CW key collection: Begali Camelback

The Begali Camelback is the newest addition to my straight key collection. I had been wanting to get a Begali straight key for a while and finally got one at Hamcation last year.

Begali Camelback straight key
Begali Camelback straight key

If any company can lay claim to being the Cadillac of CW key makers, I’d say it would be Begali. The Camelback isn’t their most expensive key, but it’s still beautifully made and crafted. It’s a nicely designed key with a simple, elegant aesthetic. It is without question my favourite straight key in my collection to use.

The Camelback weighs in at a hefty 1.8 kg (4 lbs), by far the heaviest of anything in my collection. The weight means it’s not moving anywhere on my desk while I’m using it which is good because you definitely don’t want this thing sliding off your desk.

Begali Camelback straight key
Begali Camelback straight key

Two knobs at the rear of the key make it easy to adjust the contact spacing and spring tension to fit your preference.

Like most straight keys, it’s pretty simple and there’s not much to it. The wiring connections are made by soldering wires to terminals in a recessed channel at the bottom of the base. The cable is routed through the channel to the back and makes things nice and tidy.

Bottom view of the Begali Camelback showing the terminal connections and recessed channel for the cable
Bottom view of the Begali Camelback showing the terminal connections and recessed channel for the cable

It makes a satisfying thunk-y sound while I’m tapping out Morse code, as opposed to the more clacky sound that the J-38 makes. This is just a really comfortable key to use.

CW key collection: The Key key

One of the more unique straight keys in my collection is one I acquired from an ARRL Auction a few years ago.

It’s a metal (brass I think) decorative (I presume) old fashioned key mounted on a simple plywood base. The two spring terminals on the left side of the above image provide the connection to the radio or a code practice oscillator.

A vintage looking brass key mounted on a plywood base.  The key is mounted to act as a straight key for tapping out Morse code.
Straight key made from a decorative brass key

There are no identifying marks on the key or base, and I don’t remember who it was that donated it to ARRL for their auction. It’s a pretty decent bit of work by whoever created it though.

Although it’s fully functional as a straight key, I feel like it was created as more of a decorative conversation starter piece. You’re touching a piece of bare metal to operate the key, which is essentially opening and closing a switch with what’s supposed to be a small voltage across it. When connected and used normally the shock risk should be pretty insignificant, but it’s not something you can rule out if it’s not connected properly.

Whether anyone actually used this on a regular basis, I can’t say. There doesn’t appear to be much tarnishing at the handle that you might expect to see when brass is handled often. Still a fun looking piece and an easy-ish key to use with a pretty decent feeling action.

CW key collection: J-38

I’ve managed to accumulate a small (5) collection of CW keys over the years, starting with the J-38 straight key, and most recently the Begali Camelback.

After I got my amateur radio license, I knew I wanted to learn Morse code (still working on it), and I knew I wanted a straight key. I love the simplicity and the imagery of and connection to telegraphers of old hammering out CW.

When it comes to “vintage” straight keys, the J-38 and its many variants aren’t too hard to find. My J-38 was one of my first hamfest acquisitions, and is a nice simple key to use.

J-38 straight key mounted on a wooden base
J-38 straight key mounted on a wooden base

It’s missing the shorting bar across the top two terminals and the shorting lever but otherwise works perfectly. When I’m practicing my Morse code, this is usually the one I work on the most. I really like the way it feels.

A new straight key base

Found this tiny little cutting board while we were at our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and thought it would make a nice little block of material to test the CNC machine with.

Little 15 cm x 13 cm cutting board

After seeing it on my desk, I decided it would be much more useful as a new base for my J-38 key. It’s about twice as heavy as the old base I made out of a piece of 1×4 wood.

A bit of sanding, a couple coats of spray polyurethane later, and the J-38 was attached to the new base. Some rubber feet on the bottom help keep it from sliding around on the table.

Quite pleased with the way it looks. I like the way the J-38 feels on the new base.

Practicing with the Begali

Got my Begali Camelback straight key wired up with a standard 3.5mm TRS cable, and made up an adapter cable to connect it to the Heathkit HD-10 keyer.

Morse code keys and bug connected to a Heathkit HD-10 electronic keyer

I’ve been really enjoying practicing Morse code with the Camelback. The solid, weighty base gives it a super stable feel and a nice satisfying thunk-y sound as opposed to the more clack-y sound from the J-38 key. I’m sure if I mounted the J-38 on a more solid base, it might also have a nice thunk-y-er sound. I’ll have to look around for something heavy to attach the J-38 to now.

The Camelback is hefty enough that it doesn’t move around while I’m keying. The Vibroplex bug is also pretty hefty, but will slide around a bit while I’m using it. I probably need to replace the feet or put some grippy pads on them to keep it from sliding around.