How many times have you had a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach after putting out a CQ and found a BAD BUG has landed on your frequency.

True to the amateur spirit I try to work these BUGS but I am sorely tempted to spray them with SRI OM HVY QRM HPE WK U AGN UNDER BETTER CONDX 73 AR VA

I am not being derogatory to the Bug Key but rather the inexperienced operator using it. I have a friend who used a Bug Key for years and he was very experienced and very good at using it till he decided to try using a twin paddle key and since then he has struggled to regain his aptitude with the Bug Key and given up using it.

The main problem with the Bug Key is setting it up properly and the dots must be set to the speed of the Morse you are sending, any faster or slower results in incorrect spacing of the characters which makes it very hard to copy.. It is not like an electronic paddle where the spacing is automatically adjusted when the speed is changed, it is mechanical and the swinging arm needs to be adjusted if you are changing the speed of your sending. If you use one then make sure you have it set up properly.