K3 Mechanical Bug Contact Bounce

[N4LQ-2]

Bugs will not work correctly with the K3 unless a capacitor is installed across the key line. The TenTec Omni VII has the same exact problem. Radio Shack sells a tiny Tantalum capacitor 1uf., which work perfectly. You can actually install it inside an RCA plug or simply slip the capacitor's leads under the screws of your bug.
Cleaning the bug contacts has nothing to do with this. 
Steve N4LQ
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[Bob Cunnings NW8L]

I disagree. I use 3 different bugs with the K3 (GHD, Vibroplex), and
have no such problem - but for years I've tucked a small piece of foam
behind the dot contact spring to eliminate ragged dot syndrome. Also,
the bug needs to be adjusted properly - with an old Simpson 260 across
the bug, I  adjust for a 50% of full scale (Rx100) resistance reading
on a string of 8 - 10 dots.

Bob NW8L

On Tue, Sep 16, 2008 at 8:18 AM, Stephen Ellington <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Bugs will not work correctly with the K3 unless a capacitor is installed across the key line. The TenTec Omni VII has the same exact problem. Radio Shack sells a tiny Tantalum capacitor 1uf., which work perfectly. You can actually install it inside an RCA plug or simply slip the capacitor's leads under the screws of your bug.
> Cleaning the bug contacts has nothing to do with this.
> Steve N4LQ
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[Vic K2VCO]

Stephen Ellington wrote:
> Bugs will not work correctly with the K3 unless a capacitor is
> installed across the key line. The TenTec Omni VII has the same exact
> problem. Radio Shack sells a tiny Tantalum capacitor 1uf., which work
> perfectly. You can actually install it inside an RCA plug or simply
> slip the capacitor's leads under the screws of your bug. Cleaning the
> bug contacts has nothing to do with this.

I had noticed this some time ago with various modern rigs, and I made a
reed relay arrangement to give a positive closure regardless of contact
condition.

However, yesterday I decided to try the resistor-capacitor trick
previously suggested, and I found that there was absolutely no problem
directly connecting my Vibroplex version of the J-36 to the K3. I
cleaned the contacts with a business card and I could not hear any
scratchiness, etc.

So the answer is...who knows? YMMV, apparently mine did!
--
73,
Vic, K2VCO
Fresno CA
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco
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[drewko]

On Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:18:31 -0400, Steve N4LQ wrote:

>Bugs will not work correctly with the K3 unless a capacitor is installed across the key line. The TenTec Omni VII has the same exact problem. Radio Shack sells a tiny Tantalum capacitor 1uf., which work perfectly. You can actually install it inside an RCA plug or simply slip the capacitor's leads under the screws of your bug.
>Cleaning the bug contacts has nothing to do with this. 
>Steve N4LQ
>_______________________________________________

I hear no problem with my bug on the K3 (VizBug right-angle model,
about 30 wpm). Even when I let the dits run out they transition
smoothly into full contact closure.

I do have the dits adjusted a little on the heavy side, about 60/40
initially as shown by the sidetone waveform (i.e., contact is about
60% of cycle). They fill out to about 80/20 on the 13th dit, then full
contact closure. That is according to a waveform made on my K2;
haven't made one on my K3. But it sounds ok to me.

I think it is standard practice to adjust a bug to get 20 or more dits
out of one swipe, but I don't see the point of it since you never need
to send more than 5 dits in a row. I would rather have them heavier--
put more energy into them. Maybe this has something to do with the K3
bug problem?

73,
Drew
AF2Z

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[Ken N9VV-2]

There are several articles and interesting notes about
bug adjustment out there on the web :-)
http://www.vibroplex.com/original_bug_adjustments.pdf
http://www.telegraph-office.com/pages/bug_adjust.html
http://www.morsex.com/misc/keyadj.htm
N8UX Vibroplex movie: http://vibroplex.com/1946_deluxe_n8ux.mov

72/73 de Ken N9VV
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