[TenTec]Bugs, was Iambic

[ac5e at comcast.net]

John - you can slide the weights on most bugs out close to the end and slow it down to around 18 to 20 WPM. Some, like mine, have multiple weights that will allow slower speeds. And you can always add weights if you wish. 

But many of the old shipboard Sparks set the weights for a comfortable speed to them and their mates, and sent the dashes "long" to slow their speed down to whatever the other op seems comfortable at. That is - 30 wpm dots and perhaps 20 wpm dashes. The resulting "Banana boat swing" is easy enough to copy at the slower speed although it may take a few seconds to adjust to. 

One of my buddies was Sparks on the old Lykes Line, and Jimmy used NO weights at all. That was pretty extreme but he said the shore stations should be able to copy anything he could. 

73  Pete Allen  AC5E



--
Never squat with your spurs on
" 3)  What about a bug , single paddle  vibrating key , can I send slow around 15
 words a minute with one ?   I have been wanting to re experience CW after a 
long lay off I can only read about 18 - 20"