Before I get started, let me say that my damaged Les Logan bug I wrote about recently ** may ** come to a favorable resolution after all.
I filed a claim with UPS after the seller blew me off about a refund. I filed with UPS and I sent the guy a rather pissy e-mail, letting him know the damage was from his poor packing job. He replied a day or so later saying that UPS had contacted him and that I was to send the bug back to him and he would send a refund! Boy howdy, now you're talking!
That was exactly what I wanted to happen, too.
But first I really considered glueing the frame together. Yeah, I was thinking of using some JB Weld to glue it all back together. I saw the guy's reply e-mail in my In Box but didn't read it for a few days, figuring he was giving me crap about my pissy message to him.
I really would have preferred a new frame or a replacement one, but spares for a key that old aren't real common. It's a shame it was damaged in transit. Of course, I have yet to see any money from it, either!
—–
On the bug front, I went overboard last week. I was chasing an old Electro Bug, a very collectible one, and damned if I didn't win it. I figured it would go sell for the mid 250s, but no, I ended up with it.
I don't really mind, its just I did NOT want to spend the money the week before our vacation to Florida!
If my wife finds out, I'm in deep shit, too. I may put the damn thing on eBay when it comes, its really too damn rich for my blood as they say.
—-
My Vibroplex Blue Racer 2000 came in the mail, and it's absolutely a honey of a key. It was worried because it came and it was packed in a small box and there was a tear in the box where the top pivot adjustment was. Damn! I was expecting it to be damaged when I opened it up, but it was not.
There was no damage, but the key must have ridden on some vibrating equipment — all the screws were either backed out of their holes or nearly so. The parts were rattling around in the bottom of the box … the fortunately did not damage the key's blue finish. It looks like a weight may have bounced off the brass ID tag, but I can live with that. I'm the only one who would notice such minute damage.
It operates like a damn dream — a fast action dream. I've not had it on the air, I've got it on display for now. I hate to even have it anywhere where it could be damaged.
I have it setting side-by-side with a 1958 Vibroplex Blue Racer and the differences are apparent. The new Blue Racer is much taller than the first version. The early Blue Racer actually looks more sleek because the parts are downsized and appear to be more “scale” with the smaller size of the Racer's base. Both Racers are attractive. The wrinkle finish blue base on my new one is really an eye-catcher, though.
If I could make a suggestion, I would recommend Vibroplex make the Blue Racer parts in smaller scale, though I know that's not really practical. I suspect they aren't selling a boatload of new Blue Racers anyway. So many new hams don't have an appreciation for CW operation and its history both on and off the air.
—–
SPARS, the Society for the Preservation of Amateur Radio has designated October to be Key Month. They are having an operating event/contest and also a homebrew key contest.
I have been working on my own design for a semi-automatic bug. It's not going to be very novel in its operation, nothing like some of those mechanical marvels created by Richard Meiss, WB9LPU. I'm essentially adapting the standard Vibroplex style bug, but customizing it to fit my design.
The key (hopefully) will be something interesting to use and look at. I won't give away too many of my ideas right now, but I already have a name for the key. I have much of the materials already here that I'll use. I will wind up using some aluminum for the base rather than steel or brass, mostly because it was the cheapest thing to buy. I did not want to wrap up $50 in a piece of brass I might wind up butchering for naught.
I decided that the easiest-to-reproduce bug is that as manufactured by the Telegraph Apparatus Co. During WWII this company turned out some nice bugs. I have two of them in my collection. They're also known by their nickname, “the hole-in-the-wall” bug, named because of their distinctive frame that features a round hole for the keying lever.
I'm going to duplicate the frame and mounting system for the keying lever. I'll probably also use the same style damper found on the TAC bug, which also served well on the Les Logan Speed-X bugs.
The paintjob on the bug will be what sets it apart. I need to get started on the base … like this week. I have four feet of 1/4 aluminum sheet, so I have plenty of room to make mistakes. I'm going to try to collect some additional parts for the keying lever this week. I'll probably pick up some brass for that.
Will my bug work? The bigger question is this: Will I get it done in time for the Oct. 31 deadline?? So far I've got a handful of sketches and a stack of aluminum and brass. It's anyone's guess if it'll all become a bug.
That's all for this trip. I'm NOT going to buy another thing off eBay for a while. This damned Electro Bug is going to haunt me until I sell something to make up the difference.
73 ES CUL … de KY4Z … dit dit