STATION W5FZ HOME PAGE 2009/2010

This is a front side view of the radio bench(door from a hardware store) sitting on a 2x4 frame. The rest just plywood nailed together in three sections. Newly received 24 March 2009 radio transceiver in the middle using a nice Marconi Type 365B key with a 1960s Vibroplex racer junior deluxe and nice GHD key. Farther left are two great German keys, first the Novoplex bug from pre-war WW2 time and farthest left the Junker key for the army around 1959 or earlier issue, like new, a real precision key. The left clock above from 1940s, 50s Smiths Astral Made in England, with the radiotelegraph silent periods marked, removed from a British ship radio room in the past. The clock mounted on a homemade wooden stand with brass braces. The clock itself weighs 8 or 9 pounds. The centre electric clock 24hour by E L Time Co. USA.

The photo with the nice red and white bottles of French Telegraph Wine is between two old Marconi morse keys in front of the radio set. A bit of fun with telegraph keys and telegraph wine. If you search for Chappe Semaphore Telegraph you will see info the wine's name is based on.

This photo with the all brass key on a heavy orangish color slate base(maybe, seems heavy) is an excellent key to use. Made much like many of the British GPO sigle current morse keys, some slight differences, thicker key arm, different terminals. Need more info on who made it, seems from the UK type.

Shown above is the nice large GPO number 15 morse key from England. They were supplied with a viewing glass top hinged cover which is missing on this one. A very nice key to use, more information later.

Here is the same GPO15 key with a home made hinged cover. The wood from a Chilean wine box/crate was 5/16th inch thick, just right per the original key cover. Again, this is "Amateur Radio" isn't it, so this is my attempt to make a nearly matching cover to the original, but I used plexiglass rather than glass. I also added the round finger rest or plate under the knob.

This morse key is a nice old American Marconi. Often called the "Road Map" key due to the metal connection on the top of the base from a terminal to the front contact set. This key may be from before WW1 or surely the very early part of the series that ran up to about 1917 or later.

Here is a photo of two nice Swiss army morse keys. One on an iron base with cover and one on a wood base with an iron or steel plate on the bottom. The keys work very well with a good feel to their operation. Front and rear contacts on the wood base key. It has a 20000pf 200volt capacitor inside the wood base. It also has 12 banana type sockets to plug into on both sides and the rear. Only two appear to be for the front contacts. The key with the cover is very solid and heavier, a real nice key.

Reference Short Wave Stations

CHU Canada 3KW am 3.330MHz and 14.670MHz and 10KW am on 7.850MHz
WWV 2.5KW am on 2.5MHz and 20MHz, and 10KW am on 5, 10, and 15MHz

Links To Pages and Others That May Be of Interest