CW BEGALI BLUE TRAVELER LIGHT

THE NOT SO LIGHT TRAVELER!

I already have a Begali Simplex Basic, so that's up for sale to pay for this new replacement. Why change?? Well because this replacement was so cheap I'd have been crazy to turn it down. How often do you see these come up for sale on the used market??

The Blue Traveler Light (aka Magnetic Traveler Light) is something which will better suit me in the long term because of its suitability for outdoor work. Why they call it "Light" at 700g though, is beyond me - it's far from light.

 

Thankfully, the item arrived pretty much as it was shipped to the original purchaser, complete with all the bits and bobs including the feeler-gauge, qsl card, beer mat, etc. It also included the telescopic storage box which I'm really pleased about, since it offers great protection for virtually no weight penalty.

That plastic storage container had me looking a bit stupid at first, because I struggled to open it. Eventually, I discovered that you've got to give it a bit of a twist and then it slides apart 😂

When you see the paddle for the first time, it's a nice feeling! This is a beauty for sure! Begali gear is just so wonderfully put together and this one in particular is very, very nicely finished. 

The Traveler is available in black or blue and to be honest, I was especially pleased to find this blue one. The Traveler is fitted with two swing-out wings to give the key stability and they double-up as protective shields when in storage.

There's also a couple of belt-brackets for those who wish to strap it to their leg. Personally, I think that's a bit silly given the weight of the thing. Far better to just use it on a table-top, although there's probably some who would disagree with me.

This key has no springs - it uses repelling magnets and it feels fantastic. The barest touch of the paddles produces a clean, sharp dit or dah. Gold contacts, sealed precision bearings and superb engineering will see this key outlive its owner by quite some margin!

Unlike the Basic, the Traveler has a 3.5mm TRS socket built-in which makes life easy. As you can see from the photo above, there's a matching blue lead.

Underneath the key it looks every bit as well finished as it does from above and you can see in this shot that there are four rubber feet to aid stability on a desk surface. Having said that, with a heavy hand I find that it still moves about quite a bit if it's sat on a polished, smooth surface. Best to use a little non-slip mat with it.

As for my progress learning morse, I have to admit that it's going slowly! I've been trying to take the advice of others by focusing on listening rather than sending, which is what I was foolishly doing originally.

I find myself being drained of energy at work (mentally, not physically) and then when it comes to leisure time, I feel like I've got so many things to do that it's a constant battle to find spare time.

I've been trying to commit to 15-30 minutes a day to make progress and finding it hard to do. Maybe it's time to tell myself to just commit to a smaller timeslot of 10-15 minutes and let it grow from there.

At the end of the day though, I know I'll get there in the end. I should just chill out and it will be what it will be 🌝

73, Tom, M7MCQ.