neatly executed Bob. I never used a bug key at sea but have several that I've acquired over the years used and in GWO or fixer-uppers that I've brought back to life. I like using them on the amateur bands - when I can get on and there's decent propagation.
Happy days,
John / gwzm


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Looks great. 

I used a small Japanese made one when I joined a ship with the call sign ZSHI.

David
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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

Well done. I used an electronic keyer from my first trip.


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## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

Bob
That's a very nice looking bug. I bet you are chuffed with it. I have several including a Begali and a superb and very expensive Frattini, both hand made in Italy, and two GHDs from a one-man outfit in Tokyo. But a homemade key would be better.
Are you on the air? If not get yourself a ham license and let's hear it. There are only a very few bug users on the bands these days. We need you !
John / 9V1VV


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

Thanks,
Yes, I am very pleased with it. At the moment, I am adding a single valve oscillator to it with a DL96 pentode running as a triode with the screen grid strapped to the anode. A small loudspeaker is mounted in the space under the vibrating arm. The two terminals on the left have been dispensed with, and the holes filled with a headphone jack and an on/off switch. The speaker, and feedback transformers are mounted underneath, and to accommodate them, I have lengthened the legs. LT will be from 1 small 1.5 Volt AA Duracell and the HT will be three small 12 Volt doorbell batteries in series. The output transformer is an LT700 and the feedback transformer is a miniature one that was just kicking about in my junk box, with no label. I have had the oscillator working as a rough external hookup, and am in the process of installing it. I am not a radio amateur. When I was interested, I didn't see why I should have to take the test when I had a 1st Class PMG issued by the very same organisation who issued the amateur license. When I was on the _RMS St. Helena_, I purchased an island license for £5, and operated maritime mobile for a while on a small transmitter (Howes kit), managing about 6,000 miles on CW 14,060. Since leaving the sea in 1992, the internet fulfills all my communication needs, and I have no desire to sit the Ham license. Probably could not do it anyway, as I was trained in valve days, (1959/60) and all my transistor knowledge was just picked up slowly as they superseded valves. I only go back to radio occasionally, when the feeling comes over me, and I found the bug key a very interesting challenge, as it was more mechanical than anything else.
Bob


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## cajef (Feb 8, 2012)

Shipbuilder said:


> . But I had heard that the American Vibroplex keys were the best of the best.


I purchased one in NY in 1963 and still in use at the present time.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Bob. - I purchased my 'little Japanese big' from a small shop at the top end of what I think may have been Bree Street. I have just googled it, and of course, it looks nothing like I remember. You will have seen ZSHI - one of the white fruit reefers.

David
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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

I got mine at Hamrad. I know there was a radio shop in Long Street. I recall Bree Street vaguely, but can't remember a radio shop there offhand. Would probably know it if I saw a picture. Don't recall ZSHI, maybe one of Safamarine's reefers? I sailed in ZSNT and ZSNF. 4th in ZSNT (_SA Vaal_) and 3rd in ZSNF (_SA Oranje_). 
Bob


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## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

I had a mains powered Japanese Swallow electronic keyer for the majority of my 20 years at sea.
Had a bad habit of locking up on 6mHz when the Tx was on full power !
Still up in the loft gathering dust.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

Shipbuilder said:


> When I was interested, I didn't see why I should have to take the test when I had a 1st Class PMG issued by the very same organisation who issued the amateur license. When I was on the _RMS St. Helena_, I purchased an island license for £5, and operated maritime mobile for a while on a small transmitter (Howes kit), managing about 6,000 miles on CW 14,060. Since leaving the sea in 1992, the internet fulfills all my communication needs, and I have no desire to sit the Ham license.


Your 1st class should give you an exemption...


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## gwzm (Nov 7, 2005)

*Morse Test Not Required For UK Amateur Licence*

Hi Bob,

A Morse test is no longer needed to get a UK Amateur Radio Licence. There are now three levels of Licence - Foundation, Intermediate, and Advanced. Information is available from the OFCOM and Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) websites.
Training is available from local amateur radio clubs. The tech stuff should pose no difficulties for you and it's only a matter of boning up on the licence conditions ref. frequency bands and operating procedures. Some folks have taken the training, sat, and passed all three exams in one day.
As an aside, there is more interest now in CW operation than in the days when a 12WPM Morse test was a mandatory requirement for amateur access to the HF bands. There is a lot of interest in QRP operation (1 watt (or less!) to 10W) because of the inherent efficiency of CW operation, although that's a bit more challenging at the moment due to dire band conditions.
gwzm / GM4GZQ


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

Thanks. 
The 1st Class certainly doesn't give exemptions for the amateur exam! Afraid there is no possibilty of me becoming a radio Ham. I am spasmodically interested in designing and building various items of valve equipment, or things like the bug key, but no particular wish to go on the air any more! If I feel like it, I can listen to practice morse on the internet at any speed I like, and it is interesting to note that I can still read it as well as ever. I never was up to much at sending it though!
In fact I could never even approach 25 wpm for 1st Class! When I took the Part II in 1962, the examiner stopped me and asked if I knew that the test speed was 25. I just said "yes sir!" He then told me to have another try, and I got up to 21 wpm, and that was the end of that. When I came out, I told the chief lecturer flatly that I had failed and that was it, as it was my third, and final attempt at Part II. Went into a torpor, and went home. Imagine my surprise when I was told ten days later that I had passed. I went back to Wray Castle to pick up the certificate and whe it was handed over, the chief lecturer said "I suppose you reaslise that you don't deserve this?" and I agreed with him, but no further explanation was given and I returned to sea with gratefull thanks in my heart for the sympathetic examiner. In later years, I wondered if the chief lecturer at the Castle had made some excuses for me to the examiner, such as "nerves, he can easily reach 25 wpm outside the exam room!" In 1965, my ship was surveyed by the same examiner, and I said that I was eternally grateful for him passing me. He seemed pleased that I remembered, and just said that he knew I would be OK! As that was over 50 years ago, all concerned are dead now, except me, and nothing can change it anyway! If I hadn't passed, my life would have been completely different, because I would not have been able to be in charge on a Class I passenger ship. I would not have gone through the performance of taking Part I again, and I would never have found my way to the _RMS St. Helena_, my favourite ship in which I spent 11 years. The only thing I can say, it that after getting the bug key when I was 4th in _RMS Windsor Castle_, I could soon exceed the required 25wpm, and send for hours without tiring!
Bob


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Bob

ZSHI was the Langkloof. I worked an XXX Medico with the Oranje when it was still GOAE. We had just passed each other somewhere near 6VA area. Instantly answered, but a sad outcome.

My little bug served me well, making life much easier. It got through much more work at GKZ though. 

David
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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

I do remember the _SA Langkloof_. I was in _SA Oranje _for a year, and it was still GOAE when I joined. Then our port of registry changed from London to Cape Town when we were in Cape Town, and the call sign changed to ZSNF. Eventually, I left when promoted to 2nd in the _Reina de Mar._.
Bob


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## RayL (Apr 16, 2008)

Thanks for your clear explanations Bob. Until I read your article I was quite vague about the bug key principle. I'm intrigued enough to want to get proficient, but I guess it's a bit late in the day for me.

Your passing of Part II reminds me of my own. I was nervous in the Morse exam and was (uncharacteristically) making mistakes after just a few characters of code. I thought I'd blown it, but the examiner told me in a kindly way to just start again. I was fine after that and passed.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

You were chief on a class 1 pax ship, but are not considered technically qualified enough to get a bloody foundation licence...how pathetic.


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## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

I have been reliably informed that all classes of UK ham license are a doddle these days. Lots of simple multiple-choice questions. The exams have been dumbed down considerably over the past twenty years. Singapore has it right: with a recognised R/O ticket all you need to sit is a 30 minute amateur radio regs multi-choice paper and they give you a full privileges license.


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

Ray,
Learning to use a bug key is not all that difficult. I remember when I got mine, I only needed a few days of intermittant practice before I went on air with it, and then sending morse became a pleasure. The biggest problem is getting one, as they seem to be horribly expensive nowadays!
Troppo,
The _St. Helena_ was indeed a Class 1 passenger ship running from the UK to Cape Town with 76 passengers, the new ship of the same name with 132 passengers, but there was only 1 radio officer on each, so no big deal really. I was 2nd on several Union-Castle mailships and chief (2 R/Os only) in RMMV Good Hope Castle.
Neverthless, I was happy to forego the prestige to be in the _St. Helena._
On one occasion, I visted the _Queen Elizabeth 2_ in Cape Town, and later that evening showed the chief R/0 around the _St. Helena_. After the tour, I noticed he looked a bit glum, and took it that he wasn't impressed,so I ventured to add that it wasn't much, but I liked it! Much to my surprise, he replied "I would change places with you any day, if it were possible!"
Here is my humble Utube presentation of this splendid little ship (3,150 gross tons, 300 feet long).
https://youtu.be/GkDE6cEY5TY
Bob


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

The same Chief R/O from GBTT wouldn't be able to get a Foundation Licence using his 1st Class/MRGC....

I just shake my head.


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

When I joined Leith Nautical in 1967 to start the PMG2 their policy was to teach the City and Guilds Telecommunications Technicians course in parallel. They also covered the Radio Amateurs Exam which came under the C & G flag at that time. I'm assuming other colleges did that too.

So in Spring 68 we all sat the C & G exams for the first level of the TT course and the RAE ticket as well. I never gave much thought to this and it wasn't until 1984, after 14 years at sea by then with MRGC and MED that I decided (for reasons that still elude me) to apply for a full RA Licence and found I still had to sit the morse test, which I did at GKA. 

I've still got it, but have never been on air. Not likely to now.


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## cajef (Feb 8, 2012)

When I did my 1st Class PMG morse I had no problems with the speeds sending or receiving, but for some reason when sending figures I was keying four dots for the figure five, the examiner had words with our instructor who told me that the examiner was prepared to retest my figures again after a few minutes rest, fortunately I managed to get it right the second time and he passed me telling me that my sending was otherwise good which was why he allowed a retest and that he had thought is was probably due to nerves.


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## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

Many moons ago I was on the Gulf via the Cape run. There was the Lykavitos shadowing us, the R/O was the late Chas York. He was impressed with my bug so he built himself a side swiper from a hacksaw blade and a wodge of insulating tape. All went well until he went QRT for a few days. When he came back on air he said his RCA tx had mains on the keying line and his hand had slipped and the belt had knocked him out. 
Thank the Lord that my Crusader only used 24 v on the keying line !


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

R651400 said:


> Can you provide a link where the Australian (ACMA) amateur radio licencing still continue with any exemption for ex marine Radio Officers and I'll happily take it up with UK Ofcom...



The WIA (RSGB equivalent) conduct exams on behalf of our regulator.

See appendix D of the enclosed do***ent.

Link here: https://www.acma.gov.au/-/media/Numbering-and-Projects/Information/pdf/WIA-business-rules-regarding-amateur-examinations-and-certificates-of-proficiency-July-2011.PDF?la=en

MRGC, 1st or 2nd class gives you a complete exemption to a full licence.


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## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

Troppo... Just as it should be


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

Yes indeed!


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

There is an exemption for PMGs in Australia and New Zealand, but not in the UK! In the UK, the only way to get an amateur licence is to sit the exam!
Bob


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## GW3OQK (Jun 10, 2010)

Here are sample exam papers. http://rsgb.org/main/clubs-training/training-resources/advanced-mock-exams/

I do not think my 1962 PMG1 demonstrates I know the answers to even half the questions. Can any non-amateurs give it a try?
73, Andrew


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

As they don't issue PMGs any more, there really is not much point. I looked at the questions, and haven't a clue on most of them, but if I wanted, I could build transmitters and receivers from junk (using valves, of course) that would be capable of world-wide communciation! 
Bob


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

I certainly lost interest years ago! I am only into practical construction these days - valves only. And that is only occasionally!
Bob


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

R651400 said:


> #26 ... Thanks for the info and am in complete accord..
> Will kick-start with RSGB then Ofcom and will update on the outcome.
> Don't hold any high hopes!!


Thanks for your efforts.

73


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

Thanks, very interesting. That just about sums it up for me. Modern radio has lost its magic. It seems to have become just a matter of purchasing more and more fancy equipment, and less and less building and experimenting. Last year when I was last hit by the old recurring "radio bug", I designed and built this. I have put it on here before. On a vintage radio website, I was told that I had gone about it all the wrong way, and should have worked out the circuit before I built it. They said my design was not very good, although it was nicely built. I did not start with a diagram. I built the detector stage first, then when that was working, I added the output stage, and finally the RF amplifier. It took an awful lot of "messing about" (and enjoyment) to get it going properly. It has more than adequate volume. Good tone, pluse tone control, and is quite selective. The coil screening cans are old stainless steel salt sellers. The tuning and reaction coils are tiny, moderm RF chokes, 47uH and 100uH (that brought screams of anguish about inneficiency, won't work properly, etc, blah,blah, blah). By late 1992, I had had about as much as I could stand of modern electronics, and took voluntary redundancy from the brand new _RMS St. Helena_, thus quitting the rat race, and never regretted it (I went to sea early 1961 at the age of 17, although got 2nd class at 16). I still have all my test equipment, and do use it from time to time to repair household electronic equipment, but further study is completely out. I was never any great scholar, but the consolation prize was the fact that I could generally turn my hand to anything of a practical nature, without a mind unclouded by by fact. (Gleam)
Bob


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

I have now made the HT battery holder for the key. This took a considerable amount of thought, but I am very pleased with the end result. The aluminium channel is in two pieces. They are separated by the plastic cable channel glued inside them with Araldite. Two 19mm angle brackets are bolted on the ends. The negative end has a cheese-head bolt on the inside to make the negative connection, and a solder tag on the outside. The positive end has another 19mm angle bracket with a 6ba brass nut sweated onto the inside. Another 6ba cheese-head bolt was inserted from the inside, and an adjustment nut with locking nut on the outside. A solder tag is fitted to the positive end of the aluminium channel. The two 12-Volt doorbell batteries are a snap fit inside the assembly, and the connection is made by screwing the adjustment nut in until the bolt-head presses against the positive end of the battery. Two countersunk 6ba countersunk bolts protrude through the bottom of the assembly to secure the 24 Volt HT battery underneath the key. I now need to build a similar holder for the 1.5 Volt LT battery.
The one-valve oscillator has already been made and fitted.
Bob


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## twogrumpy (Apr 23, 2007)

As an outsider from your trade who had an interest in amateur radio in the mid mid 60's I would like to stick my two pence worth in.
Back then as I recall the majority of receivers were ex govy. HRO, AR88, R1155, B28-CR100 and a few RACAL's.
There was a transceiver the B44, which we modified to give us a single channel on the 4m band, would that be 70.26mhz?
On the whole as I remember, TX's were mainly home brew, so much time was spent over a hot soldering iron.

Being a naval port many of those in the local club were ex navy, or worked in the multitude of MoD establishments in the area at that time, many of course long gone.
Admiralty Surface weapons Establishment, and the Weapons Systems Tuning Group were two of many.

As for the RAE exam, from what I can recall, and it is a long time ago, questions were much more technical going further into the theory which of course goes back into the origins of the trade when so much equipment was home constructed, and unlike today repairable.
I don't think you got multiple choice answers either.


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

In those days, (the 60s), I could easily have passed the theory test, but the main problem, there was that there was nowhere to take the exam in Preston except for maybe once a year when I was invariably at sea, and it also meant having to attend the course at night school in order to be able to sit it anyway! I got it out of my system in the late 70s and early 80s when I was able to purchase an amateur licenense on the island of St. Helena (South Atlantic), for £5, and no exam at all! The ship I was on, was the island's ship, also called _St. Helena_, and registered in Jamestown, St. Helena, so there was no problem there. I could never get used to the peculiar way of calling, and the continual requests for RST, so I eventually lost interest. The greatest distance I got out of my little transmitter was 6,000 from somehwhere at sea, to Panama. The transmitter had about 4 transistors in it, and a single crystal at 14,060. It was a Howes kit, and only cost a few pounds. It was about 6 inches by 4 inches, and powered by 12 Volts. My call sign was ZD7RW.
Bob


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## twogrumpy (Apr 23, 2007)

Thought this may be of interest, life in the RFA for an RO.

http://www.historicalrfa.org/4-years-in-the-rfa


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

That was an interesting piece. I don't think the RFA would have suited me at all! Probably not bright enough to deal with all the studying, plus all the hassle of constant exercises. I did have some experience of what it would be like when we were requistioned for the Falklands in 1982, but was very glad to get back to our normal run again!
*Bug Key progress:*
I have now completed and fitted the LT and HT battery holders and the whole thing is now functioning as a self-contained unit. I still need to wire in the headphone jack socket, and replace the rifle shell pillar that holds the dash contacts. I got the fixed one rather too low, and someone will sure notice it, and ask if I meant to have only half of the two contacts coming together!(EEK).
Bob


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

Shipbuilder has inspired me to dig out my old Spacemark ETM-4C morse key and tidy it up a bit. I found it wasn't working, and the paddles have had yet another knock, probably in the attic. They're not original anyway as I had to replace them with home made ones when I was at sea (more than 30 years ago.)

And I've got lots of rapid dots, but a delay on the dashes. 

I'm quite impressed with how easy it is to get apart, both PCBs simply unplug from the key and everything is then easily accessible.

One electrolytic capacitor looks a bit dodgy on the meter so I'll have to root around on Ebay for a spare. The mechanics look easily repairable.

First day back to work at the village school today (if you can call updating a couple of servers taking one hour work,) so came home and pulled the key apart as you can see while I was in _workmode._ Might even paint the case !!

(Gleam)


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## Worldspan (Jan 2, 2012)

*Table knife bug*

Interesting to read about the bug keys; I never used one at sea but later had a traditional bug and an electronic keyer on the amateur bands.
When I was in the RAF we were eligible for what were called 'indulgence flights' - a form of airborne hitch-hiking. I would often 'indulge' my way back to Northolt from Orange in the south of France. Orange was (probably still is) a French Air Force base but there was a small RAF detachment responsible for refuelling and generally looking after aircraft like the Valetta that could not make it back from Cyprus and Malta without a refuelling stop. Point-to-point radio links worked between Orange, Malta and the UK. While waiting for a lift, I would watch the ground radio ops at work. They'd removed the knob from a standard RAF Morse key and screwed in its place a springy table knife. This worked rather like a vertical bug and it was fascinating to watch them at work. The Morse didn't sound bad at all.
W


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

That sounds most peculiar. I can see that flicking the blade would produce a series of dots, but can't see how the dashes were produced.
Bob


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## Worldspan (Jan 2, 2012)

I think they must have grabbed the knife to stop the vibrating and pushed down to get the dashes.


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