We had 10 folks attend the Michigan QRP Club Zoom meeting last week where the topic was keys.

Pete WK8S

Ed AB8DF

Ernie W3ETE

Stuart M0SGV

Dave N8SBE

Muhsin TA1MHS

Rick K8MBA

Jeremy KD8ZZJ

TBD TA1HMG

Casey KC9IH

Keys

Pete showed pictures of his keys. Not good with straight keys any more. Muhsin showed his first key and the history behind it. Dave’s first QRP was a bulldog built with paper clips. He also has Bencher paddles, Kent paddles, and Bengalis. Ed showed his straight keys and paddles which included J38, Bencher straight key, NORCAL paddle kit and Kent paddles. He uses a Bengali Simplex as his daily paddle. Stuart showed a bunch of keys. He has way too many. Rick is a single lever guy. He talked about his single lever paddles. There sure are many different kinds of keys and keying style. Lots of interesting stories. Favorite QRP rig will be the topic for next week 25 July. Stuart sent in a poem about Morse code:

If you can keep your head when all the buntings
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can read through abnospheric crashes .
With signals fading down to near "R-2";?

If you can send and not get tired sending
And when you stumble, make a neat erase;
If you can read without the old complaining:
"His bloody Morse is just a damn disgrace";?

If you don't fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds worth of IMI's
And if you always use correct procedure,
But still don't talk too much, nor look too wise;?

If you can live with buntings, jeeps and stokers
And tolerate both Pusser's rum and stew;
And copy when reliefs are in their hammocks
And never miss a group with every spew;?

If officers and Chiefs and drunken Yeomen
Can heckle you and still your nerves won't fray;
Then you're a damn good sparker, son - you've made it!
You're earning every penny of your pay. . . .?

At the end of the meeting we did a quick survey with those in attendance.

Who uses what kind? Survey below:

Straight -?

Paddles Iambic - 4

Paddles single lever - 1

Side Swiper -?

Cootie -?

Single lever -?

Other - 1

Please join us Thursday (and every Thursday) at 4PM Eastern for the Michigan QRP Club weekly QRP Chat where the main topics will be QRP and other ham interests. It's fun, it's easy, and it's free. You only need a computer, a smart phone, or a tablet that can connect to the Internet. OR if you can't be close to any of those you can join by audio with any standard phone. Just follow the directions below. No software needs be loaded or installed. Anyone can join and non members are welcome. Details are here:

Ed

AB8DF