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Author Topic: $1 Cootie  (Read 3790 times)

KE7WAV

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$1 Cootie
« on: December 15, 2009, 12:08:37 PM »

Well my wife was away for the weekend so once the kids were in bed I had nothing to do....okay lets build something. (Or blow something up!?!) I 've wanted to try a cootie key so I opened the junk drawer in the kitchen. Hmm... paperclips, eyelet screws, unused mousetrap, masking tape, Gorilla glue, that ought to be enough to play with for now.

After a few different configurations my Cootie Mouser was born. I used the base of the moustrap as the base for the key. Placing the eyelet screw in the middle, I then ran the paperclip from the bottom through the staple in the back and through the eyelet (thus I had two posts for the price of one connection). A little glue to hold the clip in place. A little masking tape wrapped around the paperclip and I was in business.

I grabbed an old piece of speaker wire and solder to the paperclip and the eyelet. Then just in case the whole thing fell apart I ran it right off the posts to my straight key.

Last night I tuned up the old Swan 500C and gave the new cootie its maiden QSO. It handled like dream and the best part is it took five minutes and only about $1 to build. After a 75 minute QSO I was impressed with my junkdrawer key. Man---I love Ham Radio.
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TANAKASAN

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RE: $1 Cootie
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2009, 12:34:12 PM »

Nice

Many years ago I knew a G2xxx call of advanced years who used an old hacksaw blade, plank of wood and two brass screws as his key. He sent perfect 25 WPM code.

Tanakasan
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N8CMQ

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RE: $1 Cootie
« Reply #2 on: December 26, 2009, 11:36:26 PM »

I built a key out of an old knife switch, but it worked sideways, it was a side swiper!
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N8CMQ   Jeff Retired...
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