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Hi-Mound BK-100 "Bug" June 17, 2008

Posted by N9IK in : keys , 2comments

I’ve recently acquired a Hi-Mound BK-100, "new" version (the trunion has ball bearings).  It needs some serious adjusting before it can be used, but in general it seems to be in fine shape.  The plastic cover has two cracks in it – one on each corner at the "business end" where the paddle lever is.  It looks to me as though the plastic cover fit a bit too tightly, which is why there are cracks.

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There were two versions of the BK-100 made by High-Mound, as far as I know; the early version did not have ball bearings in the trunion, and the later version does.  This one is a later, or "new" version.  I’d read in the Straight Key Century Club’s (SKCC) mail list that, at least for Vibroplex bugs no lubricant ought to be used in the ball bearings, but this bug has grease in it.  I need to find out if the Hi-Mound bugs should be greased or not.

I also would like to get my hands on a copy of any manual or user guide that the bug came with, if it did.  In the mean time, once I get it adjusted (and degreased, if need be), that I’ll get some practice with it before getting on the air.

Welcome to my new blog home June 9, 2008

Posted by N9IK in : Internet, blogging , add a comment

The following is a cross-post from my blog’s old site:

This blog has moved to a new location.

After much vacillation and angst, I’ve finally registered a couple of domains and moved my blogs away from WordPress.com to a hosted server where I have complete control over, and responsibility for, my blog.

As a blogging platform, I think that WordPress is one of the best (actually, it’s my opinion that WordPress is the best blogging platform, but hey, what do I know?), and the free blog hosting at WordPress.com is the best of the best: consistently being kept up to date; a knowledgeable bunch of users in the forums to provide assistance when needed; and for those that wish more flexibility or features, a number of options that are priced very competitively.  And, best of all, the platform is – what else? – WordPress.  The WordPress software, whether the free service at WordPress.com, or used independently, has a loyal user base that is near-fanatical.  The forums at WordPress.com and at WordPress.org (WordPress.org is where you get the full software package to use on your own servers) are full of knowledgeable, honest and out-spoken users and developers, where everything about the software is discussed – both the good and not-so-good, ideas for development are shared, problems solved, challenges overcome.

I’ve moved my blog, not because I am dissatisfied with WordPress.com – quite the contrary, but because I want more flexibility, and because I want to learn and stretch my knowledge of PHP and web development.  With the free, group hosted service at WordPress.com, one does not have that flexibility, and rightly so.  Who wants to have their blog hosted at a site where the system can be brought down because someone else made a change that didn’t work?

My personal blog "mind? what mind?" has moved:

My amateur radio blog has moved:

My several web sites are, or will soon be, hosted at the excellent 1&1 Internet Inc.

 

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