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Why did I build the pocket watch key? I dunno. But here's the short story: I had an old watch case and thought it would be kind of neat to have a telegraph key to carry around and show it off at various radio club functions ... maybe even put it on-the-air! Note that this photo, taken by Joe Veras, N4QB of CQ magazine, shows the key before it was completed. (This picture is from CQ magazine's 2003 calendar, month of May) It now has 2 tiny finger nuts on the bottom edge of the case for connection to the transmitter. The key is all brass, has a bone knob, and is 1 1/4 inches overall length. And the answer is, "Yes, I did put it on-the-air." I remember the QSO well as I chased the little thing around the operating desk while trying to send at a rip-roaring speed of about 15 WPM ... lots-o-fun, but not very relaxing.
The little cutie to the right is an accurate minature of the original Bunnell key from the 1870s. I built this about the same time as the pocket watch key. This pattern was copied, or used by, Western Electric, Signal Electric, Western Union, Manhattan Electric, and was the basis for the famous Signal Corps' J-38 design. It's about 1/4 to 1/3 the size of the original. Before you ask- "Yes it has been on-the-air." I forget the QSO details, but it was no more comfortable than the pocket watch experience - but, fun, just the same. |
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