Morse Key Contacts?
 

On Mon, 21 Dec 2015 23:33:17 +0000, gareth wrote:

For those who make their own Morse Keys, what do you use for the contacts,
for
I have found the phosphor bronze pillar for the dot contact on my ersatz
Vibroplex
to be very noisy and scratchy?

I'm fairly sure that I asked this question before, but it has been a habit
of never put off till
tomorrow what you can put off till the day after.

I chose phosphor bronze because in the days of making one's own electronic
organs, phosphor bronze was suggested as a suitable keying matreial for the
keyboards.






If a question's worth asking, Gareth...

Morse Key Contacts?
 

Gareth's Kitchen Komputer wrote:
On Mon, 21 Dec 2015 23:33:17 +0000, gareth wrote:

For those who make their own Morse Keys, what do you use for the contacts,
for
I have found the phosphor bronze pillar for the dot contact on my ersatz
Vibroplex
to be very noisy and scratchy?

I'm fairly sure that I asked this question before, but it has been a habit
of never put off till
tomorrow what you can put off till the day after.

I chose phosphor bronze because in the days of making one's own electronic
organs, phosphor bronze was suggested as a suitable keying matreial for the
keyboards.






If a question's worth asking, Gareth...

These always crack me up. You're doing great work here.

--
STC / M0TEY /
http://twitter.com/ukradioamateur

Morse Key Contacts?
 

On 11/4/2017 5:42 AM, Gareth's Kitchen Komputer wrote:
On Mon, 21 Dec 2015 23:33:17 +0000, gareth wrote:

For those who make their own Morse Keys, what do you use for the contacts,
for
I have found the phosphor bronze pillar for the dot contact on my ersatz
Vibroplex
to be very noisy and scratchy?

I'm fairly sure that I asked this question before, but it has been a habit
of never put off till
tomorrow what you can put off till the day after.

I chose phosphor bronze because in the days of making one's own electronic
organs, phosphor bronze was suggested as a suitable keying matreial for the
keyboards.






If a question's worth asking, Gareth...







I have not made lots of keys, but when I do I use contacts from old
relays. I still have some relays I bought as WWII surplus when I was in
my teens, back in the 1950's. They have strange coil parameters, weird
mounting arrangements, etc., but nice little silver contacts.
Bob W, WA9D

Morse Key Contacts?
 

Bob Wilson wrote on 11/7/2017 9:47 PM:
On 11/4/2017 5:42 AM, Gareth's Kitchen Komputer wrote:
On Mon, 21 Dec 2015 23:33:17 +0000, gareth wrote:

For those who make their own Morse Keys, what do you use for the contacts,
for
I have found the phosphor bronze pillar for the dot contact on my ersatz
Vibroplex
to be very noisy and scratchy?

I'm fairly sure that I asked this question before, but it has been a habit
of never put off till
tomorrow what you can put off till the day after.

I chose phosphor bronze because in the days of making one's own electronic
organs, phosphor bronze was suggested as a suitable keying matreial for the
keyboards.






If a question's worth asking, Gareth...







I have not made lots of keys, but when I do I use contacts from old relays.
I still have some relays I bought as WWII surplus when I was in my teens,
back in the 1950's. They have strange coil parameters, weird mounting
arrangements, etc., but nice little silver contacts.
Bob W, WA9D

Why use a mechanical switch? There are magnetic hall effect switches
around. Or a mercury wetted switch can be operated by a magnet. Are the
magnetic switches too sloppy?

--

Rick C

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms,
on the centerline of totality since 1998

Morse Key Contacts?
 

rickman wrote on 11/16/2017 12:07 PM:
Bob Wilson wrote on 11/7/2017 9:47 PM:
On 11/4/2017 5:42 AM, Gareth's Kitchen Komputer wrote:
On Mon, 21 Dec 2015 23:33:17 +0000, gareth wrote:

For those who make their own Morse Keys, what do you use for the contacts,
for
I have found the phosphor bronze pillar for the dot contact on my ersatz
Vibroplex
to be very noisy and scratchy?

I'm fairly sure that I asked this question before, but it has been a habit
of never put off till
tomorrow what you can put off till the day after.

I chose phosphor bronze because in the days of making one's own electronic
organs, phosphor bronze was suggested as a suitable keying matreial for the
keyboards.






If a question's worth asking, Gareth...







I have not made lots of keys, but when I do I use contacts from old relays.
I still have some relays I bought as WWII surplus when I was in my teens,
back in the 1950's. They have strange coil parameters, weird mounting
arrangements, etc., but nice little silver contacts.
Bob W, WA9D

Why use a mechanical switch? There are magnetic hall effect switches
around. Or a mercury wetted switch can be operated by a magnet. Are the
magnetic switches too sloppy?

I knew I was forgetting something. An optical switch is easy enough to make
and can be very precise as well.

--

Rick C

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms,
on the centerline of totality since 1998

Morse Key Contacts?
 

On 16/11/2017 17:07, rickman wrote:
Bob Wilson wrote on 11/7/2017 9:47 PM:
On 11/4/2017 5:42 AM, Gareth's Kitchen Komputer wrote:
On Mon, 21 Dec 2015 23:33:17 +0000, gareth wrote:

For those who make their own Morse Keys, what do you use for the
contacts,
for
I have found the phosphor bronze pillar for the dot contact on my
ersatz
Vibroplex
to be very noisy and scratchy?

I'm fairly sure that I asked this question before, but it has been a
habit
of never put off till
tomorrow what you can put off till the day after.

I chose phosphor bronze because in the days of making one's own
electronic
organs, phosphor bronze was suggested as a suitable keying matreial
for the
keyboards.






If a question's worth asking, Gareth...







I have not made lots of keys, but when I do I use contacts from old
relays.
I still have some relays I bought as WWII surplus when I was in my teens,
back in the 1950's. They have strange coil parameters, weird mounting
arrangements, etc., but nice little silver contacts.
Bob W, WA9D

Why use a mechanical switch?Â* There are magnetic hall effect switches
around.Â* Or a mercury wetted switch can be operated by a magnet.Â* Are
the magnetic switches too sloppy?


Perhaps you confuse mercury wetted with reed relays?

Morse Key Contacts?
 

Gareth's Downstairs Computer wrote on 11/16/2017 12:55 PM:
On 16/11/2017 17:07, rickman wrote:
Bob Wilson wrote on 11/7/2017 9:47 PM:
On 11/4/2017 5:42 AM, Gareth's Kitchen Komputer wrote:
On Mon, 21 Dec 2015 23:33:17 +0000, gareth wrote:

For those who make their own Morse Keys, what do you use for the contacts,
for
I have found the phosphor bronze pillar for the dot contact on my ersatz
Vibroplex
to be very noisy and scratchy?

I'm fairly sure that I asked this question before, but it has been a habit
of never put off till
tomorrow what you can put off till the day after.

I chose phosphor bronze because in the days of making one's own electronic
organs, phosphor bronze was suggested as a suitable keying matreial for
the
keyboards.






If a question's worth asking, Gareth...







I have not made lots of keys, but when I do I use contacts from old relays.
I still have some relays I bought as WWII surplus when I was in my teens,
back in the 1950's. They have strange coil parameters, weird mounting
arrangements, etc., but nice little silver contacts.
Bob W, WA9D

Why use a mechanical switch? There are magnetic hall effect switches
around. Or a mercury wetted switch can be operated by a magnet. Are the
magnetic switches too sloppy?


Perhaps you confuse mercury wetted with reed relays?

I am thinking of reed relays, so I guess I used the wrong name, but aren't
they wetted with mercury to prevent corrosion building up?

--

Rick C

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms,
on the centerline of totality since 1998

Morse Key Contacts?
 

On 16/11/2017 20:04, rickman wrote:
Gareth's Downstairs Computer wrote on 11/16/2017 12:55 PM:
On 16/11/2017 17:07, rickman wrote:
Bob Wilson wrote on 11/7/2017 9:47 PM:
On 11/4/2017 5:42 AM, Gareth's Kitchen Komputer wrote:
On Mon, 21 Dec 2015 23:33:17 +0000, gareth wrote:

For those who make their own Morse Keys, what do you use for the
contacts,
for
I have found the phosphor bronze pillar for the dot contact on my
ersatz
Vibroplex
to be very noisy and scratchy?

I'm fairly sure that I asked this question before, but it has been
a habit
of never put off till
tomorrow what you can put off till the day after.

I chose phosphor bronze because in the days of making one's own
electronic
organs, phosphor bronze was suggested as a suitable keying
matreial for
the
keyboards.






If a question's worth asking, Gareth...







I have not made lots of keys, but when I do I use contacts from old
relays.
I still have some relays I bought as WWII surplus when I was in my
teens,
back in the 1950's. They have strange coil parameters, weird mounting
arrangements, etc., but nice little silver contacts.
Bob W, WA9D

Why use a mechanical switch?Â* There are magnetic hall effect switches
around.Â* Or a mercury wetted switch can be operated by a magnet.Â* Are
the
magnetic switches too sloppy?


Perhaps you confuse mercury wetted with reed relays?

I am thinking of reed relays, so I guess I used the wrong name, but
aren't they wetted with mercury to prevent corrosion building up?


In the closed atmosphere of the glass tube, there should not be any
corrosion, I think. ISTR some gas in there, but don't know about
mercury wetting.

Morse Key Contacts?
 

Gareth's Downstairs Computer wrote on 11/16/2017 4:01 PM:
On 16/11/2017 20:04, rickman wrote:
Gareth's Downstairs Computer wrote on 11/16/2017 12:55 PM:
On 16/11/2017 17:07, rickman wrote:
Bob Wilson wrote on 11/7/2017 9:47 PM:
On 11/4/2017 5:42 AM, Gareth's Kitchen Komputer wrote:
On Mon, 21 Dec 2015 23:33:17 +0000, gareth wrote:

For those who make their own Morse Keys, what do you use for the
contacts,
for
I have found the phosphor bronze pillar for the dot contact on my ersatz
Vibroplex
to be very noisy and scratchy?

I'm fairly sure that I asked this question before, but it has been a
habit
of never put off till
tomorrow what you can put off till the day after.

I chose phosphor bronze because in the days of making one's own
electronic
organs, phosphor bronze was suggested as a suitable keying matreial for
the
keyboards.






If a question's worth asking, Gareth...







I have not made lots of keys, but when I do I use contacts from old
relays.
I still have some relays I bought as WWII surplus when I was in my teens,
back in the 1950's. They have strange coil parameters, weird mounting
arrangements, etc., but nice little silver contacts.
Bob W, WA9D

Why use a mechanical switch? There are magnetic hall effect switches
around. Or a mercury wetted switch can be operated by a magnet. Are the
magnetic switches too sloppy?


Perhaps you confuse mercury wetted with reed relays?

I am thinking of reed relays, so I guess I used the wrong name, but aren't
they wetted with mercury to prevent corrosion building up?


In the closed atmosphere of the glass tube, there should not be any
corrosion, I think. ISTR some gas in there, but don't know about
mercury wetting.

Call it what you want, corrosion, oxidation, just plain pitting. The point
is a solid surface will wear from the arcing that happens when contacts
break connections (which also happens on initiating connection because of
switch bounce). Mercury doesn't have this problem as it is a liquid and
reforms the layer every time it is "pitted".

--

Rick C

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms,
on the centerline of totality since 1998

Morse Key Contacts?
 

On 11/16/2017 7:28 PM, rickman wrote:
Gareth's Downstairs Computer wrote on 11/16/2017 4:01 PM:
On 16/11/2017 20:04, rickman wrote:
Gareth's Downstairs Computer wrote on 11/16/2017 12:55 PM:
On 16/11/2017 17:07, rickman wrote:
Bob Wilson wrote on 11/7/2017 9:47 PM:
On 11/4/2017 5:42 AM, Gareth's Kitchen Komputer wrote:
On Mon, 21 Dec 2015 23:33:17 +0000, gareth wrote:

For those who make their own Morse Keys, what do you use for the
contacts,
for
I have found the phosphor bronze pillar for the dot contact on
my ersatz
Vibroplex
to be very noisy and scratchy?

I'm fairly sure that I asked this question before, but it has
been a
habit
of never put off till
tomorrow what you can put off till the day after.

I chose phosphor bronze because in the days of making one's own
electronic
organs, phosphor bronze was suggested as a suitable keying
matreial for
the
keyboards.






If a question's worth asking, Gareth...







I have not made lots of keys, but when I do I use contacts from old
relays.
I still have some relays I bought as WWII surplus when I was in my
teens,
back in the 1950's. They have strange coil parameters, weird mounting
arrangements, etc., but nice little silver contacts.
Bob W, WA9D

Why use a mechanical switch?Â* There are magnetic hall effect switches
around.Â* Or a mercury wetted switch can be operated by a magnet.
Are the
magnetic switches too sloppy?


Perhaps you confuse mercury wetted with reed relays?

I am thinking of reed relays, so I guess I used the wrong name, but
aren't
they wetted with mercury to prevent corrosion building up?


In the closed atmosphere of the glass tube, there should not be any
corrosion, I think. ISTR some gas in there, but don't know about
mercury wetting.

Call it what you want, corrosion, oxidation, just plain pitting.Â* The
point is a solid surface will wear from the arcing that happens when
contacts break connections (which also happens on initiating connection
because of switch bounce).Â* Mercury doesn't have this problem as it is a
liquid and reforms the layer every time it is "pitted".


Mercury also does not make a "clean" break. It "puddles" as the
contacts are pulled apart due to surface tension. It leads to irregular
break timing. This isn't a problem at low switching speeds as you have
in regular switches and relays, but can be at higher rates as in CW.
Additionally a magnetic field for switching accentuates this problem.
Reed relays are good for things like security system contacts, but not a
CW key.


--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle

==================