Saturday, April 14, 2018 — For this entry, I’m very happy to have something completely different to blog about — well, different as in “new,” not something completely out of the realm of my love of Morse code keys.
I’m certain those of you who are also eBay fans have seen the right-angle bugs created and listed by Thomas Devoe, KN4YB.
I was intrigued when I saw the first listing, and Mr. Devoe was kind enough to include in his listing a good deal about his background, both in manufacturing and machining and in CW.
These are my first impressions of the key — I have not had it on the air more than a couple of times on the CW net, and admittedly, it took me a little time to dial the key in — not the fault of the key, but my unfamiliarity with right-angle keys.
The claims Mr. Devoe makes about the key include that it can operate well from 10-13 wpm up to and beyond 30 wpm. The unique design of his key (and his planning its design) made this more than a claim, but a reality.
SLOW SPEED BUG?? Mr. Devoe discovered the same thing many of us have in regard to slowing down a semi-automatic key: Adding more weight to the lever generally deadens the key’s action, and isn’t the ideal way to reduce a bug’s speed.
The better way is to extend the keying lever. I’ve done this with several homebrew “bug tamers”, and there are more refined versions that extend the keying lever’s weight rod. What makes Devoes’ bug unique is that it is built to have the ability to slow down to 10 to 13 wpm right out of the box — no extra bug tamer device needed.
From the photos, you can see that Devoe basically added a weight rod extension to a weight for the key. A second weight, if necessary, can go on the extension, and because the placement of both the weight and the extension are variable, there’s an infinite number of combinations to allow the user to dial-in his or her perfect speed.
Devoe actually had the design for the extension rod available late last year, with versions for sale for use with the Vibroplex Original. Same principal as this key, and he has a YouTube demonstration available as well.
Admittedly, from my view, the key looks cleanest without the weight rod extension. Those you high-speed ops can remove the extension rod and run it with the single weight. More power to you, OM, but I prefer to have the slower speed ranges.
COMPACT & ATTRACTIVE. When unboxing this key, the first thing you will notice is the key’s compact size. The base is only 2 x 5 inches in size. The key has a really compact feel, even more so that the old Vibroplex Blue Racer (back in the day when the Blue Racer’s parts were smaller than the Original).
I was really impressed with the fit and finish of the key — Mr. Devoe’s machining experience shines. From the perfect wrinkle black finish of the base to the perfect knurling on the adjustments, and the nicely camfered edges on all the parts.
The finger and thumbpieces are made from ebony hardwood that’s been buffed and polished. All in all, I could find nothing I didn’t like about my newest key, which bears Serial No. 18011.
HOW’S IT FEEL? As with any key, you can expect to make a few adjustments to get it dialed in, and so did I. I also had to tighten a couple of fasteners that came lose in shipping. The use of hex-head fasteners sent me searching for my SAE allen wrenches, but once in hand, things were handled quickly.
As I said, I haven’t had it on the air beyond a CW net and testing it on the sidetone, but I really like how this little key feels. If your fist is used to say, the gentle touch of a Bencher paddle, you will still find this bug enjoyable to use. There’s no need to manhandle the key, you can set it up to operate with a minimum of movement.
CONCLUSION. When I saw this key on eBay the first time, I wondered why the base wasn’t larger. After all, both ends of the keying lever hang off the ends. After putting the key on my desk, I found out just how nice it was to have a smaller base. My operating position is chock full of keys, and this one fit in easily among the others because of the amount of space it takes — or more correctly, does not take.
The materials are first rate — steel base, brass upper parts, along with stainless steel. As I said earlier, you won’t be disappointed with the fit and finish of the key, its a Grade A professional job. Check out the photos below for a closer look at the key. And do yourself a favor — get one of your own! At $175 its quite a deal!
KN4YB has a great video or two about his key on YouTube, and I highly recommend that you take a look at his key in action.
At the time I purchased mine, he only had keys with brass upper parts for sale. According to his YouTube video, ones he’ll sell with nickel-plated parts will sell for more.
