This is a video showing my new home-brew single-lever hacksaw blade Morse key in action. I decided to test it "live", with the webcam running, by CQing on the 30 metre band using 100 watts. First station into my log was DL0BZA. I enjoyed using the key. It has no weight, so holding it down is required during operation, which is not ideal. I have a couple of steel bases, one of which I hope to "stick" it to, in some way. The morse key is a modification of one which used a much smaller hacksaw blade. I also improved the contacts. I may make further modifications in order to get more use out of it.
The key was made with spare parts lying around the shack. The wooden base is off some old bookshelves. The contacts are nuts and bolts supported with eyelets - the type that you crimp onto your DC wires to connect to your power supply. The hacksaw blade required sanding because it was painted blue and a proper connection was not being made. Here are a couple of photos from the construction phase:
The new contacts were made from bits and pieces lying around the shack.
The hacksaw blade during sanding. The eyelets are in place.
This is a video I made to review and demonstrate the CW Touch Keyer. This is a twin morse paddle, but not in the traditional sense in that it has no moving parts. It operates purely on the basis of touch. This video shows the unit in operation and I give it a bit of a review.
In this video I demonstrate one of my miniature Russian single-lever morse paddles, which I purchased on eBay last year for around 20 euro apiece. These are light and dainty little keys, but very effective and easy to use. They would be quite transportable for SOTA or other portable or mobile activities.
