In addition to the commonly seen keys like Vibroplex and McElroy, there were many other companies producing bugs. Some came up with some amazing variations on the basic bug theme.
Below are some pictures of a large variety of different bug designs. Click on each thumbnail to view the full size image:
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| PB Delany Auto-Dot. With Albright Label. Ca. 1907. |
Another Delany Auto-Dot, Top View |
A 1906 Ad For the Delany Auto-Dot That Shows a Very Different Key With a Lever That Folds Back on Itself. It is Believed This Key Design Was Never Actually Made |
Conkling Key. Produces Automatic Dots |
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| Another View of the Conkling Key |
Unusual Right-Angle Bug. Maker Unknown. Some Suggest it Might be Made by Mecograph Co. |
Front View of the Right-Angle Bug |
Third View of the Right-Angle Bug. Please Contact Me if You Have Any Info About This Bug |
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| The Vailograph. An Attachment to Convert a Straight Key Into a Bug. 1908. |
Another View of the Vailograph |
The Dinger, Cleveland Ohio |
The Hulit Transmitter With Carrying Case, Topeka Kansas. 1909. |
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| A Close-Up of the Hulit Transmitter Unit |
Single Lever Dunduplex, NY. 1909. The Key Can be Operated With the Lever Paddle or by Manually Operated Plastic Plungers at the Top of the Frame |
Side View of the Single Lever Dunduplex |
Double Lever Dunduplex, NY. 1909. With the Unique Mailbox Style Carrying Case |
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| Double Lever Dunduplex. Also Has the Manually Operated Keying Plungers at the Top of the Frame |
The Peerless Bug by Dunn. Basically the Same as a Double Lever Dunduplex but Without the Manual Keying Plungers |
Close-Up of the U-Shaped Brackets on the Peerless Bug that Accomplish the Same Keying Function as the Plungers on the Dunduplex |
O.M. Thomas. St. Louis, MO (Gil Schlehman, K9WDY Collection) |
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| Mt. Auburn Specialty Co. Cincinnati, OH (Gil Schlehman, K9WDY Collection) |
Close-Up of the Mt. Auburn Label |
A Double Lever Bug by Allen D. Cardwell, NY (Gil Schlehman, K9WDY Collection) |
An Intreresting Japanned Base Bug by Westinghouse Air Brake Co, Wilmerding, PA (Gil Schlehman K9WDY Collection) |
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| Close-Up of the Westinghouse Air Brake Bug |
Well-Made All-Brass Double Lever Bug With Albright Nameplate. Possibly Homemade |
Another View of the All-Brass Double Lever Bug |
RL Boulter Bug, Los Angeles. 1916 |
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| Another View of the Boulter Bug |
Abernathy Bug, Ca. 1916 (Gil Schlehman K9WDY Collection) |
Close-up of the Abernathy Name Stamp |
The Shawplex. St. Joseph, Mo. Ca. 1919 |
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| National Transmitter Company Vertical Bug, Small Version. Ca. 1920 |
National Transmitter Co. Vertical Bug, Large Version. Ca. 1920 |
Two Versions of National Vertical Bug |
All 3 Versions of the National Vertical Bug (Gil Schlehman, K9WDY Collection) |
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| 1st Model Bunnell Gold Bug (Gil Schlehman, K9WDY Collection) |
Bunnell Gold Bug With Lollipop Style Knob |
Later Model Bunnell Gold Bug With Adjustable Knob |
Another View of the Adjustable Knob Gold Bug |
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| The Lytle Triplex, Philadelphia. Can Be Used As a Right or Left Handed Bug Or As a Straight Key |
The Lytle Triplex, Left Handed Position |
The Lytle Triplex As a Straight Key |
Postal Telegraph Bug, NY (Gil Schlehman K9WDY Collection) |
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| The Postal Telegraph Bug Was Also Available in Western Union Maroon Color |
Starkins "Equable" Motorized Bug (Gil Schlehman K9WDY Collection) |
Another View of the Equable Bug |
Peerless Bug. Made by Peerless Mfg. Co, Fordson, Michigan. Ca. 1920's. (Claudio Ruggieri, IZ0KRC Collection) |
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| Another View of the Peerless Bug. This Version Has a Magnetic Damper |
Close-Up of the Peerless Nameplate |
Peerless Bug, Later Version |
Blue-Racer Sized Bug by O.E. Cote, Providence, Rhode Island. Ca. 1920's |
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| Close-Up of the Cote Name Stamp |
Another Small Bug Called the Cope Bug (Gil Schlehman, K9WDY Collection) |
The Keen Kode Transmitter by OB McClintock, Minneapolis, Ca. 1925. Dashes Produced by a Straight Key Lever and Dots by a 6-Button Keyboard (Gil Schlehman, K9WDY Collection) |
Unusual Bug by J.R. Youngblood. New Orleans, Louisiana. 1930 |
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| Top View of the Youngblood Bug |
Marvel Bug, Boston |
The Mogul Bug, Boston |
Side View of The Mogul |
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| Signal Electric Sematic Bug, NY |
Ultimate Transmitter Co. "73" Bug, In-Line Model |
Another View of the Ultimate Transmitter In-Line Model |
Ultimate Transmitter Co. "73" Bug, Amateur Model. Los Angeles |
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| "73" Bug With Cover Removed |
The First "73" Amateur Model Bugs Were All-Brass, Then Later the Base, Frame, and Cover Were Changed to Pot Metal (Zinc) |
Pot Metal Often Suffers From Warping and Cracking Over Time, as Can be Seen in this Picture |
Another View of the Badly Warped & Cracked Base. The Key is Now Unusable ! |
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| Another Picture of a Pot Metal Ultimate Bug that is Now Just a Box of Shattered Parts ! |
Ultimate Transmitter Co. "73" Bug, Professional Model. |
"73" Bug With the Cover Open |
A Miniature Version of the Ultimate Bug Shown Next to the Standard Size Key (Gil Schlehman, K9WDY Collection) |
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| J.B. Alcorn Bug (Gil Schlehman, K9WDY Collection) |
The Bradyplex, a Very Elaborate Cast Base Bug (Gil Schlehman, K9WDY Collection) |
Another View of the Bradyplex Bug |
A Bug Designed and Sold by C.A. Garcelon, W1AWQ, North Lovell, Maine. 1920's-1930's |
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| Another View of the W1AWQ Bug |
A Different Bug Design Made By W1AWQ. (Claudio Ruggieri, IZ0KRC Collection) |
Another View of the W1AWQ Bug |
The Senobe Bug Made by A.E. Senobe, Negaunee Michigan. 1928 |
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| Another View of the Senobe Bug |
An Unusual All-Brass Bug With Ivory Paddles. Probably Homemade. Maker Unknown |
Another View of the All-Brass Bug |
A Commercially Made Attachment to Convert a Straight Key to a Bug. Maker Unknown |
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| A Rare Version of the Master Teleplex Morse Code Practice Machine That Includes an Attached Bug |
A Close-Up of the Master Teleplex Bug |
Go-Devil Bug, Early Version. . |
Go-Devil Model 4a, One of the Later Models (Gil Schlehman, K9WDY Collection) |
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| The Underside of the Go-Devil 4a Showing the Name and Model Cast Into the Base |
Speedoplex #1 by Leach Relay Co., Los Angeles |
Another View of the Speedoplex #1 |
Close-Up of a Speedoplex #1 Nameplate |
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| Speedoplex #2 |
Close-Up of the Speedoplex #2 Nameplate |
A Nice Commercially Made Copy of a Vibroplex Blue Racer. Maker Unknown |
Another View of the Blue Racer Copy |
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| The Melehan Valiant by Mel E. Hanson. Has 2 Levers For Automatic Dots and Dashes |
Bug Designed by Lynn G. Heatherly While Working for Seaboard Coastline Railroad in Jacksonville, NC. Patented in 1941 (Smithsonian Museum) |
Another View of the Heatherly Bug (Smithsonian Museum) |
Standard Radio Bug, New York. WW2 |
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| Close-Up of the Standard Radio Bug Nameplate |
Lionel J-36. WW2 |
Close-Up of the Lionel J-36 Nameplate. The Nameplate Was Made From a Cellulose Material Which Tended to Curl and Decompose Over Time, So Many of These Keys Are Missing the Nameplate |
Brooklyn Metal Stamping Co. J-36. WW2 |
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| Close-Up of the Brooklyn Metal Stamping Bug Nameplate |
JH Bunnell J-36. WW2 |
Another View of the Bunnell J-36 |
Close-Up of the Bunnell J-36 Label |
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| Pinelli Patent J-36. 1942 (Gil Schlehman, K9WDY Collection) |
Another View of the Pinelli J-36 |
The Bunnell Navy Bug Model CJB-26009. JH Bunnell, NY. WW2 |
The Side of the Bunnell Navy Bug Has "Property of US Navy" Cast Into the Base |
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| Rayco Bug. Raylynn Mfg. Co. Boston |
Kenco Bug. Might Be Same Maker as Rayco |
Close-Up of the Kenco Name |
Unknown Maker Bug With Japanned Finish and Red Pin Stripes |
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| Another View of the Red Stripe Bug |
2 More Bugs From the Same Maker as the Red Stripe Bug |
Electric Specialties Co. Cedar Rapids Bug. Sold As a Kit |
Interesting Cast Frame Bug by Davis. Seattle, Washington (Gil Schlehman, K9WDY Collection) |
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| Underside of the Davis Bug Showing the Davis Name and Address |
Bug With "Airline" Label. Sold by Montgomery Ward. Likely Made By Electric Specialties Co. |
Gem Key. Made of Sheet Metal. (Gil Schlehman K9WDY Collection) |
The ZIP Key. Another Inexpensive Key Like the Gem Key |
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| Supreme Spring Co. Bug |
The Codetrol. Made By Bernard Breedlove, Atlanta |
Late Version Go-Devil. AH Emery, Poughkeepsie, NY. Ca. 1950's |
The Go-Devil Model U. A Very Late Model Key That Could be Used as a Bug or a Keyer Paddle. Ca. 1963-1964 |
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| Another View of the Go-Devil Model U |
A Swinging Catch Attached to the Damper Was Used to Lock the Pendulum in Place When the Key Was Used as a Paddle. A Toggle Switch at the Front of the Key Switched Between Bug Mode and Paddle Mode |
Brown Brothers CSA Bug & Straight Key Combo. Very Rare. Ca. 1964 |
Homebrew Bug by Don Iverson, Linnton Oregon. Pendulum Folds Back Under the Paddle |
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Another View of the Iverson Bug |
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