My daughter Amy is a Stranger Things fan, which is set in the 1980s. She has taken up interest in learning Morse code and ham radio. She almost died when I showed her my old novice Heathkit ham radio rig, which is exactly what is shown below. Good things come to him/her who waits.
Never did get my Morse ticket despite getting to 5wpm numerous times. Back in the early 70’s it was all the rage to build auto . and - keyers without micros.
I had a nice old Morse key but in one of my moves it was lost, along with my transmitter tube with ceramic chimney (some part number like xxx250A)
I met with a local ham club in January and showed them some simple microprocessor stuff (BS2 included). Mostly older retired guys. The hit of the show was this tiny CW keyer I slammed together in an hour. I should get off my butt and make a kit to sell.
That's fantastic, Eric! Brings back all kinds of memories of wanting a Curtis keyer chip but being too poor (cheap) to buy one. (They were $24.95 in 1975 dollars - $120.76 today!)
Also makes me think (for the first time in decades) of the various keyer schematics that once circulated about, as Cluso alludes to.
And now a $2.95 PICAXE, a $1.50 Asian Arduino, or Peter's $0.18 C-SKY can provide all that functionality and much more.
Comments
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Heathkit-HW-7-and-HW-8-Parts-Units/122123160448
do not worry about the positive and negative reversed losses.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Assembled-9-13-8V-S-PIXIE-CW-QRP-Shortwave-Radio-Transceiver-7-023Mhz-With-Case/381857096109
https://www.makershed.com/products/telegraph-decoder-kit
you programming wizards can scroll some words,
If you wanted to.
https://www.heinzstampfl.ch/en/ Stampfl
http://www.mauritron.com/Bulgarian-Army-Morse-Key-Type-2-Ref795 Bulgarian
http://www.i2rtf.com/keys---paddles.html Begali
Jim
Hazel Fausak, 93, of Evansburg, AB spent three years during World War 2 working as a radio operator for Ferry Command in Montreal and Gander.
Never did get my Morse ticket despite getting to 5wpm numerous times. Back in the early 70’s it was all the rage to build auto . and - keyers without micros.
I had a nice old Morse key but in one of my moves it was lost, along with my transmitter tube with ceramic chimney (some part number like xxx250A)
Also makes me think (for the first time in decades) of the various keyer schematics that once circulated about, as Cluso alludes to.
And now a $2.95 PICAXE, a $1.50 Asian Arduino, or Peter's $0.18 C-SKY can provide all that functionality and much more.
Somethings really do get better.