Apologies if this is inappropriate here, but can anyone point me in the direction of any online resource for making a simple morse code kit for use with children?
What I have in mind is a pair of keys separated by 20 or 30 yards of bell wire or similar, with a buzzer or lamp at each end, activated by the distant key, powered by a battery. Any help gratefully received, including a source of cheap, basic morse keys. Thanks very much.
Assuming you haven't Googled, try:
This should give you hours of reading...
I've not used them but it's looks like the kind of thing you are looking for and the quality look good.
HTH Andy
Thanks very much for the rapid responses. I have Googled, but not being entirely sure what I'm looking for I haven't had a great deal of success. Most of the stuff I found was either from overseas or seemed rather technical: I have no idea what the difference is between a Twin Paddle Iambic Key and a Straight Key nor what an Oscillator is (at least in this context)! I shall keep looking...
======================================= Andrew,
What you want is a pair of keys, separated by 20 or 30 yards of bell wire, with a buzzer or lamp at each end, powered by a battery.
Make a key from a piece of wood, and a pair of nails or drawing pins, bridged by a springy length of metal with a knob glued on.
Just use a little ingenuity. Or the kids can make their own. ====================================
Ebay's search engine found these:
If you can run 3-wire cable
Batt----------------------------------------------- | | BULB BULB | | --------------------------------------------- | | PUSH PUSH | | Batt-----------------------------------------------
Pushes are ordinary push-to-make switches such as doorbell pushes. Or you can make a morse key with a block of wood, two screws, and a springy piece of metal.
You can get MES bulbs and bulbholders from Maplin and they also do small electronic buzzers for about 99p. Note the buzzers are polarity sensitive.
Owain
For help try this group
free.uk.amatuer.radio
============================== If you don't mind a bit of DIY browse the Maplin website for buzzers, push switches, bulb holders and springs. With a bit of ingenuity you'll easily make all you need for a simple working system. I'll bet old Morse himself would have used Maplin if they'd been around in his day.
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When learning morse its best to buy the Proper Morse Key as its sensetivity relys on accuracy to the dits&dats
:-)
dits&dahs, shirely?
============================ True, but I was assuming that the OP would make a simple wheel barrow type lever to compress the push switch - hence the springs to return the lever to the 'up' position.
And in the interests of accuracy, that should be 'di da dis'.
Cic.
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.. ..-. -.-- --- ..- ... .- -.-- ... ---
If Maplins was around in bluestar line days I reckon they would have went for digital comms. ;-)
The "free" hierarchy is an even bigger sewer than u.r.a & you've spelled "amateur" wrongly. Apart from that, well done.
>
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Andrew Hickley saying something like:
I'm sure that counts as child abuse.
Enlighten me as to the way it should be spelt? bearing in mind I just cut&pasted the group link.
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