Slow down your Vibroplex Bug with a 1.9oz weight

I review the aftermarket 1.9 oz stainless steel weight for slowing down a Vibroplex bug. It doesn't slow it down as much as I had hoped.
hamradioqrp.com

[@stewarttarkington2219]

Vibroplex "round arm Vari-Speed" adapter works great - rotate the arm so it sticks out the back with original weights and a Vibroplex Speed Racer slows down to 10 wpm. You can gradually move it in until you are ready to transfer the weights back to the main armature. Very neat appearance - adds about an inch to the back of the key. I realize a speed racer at 10 wpm is ridiculous but we all had to learn good mechanics first ..... or at least should have!

[@techguy9023]

On a Vibroplex Lightning bug you can put a 7/16” socket on the weight with the thumbscrew through it.

[@h2osmokey]

Make the movement of the dit contact greater and reduce the tension on the dit return spring. Takes some adjusting to slow down the time between dit contacts. Some bugs won't allow it but worth a shot. K7SXN

[@martingranica6321]

I have a 1944 Vibroplex Lightning bug and I JB Welded 2 .45 caliber slugs to the standard rectangular weight for a total of 1.9 oz. It goes down to about 11 wpm and up above 30 (at 72 I can only send well to about 28 and at that speed I still have space left to make it faster). Quick to adjust and at its slowest with increased spacing even the newest guys can copy.........sending that slow I have to count the dits to keep the letters proper. Also have a Champion with the extra weights. I have always used rather large back and forth spacing and my dits sound fine throughout the speed range. Nice video, 73 KE7VE skcc 4274S

[@carolmartin7042]

Thank you. Keep experimenting! Glen, N0QFT

[@rdmsh]

I love these vibroflex keys, such a unique item

[@JosephAnthonyJosefius]

I use two of the largest Vibroplex weights at the end of the pendulum, and it brings it down to 18 - 19 wpm, about like the 2oz weight you have there. 73 de AI5DD (confirmed by the RBN network when I call CQ)

[@af4od02]

It's been a while, but didn't Vibroplex offer a brass extension piece to lengthen the arm, thus allowing weight to be well out past damper. The added length does cause bug to be physically longer taking up more desk space. Good video. Thanks. 73. De af4od

[@BruceInFlorida]

Richard Carpenter. where did you buy the weigh ???? 73

[@HamRadioQRP]

famous auctions site... starts with an e... ends with a y... :)

[@kc4cvh]

It seems that the fundamental difficulty is the device was designed for commercial telegraphers of the early 20th Century, who typically operated at speeds of 30 - 40 wpm. The length of the pendulum suits this speed range, and it appears the only completely satisfactory means of making dits in the 5 to 20 wpm range is to lengthen the pendulum. This would require a new base plus a longer rod attached to the leaf spring, so it would likely be better to create a new design.

[@paulschmolke188]

Good demo! Thanks! You’re helping my decision making on this very issue.

[@HamRadioQRP]

Great to hear!

[@johnwest7993]

I have a Zephyr model I was bequeathed from a Silent Key friend, and I'd like to slow it down till I get my speed up, and even then to have QSO's with new CW operators. But the Zephyr does not have a round pendulum shaft, and it also has a peg that sticks out of the side of the pendulum arm to hit the damper, making it very hard to figure out how to slow it down.

[@HamRadioQRP]

Try a clothespin on the pendulum.

[@wallaceshackleton1889]

Interesting but I think you may be missing a point. "Bugs" were meant to sustain high speed sending not make sending easier at slow speeds. The answers are right there on your desk, use the straight key or the paddles for slower sending.

[@davidj.wilcox6053]

I used a piece of brass tubing that fit the speed shaft. Then I drilled out a lead fishing weight and inserted it over the tube on the outside of the damper. Another method was to use a steel rod inserted into the above mentioned brass tube (it then is the same size as the original shaft) and then could use the Vibroplex weights on that shaft. I could slow it down to a good 15 WPM. Any slower and it was difficult to coordinate the dits to dahs. I have the Vibroplex adapter and a couple non Vibroplex adaptors (available on eBay) and they work well to slow the speed down below 15 WPM. Again, watch your ratio of dits to dahs..... There is a learning curve. Dave K8WPE

[@HamRadioQRP]

Yes, I've played with that option. We had a get together recently where a bunch of folks brought their bugs with various means to slow them down and you can certainly get them slow with an extension off the back of the bug. Unfortunately my operating position on my desk is quite shallow and I already have the rear of the bug nearly up against my radio so I don't have room to use that sort of extension. Since this video was made I borrowed a friend's bug with a Vari-Speed attachment and tried that out. You can see that in another video. It will allow the bug to go to 13wpm dits up to full speed but it requires two hands to change the speed and is a bit awkward. What I ended up doing was adding magnets to the top of the stainless steel weight and they are easy to put on and remove and that will allow me to easily go down to 15wpm now.

[@knpstrr]

As someone just learning morse, the dits send so fast it is hard to distinguish them.

[@johnwest7993]

You'll soon learn to recognize the sound of whole letters instead of dits and dahs. Then your code speed will pick up dramatically. Experts identify the sound of entire words, the same way we hear speech.

[@jacksmail7725]

Thank you!

[@dannystephens7246]

Where did you get that 2oz weight at? looked all over the internet and can not find one. KE0SJQ

[@HamRadioQRP]

eBay

[@ai5dd]

You abbreviated "heavy with hvy" but it still scrolls with heavy :)

[@HamRadioQRP]

Ah, good catch.

[@techguy9023]

I have a Lightning from the 30s that is very fast. My Standard from the 90s is much slower. I saw a miniature at a hamfest and it was blazing fast.

[@HamRadioQRP]

I've only had a chance to play with about 10 different bugs and none of them had the same minimum speed. Oddly, I've had the opposite experience to yours. The two Lightning bugs I've tried have been slower than the standards. It's difficult to say whether the weights on any of them were original.

[@petek1pml746]

Do you have a link for these weights?

[@TomTDay-ov7sf]

Good info.

[@Majorme2]

Where did u buy the 2oz weights

[@HamRadioQRP]

From a seller on ebay. That seller is no longer active.

[@Majorme2]

@@HamRadioQRP thank you.

[@warplanner8852]

Hello; back again to say this is another great video. But I wonder who in the holy hell down-votes your work? These idiots must not have a life or their mothers mistreated them when they were babies! 72/3 de k6whp dit dit

[@ghaledev]

The rhythm of a pendulum is determined by its length, not its mass. To make it slow down the rod needs to be extended.

[@IZ0MTW]

Gary Hale acutally is determined by both, in fact more mass has more inertia.

[@chrisr.nw6v145]

Oops... it's not a pendulum, it's a spring.