Sideswiper

MI0PYN

MI0PYN

Super Member
I was reading through old copies of Morsum Magnificat and saw a description of a sideswiper key.

Now, I had thought they were basically a bug that generated dits automatically when moved one way and dahs manually when moved the other, but I now understand that they were basically a straight key that could make contact either way, left or right, but still had to be held in a contact position manually.

From the description, I understand why it could be faster or at least less tiring using one, but I also read that it didn't really catch on as it was seen as inaccurate. I can understand how, if the lever when released from one side swung too far in the opposite direction it would create an extra dit, but I could see some benefits too.

Has anyone got a sideswiper or used one? They certainly seem a lot less complex than a bug, but I think they'd also need a lot of practice to make them work effectively too.
 
MI0PYN said:
From the description, I understand why it could be faster or at least less tiring using one, but I also read that it didn't really catch on as it was seen as inaccurate. I can understand how, if the lever when released from one side swung too far in the opposite direction it would create an extra dit, but I could see some benefits too.

Has anyone got a sideswiper or used one? They certainly seem a lot less complex than a bug, but I think they'd also need a lot of practice to make them work effectively too.
Click to expand...
Yes and yes.

Yes I have used them, and yes I have one, actually two.

One of the ones I own was made by LTA in Spain, but in all honesty it's just rubbish. They used two opposed springs in order to center the arm when not active, but in practice the springs tend to cancel out which gives it a kind of mushy vague feel to it.  If you have the gaps set fairly narrow it is liable to false trigger.

The other one is one of the original Bunnell sideswiper keys from the late 1800s/early 1900s. That relies on the pivot material (it uses a torsion system) to return the key arm to the center. In order to adjust the tension there is a sliding plate which effectively 'stiffens' part of the pivot making the tension higher.

You don't actually get any dits by letting go of the arm if the contacts are equally spaced, physics doesn't allow for such things, there are always losses. However, if you have one contact more widely spaced than the other then in one direction at least you could theoretically get an accidental dit by allowing the arm to spring back.

Why are they inaccurate? Well, you can answer that question by getting either a single paddle key and connecting the dit and dah contacts together, or a twin paddle key and also connecting the dit and dah contacts together. Then connect the key up to your oscillator or rig whatever, as though it were a straight key I.E. one ground wire and one keyed wire.

So now, no matter which way you push the paddles you alone are in control of either dits or dahs, or whatever else comes out!

Whenever I've heard one in use you tend to find that as the sender speeds up the dahs get shortened, the dits get lengthened, and spaces between characters are, shall we say, 'variable'.

I've found that it seems to take about 200% concentration to get anything half reasonable out of one. A good idea on paper, but downright hard work in practice.

I'll see if I can post some pictures of mine a little later today.

73, Mark...
 
That kinda fits with what I thought, thanks for the explanation.
I was reading about them being used at sea and in a heavy sea I suppose the arm could travel further than it was supposed to even if they contacts were equally spaced, and all the more so as you said if the spacing wasn't equal. The general gist was that they didn't catch on for marine use, and I can see why, based on your comments too Mark.
 
To be honest I've never heard of them in respect to marine operation, only landline use, so that's a new one on me.

I seem to recall they were also known as, or maybe marketed as, "Double Speed" keys, but I would have to recheck that. It's just in the back of my mind...

EDIT: thought as much >>>  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCErBfhHoKA

The one in the video looks identical to the one I have...
 
Cool, nice to see it operating.

The reference to Maritime use was along the lines that it didn't catch on, likely because the conditions made it more likely to result in inaccurate code. It certainly was not widespread.

Nice simple key though, shame it appears to have some issues making it harder to use effectively.
 
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