From a morsecode mail list post:
WOW….didn’t even know this place existed (in RI), but it’s a treasure trove of info you just have to see. There’s a nice PDF “tour” that you can read as you view the various rooms in the museum.
A great story about the early days of radio and the YL’s that helped raise awareness of Telegraphy and CW.
Sneak preview….Will go up on the site for sale next week (After Thanksgiving Holiday). Check it out!
I can’t believe I’ve made 54 of the “portable” keys with brass bases already. Seems like just yesterday I was noodling around with the design on a napkin at my friends house over the Thanksgiving holiday. Thanks to all for taking a flyer on something new and reports continue to come in praising the Torsion Bar action and the tactile feel of the hand formed wood finger pieces. Onward and upward!
Got this key on eBay from a Pawn Broker. He didn’t have any real clue about what it was so I got it cheap. The key is in incredible shape and so is the storage case that came with it. I cleaned it up and then made a “dit tamer” which screws in to a small hole I tapped in the existing pendulum weight. That got me down to about 18 WPM. With the weight off the dit speed is about 22 WPM and with the arm removed all together, the dit speed is about 30 wpm. That’s why they called it the Lightning!
Close up of the homebrew dit tamer.
1945 Vibroplex Lightning Bug Restoration
Overhead view of 1945 Vibroplex Lightning restoration
I’ll be on the air from my cabin here in Vermont. Hope to CU there!!!
http://www.fieldradio.org/international-field-radio-event
The Field Radio group will be holding its inaugural International Field Radio Event in late May, 2016. Please note this is an activity and not a contest! Here is your opportunity to interact with fellow group members on air, so please support us in this fun activity.
Kids all over the world are having the rare experience of communicating with astronauts/hams. Here’s a video.
Where would we be now without his brilliant invention?
http://www.american-inventor.com/samuel-morse.aspx
