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My morse keys
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I wanted a small lightweight key for portable use. Ended up using micro switches. These are fixed to a strip of plastic cut from one of those white chopping boards sold cheaply in supermarkets.
The key can be held in one hand and operated with one finger of the other hand. You can sit back comfortably and don't need a flat surface to put a conventional key on. I have had some very nice keys over the years but these are by far the easiest and most comfortable to use. It is easy to send good? morse with these cheap substitutes. Extending the lever part of the micro switch makes it a bit slower to send morse with. What's the normal procedure when conditions are not good ?? Slow down and send good, well spaced and easily read CW, that gives the other guy a sporting chance of copying you. I had a 14 minute CW rag chew recently and, despite poor conditions, the other guy copied everything I sent with my micro switch key. Why not use the one on the QCX board ? Mine are in diecast aluminium cases so I needed off board keys.? Here's a couple of photos, make your own variations ?Reg? ? ? G4NFR |
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Hi
Your little key is probably lighter than mine. If it works for you then great.. I found this a number of years ago, It was used by Indian rail way workers out on the line doing repairs. They would climb a pole and hook up a pair of wires so they could telegraph the office. I did not get the sounder that would have been used with the key Dennis AG4TD |
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Hi Dennis,
I have seen them before, there are some ex-army keys that look quite similar. I have had some good straight keys in the past including the Junker key - see photo below. The little micro switch keys are so simple, so cheap and soooo easy to use. It is much easier to send good CW while sitting comfortably and not needing anything to put it on. One finger does all the work, or you could use a thumb for a change.... Reg? ? G4NFR |
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Another idea to try:? Invert your thinking.? The switch doesn't have to be the stationary part.? I attached one to the end of a short stick and put some heat shrink tubing around to guide the wire down the stick and make everything nice and neat.? Hold the thing in your hand and tap it on any convenient surface, even your knee!?? However this is for specific circumstances like you are on a tight budget, you are counting grams for a portable SOTA type gig etc.? For portable ops with higher speeds I really like my Porta Paddle made by American Morse Equipment especially for a rig with built in keyer.? It is still pretty light and when strapped to your thigh allows you to operate almost like at home. On Mon, Apr 8, 2019 at 2:15 PM R. Tyson via Groups.Io <tysons2=[email protected]> wrote: I wanted a small lightweight key for portable use. Ended up using micro switches. These are fixed to a strip of plastic cut from one of those white chopping boards sold cheaply in supermarkets. |
Don, ND6T
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