I recognize the all-black William Nye straight key on the right... I have two of them. Probably the best commercial straight key. The weight is built into the key so it doesn't slide around or need a separate weighted plate. Its a peculiar designed though is that the contacts are closed by a plunger that passes through the key body. But it works with the best of the straights.
I find that most "swings" that I hear on the air are way too strong making copy difficult. That is probably because most CW ops today are using paddles and an electronic keyer and that is what I have become used to hearing. When I was a Novice, most CW was sent with a straight key or bug, so we learned to copy different styles, or simply passed them by. That is what I do today. If their swing is too strong, I just pass them by.
I built a box to unify them and send them to all the transceivers at the same time. The only exception is that only one of the paddles routes through a1960 Hallicrafter keyer that handles the high keying voltage of my old Heathkit HW-101
I have two older keyers, a Hamkeyer and a MFJ Memory keyer that I picked up cheap on eBay. The Hamkeyer supports high voltage grid-keying to my old tube radio. I built a little box with multiple 1/4" mono and 1/8" stereo jacks to connect all my paddles and straight keys together. The box has output from the paddles to the keyer(s) and back to the box along with different outputs for the various radios (some radios have different wiring expectations for a stereo plug). Prior to building the little box I had alligator clip wires running between all the keys and it was a mess.
Hi, love the videos, I have a Champion coming and can't wait to try. My question is about your straight key, it looks great, what kind is it ? Thanks AL
Because paddles are not (typically) beautiful little machines, but the Bug begs to be admired and tickled. Some folks like/prefer a challenge. You might likewise have asked-why not use the keyboard, or an automated keying memory box and let the electronics sort it all out?. Some folks like tradition and challenges, which are both found in a Bug as well as a straight key and not so much in computerized interfaces.
That's fine, most folks don't and many hams don't know anything about sending/receiving code. Here's a little about that, but I"m no expert: Telegraph keys were the original device and some folks dearly love using those. Look up "Morse code conversation" video here (6 years ago) to see a genuine old timer chatting with a pal on his "straight key". All keys were "straight keys" until Vibroplex and others began making mechanically repeating keys. Then later came the electronic keyer (which is not a key) that allowed "paddles" to be used. Keyers used to be outboard devices placed inline between the paddle/s and transceiver. Modern radios generally have keyers built-in to them which allow speed adjustments and perfect spacing ONLY in the dits and dahs and spaces between those electronically generated. The ham still has to space his elements and words properly. This is easier, but also lends to imperfections. Very slightly imperfect code can easily be read by practiced operators and gives character/feel to the messages. Of course we all try to send code as perfectly as we can, but are human. Computers yet struggle handling human-generated code with the imperfections. I'm not very good, but I can quickly tell when a station is using a hand key or a computer. I don't care to listen to computer generated code. IOW paddles make it easiest, the "bugs" make it easier-provided they are set up and run properly, and straight keys are the purest/old school way that can be as good as any with practice. All are great to hear on the air. Seventeen years after dropping the licensing requirement, the amateur airwaves are still full of code-and dozens of other modes.
Well done. I apply same technique using my paddles as a reference to perfect my straight key fist. CQ WID SWING = GOES UNANSWERED. HIHI Vy 73 es tnx de N6MGN
Some of us like the swing, if, it's well done!
I recognize the all-black William Nye straight key on the right... I have two of them. Probably the best commercial straight key. The weight is built into the key so it doesn't slide around or need a separate weighted plate. Its a peculiar designed though is that the contacts are closed by a plunger that passes through the key body. But it works with the best of the straights.
"banana boat roll", with the exaggerated dash length was also common years ago.
I still tend to do it.
Lee, WA8QFE
I find that most "swings" that I hear on the air are way too strong making copy difficult. That is probably because most CW ops today are using paddles and an electronic keyer and that is what I have become used to hearing. When I was a Novice, most CW was sent with a straight key or bug, so we learned to copy different styles, or simply passed them by. That is what I do today. If their swing is too strong, I just pass them by.
Great job on the bug!
You may have covered this but are all your keys hooked up at once to the same transceiver or you hooked up to 3 different oscillators?
I built a box to unify them and send them to all the transceivers at the same time. The only exception is that only one of the paddles routes through a1960 Hallicrafter keyer that handles the high keying voltage of my old Heathkit HW-101
What keyer do you use? How do you wire up all of your various keys for iambic & straight key operations?
I have two older keyers, a Hamkeyer and a MFJ Memory keyer that I picked up cheap on eBay. The Hamkeyer supports high voltage grid-keying to my old tube radio. I built a little box with multiple 1/4" mono and 1/8" stereo jacks to connect all my paddles and straight keys together. The box has output from the paddles to the keyer(s) and back to the box along with different outputs for the various radios (some radios have different wiring expectations for a stereo plug). Prior to building the little box I had alligator clip wires running between all the keys and it was a mess.
Thanks!
HamRadioQRP could you do a video showing the box you made?
Hi, love the videos, I have a Champion coming and can't wait to try. My question is about your straight key, it looks great, what kind is it ? Thanks AL
Its a Kent
1:49 To me, it sounds like you *are* matching the paddle.
2:33 Now, I do hear that your dah is longer.
Why not just use the paddle?
Because paddles are not (typically) beautiful little machines, but the Bug begs to be admired and tickled. Some folks like/prefer a challenge.
You might likewise have asked-why not use the keyboard, or an automated keying memory box and let the electronics sort it all out?. Some folks like tradition and challenges, which are both found in a Bug as well as a straight key and not so much in computerized interfaces.
I didn't even know about the other devices you mentioned.
That's fine, most folks don't and many hams don't know anything about sending/receiving code. Here's a little about that, but I"m no expert:
Telegraph keys were the original device and some folks dearly love using those. Look up "Morse code conversation" video here (6 years ago) to see a genuine old timer chatting with a pal on his "straight key". All keys were "straight keys" until Vibroplex and others began making mechanically repeating keys. Then later came the electronic keyer (which is not a key) that allowed "paddles" to be used. Keyers used to be outboard devices placed inline between the paddle/s and transceiver. Modern radios generally have keyers built-in to them which allow speed adjustments and perfect spacing ONLY in the dits and dahs and spaces between those electronically generated. The ham still has to space his elements and words properly. This is easier, but also lends to imperfections.
Very slightly imperfect code can easily be read by practiced operators and gives character/feel to the messages. Of course we all try to send code as perfectly as we can, but are human.
Computers yet struggle handling human-generated code with the imperfections. I'm not very good, but I can quickly tell when a station is using a hand key or a computer. I don't care to listen to computer generated code.
IOW paddles make it easiest, the "bugs" make it easier-provided they are set up and run properly, and straight keys are the purest/old school way that can be as good as any with practice. All are great to hear on the air.
Seventeen years after dropping the licensing requirement, the amateur airwaves are still full of code-and dozens of other modes.
Yea... big waste of a good bug..
@@wadepatton2433 This one?
ruclips.net/video/i8Ed0TSp0gs/видео.html
Thanks this was very helpful.
Thanks, it's the brass one I like.
Well done. I apply same technique using my paddles as a reference to perfect my straight key fist.
CQ WID SWING = GOES UNANSWERED. HIHI
Vy 73 es tnx de N6MGN