Strange CW Keys

https://sites.google.com/site/oh6dccw/strangecwkeys

87•austinallegro•7h ago

Comments

notatoad•6h ago

What?

8organicbits•6h ago

These are keys (buttons) for tapping out morse code. Creative, but probably not practical.

r_lee•3h ago

What do you mean the Moomin Triangle CW isn't practical?

re•6h ago

A CW Key is apparently a switch used for transmitting Morse code. Make sure to click through to the individual pages to see them in use, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghx3r_OFmt4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_CW_Operators%27_Club

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraph_key

Barbing•4h ago

Great video.

Trying to think of another activity where one hand is doing something so complex while the rest of the body practically looks bored. Nothing comes to mind.

alanbernstein•1h ago

Video games?

whizzter•2h ago

Some of these would make great oldschool spy- or detective-movie props, like the rubber stamp being overlooked by "stupid" detectives whilst the smart detective directly connect it to a callsign to uncover the murder victims secret life with regards to ham operations.

thombles•6h ago

For today's 10000: amateur radio operators call Morse code "CW" since it's a Continuous Wave (unmodulated) transmission while you're pressing the key. The most basic kind is a straight key which simply transmits when you push and stops when you let go. Electronic keyers often use iambic paddles/buttons where you use one switch to create a series of "dits" and the other switch to create "dahs" yourself, which is less physically demanding and lets you hit higher WPM. There are examples of both types here.

throw-qqqqq•6h ago

> For today's 10000

Just in case someone didn’t catch the reference: https://xkcd.com/1053/

swiftcoder•4h ago

You can't 10,000 the 10,000...

pkdpic•3h ago

Somebody could probably throw out the probability of those two 10,000 sets overlapping. Not me though, unless it's 10,000^2...

actionfromafar•3h ago

You wouldn't 10,000 a car.

colddevil•25m ago

And this Jen, is the 10,000.

thunderbong•3h ago

Mobile view https://m.xkcd.com/1053/

low_tech_love•3h ago

Nice, they used an obscure reference to explain another obscure reference, requiring two nested levels of explanation.

resters•6h ago

less strange ones:

https://www.i2rtf.com/keys---paddles.html

https://www.n3znkeys.com/

https://www.vibroplex.com/

https://www.westmountainradio.com/product_info.php?products_...

austinallegro•5h ago

The first URL, Begali are the Ferrari of CW keys, with prices to match.

Incredible workmanship and still a family-owned and run business. Worth every cent.

motorest•5h ago

Here we are railing against $500 mechanical keyboards, and some dude whips out $500 CW keys. The ultimate one-up.

julian_t•3h ago

The comparison with mechanical keyboards is spot on! Despite having nothing to do with radio or morse in any way, I was given a Vibroplex and it is quite a piece of kit - solid as a rock and obviously a tool well suited to its one task. It reminds me of some of the old tonearms used on turntables, with many springs, counterweights and possible adjustments.

masklinn•5h ago

Got to say it’s interesting to read this comment and check the site and prices are 150~600 (the upper end being an anniversary edition aluminium and stainless beast).

Obviously really expensive for what is at the core a spring and an electric contact or two (depending on type) — which can be just one part at the expense of longevity, but as hobby pieces it seems quite reasonable, I’ve seen way worse spends from friends who fell in love with mechanical keyboards.

dr_kiszonka•3h ago

When you compare the price per contact, mechanical keyboards come out quite favorably!

fscaramuzza•2h ago

I like the Aluminum Finger Pieces from the first URL.

userbinator•5h ago

These are basically a switch for "human bit-banging". Here is a more conventional one in use: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPsgEdmlUf0

cluckindan•5h ago

Judging by the paraphernalia, this is what happens after a Finnish amateur radio operator retires and suddenly has way too much free time.

VectorLock•4h ago

How many of these have they made contacts with?

i_am_proteus•1h ago

They all have contacts; they operate by closing a circuit.

73 ;)

imrejonk•3h ago

I fully expected the smoke alarm CW key to work by picking up smoke signals: https://sites.google.com/site/oh6dccw/smoke-alarm-cw-key

gizajob•2h ago

"Handmade CW from Finland" - explains everything.

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