Strange CW Keys

122 austinallegro 44 8/29/2025, 4:22:48 AM sites.google.com ↗

Comments (44)

thombles · 12h ago

For today's 10000: amateur radio operators call Morse code "CW" since it's a Continuous Wave (unmodulated) transmission while you're pressing the key. The most basic kind is a straight key which simply transmits when you push and stops when you let go. Electronic keyers often use iambic paddles/buttons where you use one switch to create a series of "dits" and the other switch to create "dahs" yourself, which is less physically demanding and lets you hit higher WPM. There are examples of both types here.

throw-qqqqq · 12h ago

> For today's 10000

Just in case someone didn’t catch the reference: https://xkcd.com/1053/

swiftcoder · 10h ago

You can't 10,000 the 10,000...

pkdpic · 10h ago

Somebody could probably throw out the probability of those two 10,000 sets overlapping. Not me though, unless it's 10,000^2...

actionfromafar · 9h ago

You wouldn't 10,000 a car.

colddevil · 6h ago

And this Jen, is the 10,000.

kps · 2h ago

Not to be confused with Jen the 8675309.

low_tech_love · 9h ago

Nice, they used an obscure reference to explain another obscure reference, requiring two nested levels of explanation.

thunderbong · 9h ago

Mobile view https://m.xkcd.com/1053/

mikewarot · 55m ago

Recently my much older friend said "nobody knows how to properly adjust a Vibroplex[1] any more"

I've not willingly sent CW in about 40 years, but I think I'm going to ask him to show me how to adjust one, just to know.

I've learned more about repairing vacuum tube equipment than I'll ever need to know, I'm actually thinking I could do it. It's the 1000+ volts in amplifiers that scares the sh*t out of me, and why I'll not be doing that myself, thank you very much.

[1] https://www.vibroplex.com/contents/en-us/d12_SEMI-AUTOMATIC_...

re · 12h ago

A CW Key is apparently a switch used for transmitting Morse code. Make sure to click through to the individual pages to see them in use, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghx3r_OFmt4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_CW_Operators%27_Club

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraph_key

Barbing · 10h ago

Great video.

Trying to think of another activity where one hand is doing something so complex while the rest of the body practically looks bored. Nothing comes to mind.

jdietrich · 59m ago

For a skilled CW operator, it's just like touch-typing. There's no conscious effort involved in either sending or receiving. You hear words, not dits and dahs, and your hand just sends whatever you're thinking automatically.

alanbernstein · 7h ago

Video games?

whizzter · 8h ago

Some of these would make great oldschool spy- or detective-movie props, like the rubber stamp being overlooked by "stupid" detectives whilst the smart detective directly connect it to a callsign to uncover the murder victims secret life with regards to ham operations.

kevindamm · 4h ago

I've seen morse code written around the border of images (e.g. Spy vs Spy did this) which easily goes ignored by the uninitiated, and even when noticed can often escape further detection.

Another note: since in the US there are only four letters allowed as the first letter (A, K, N, or W) and will be 4-6 characters with further restrictions on which can be letters and which can be numbers (2-by-3 being the most common, 1-by-2 and 2-by-1 only being available to higher license classes, where those are the numbers of letters before and after the region identifying number). You could use this in your detective story, along with other details like inferring where they got their license from or getting more details from the FCC. Following this up with an inspection of the radio and which frequency was recently used, could make for some interesting detective work. Ham Radio doesn't make very many appearances as a plot device.

No comments yet

imrejonk · 10h ago

I fully expected the smoke alarm CW key to work by picking up smoke signals: https://sites.google.com/site/oh6dccw/smoke-alarm-cw-key

cluckindan · 11h ago

Judging by the paraphernalia, this is what happens after a Finnish amateur radio operator retires and suddenly has way too much free time.

geoffeg · 4h ago

There are a few members in my amateur radio club that have a (~200) collection of CW keys. Bugs, paddles, straight keys, etc. Some very obscure ones (only one or two made), some old ones, strange designs, etc. They'll occasionally bring one to a club meeting and pass it around for people to examine and try.

resters · 12h ago

less strange ones:

https://www.i2rtf.com/keys---paddles.html

https://www.n3znkeys.com/

https://www.vibroplex.com/

https://www.westmountainradio.com/product_info.php?products_...

geoffeg · 3h ago

Some more options, the first two are less expensive options:

https://cwmorse.us/

https://putikeeg.com/

https://www.9a5n.eu/paddle.html

fscaramuzza · 8h ago

I like the Aluminum Finger Pieces from the first URL.

resters · 31m ago

I got a Begali and oddly I ended up preferring the feel of the plastic finger pieces (also included). I like a really light touch.

austinallegro · 11h ago

The first URL, Begali are the Ferrari of CW keys, with prices to match.

Incredible workmanship and still a family-owned and run business. Worth every cent.

masklinn · 11h ago

Got to say it’s interesting to read this comment and check the site and prices are 150~600 (the upper end being an anniversary edition aluminium and stainless beast).

Obviously really expensive for what is at the core a spring and an electric contact or two (depending on type) — which can be just one part at the expense of longevity, but as hobby pieces it seems quite reasonable, I’ve seen way worse spends from friends who fell in love with mechanical keyboards.

dr_kiszonka · 9h ago

When you compare the price per contact, mechanical keyboards come out quite favorably!

resters · 30m ago

True but morse keys are typically much lower latency!

motorest · 11h ago

Here we are railing against $500 mechanical keyboards, and some dude whips out $500 CW keys. The ultimate one-up.

julian_t · 9h ago

The comparison with mechanical keyboards is spot on! Despite having nothing to do with radio or morse in any way, I was given a Vibroplex and it is quite a piece of kit - solid as a rock and obviously a tool well suited to its one task. It reminds me of some of the old tonearms used on turntables, with many springs, counterweights and possible adjustments.

hilbert42 · 5h ago

Hum, just posted a facetious comment in Morse and HN corrupted it. Thinking how to get it to post sans formatting/verbatim. Ideas anyone?

kevindamm · 4h ago

put a few spaces before what you type

   it will produce a blockquote which I hope will remove the HN "corruption" pass

   .... .- ...- .  ..-. ..- -.

hilbert42 · 30m ago

Yeah, should have thought of that. Bit late now but here goes:

  .--  ....  .-  -  |  -...  ..  --..  .-  .-.  .-.  .  |  --  ..  -.  -..  |  -.-.  .-.  .  .-  -  .  -..  |  -  ....  .  ...  .  |  ..--..

royskee · 3h ago

   --... ...--

hilbert42 · 25m ago

  .- -. -..  .- --. .- .. -.

userbinator · 11h ago

These are basically a switch for "human bit-banging". Here is a more conventional one in use: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPsgEdmlUf0

jpatten · 4h ago

Love these! On the record player, would be fun to play Morse code “records” where the message was encoded by selectively removing spots of copper from the rotating plate.

stevetron · 3h ago

I didn't see the mouse-trap key.

VectorLock · 10h ago

How many of these have they made contacts with?

i_am_proteus · 7h ago

They all have contacts; they operate by closing a circuit.

73 ;)

zikduruqe · 3h ago

H e e H e e

(It's not Hi Hi like most people think)

Old brass pounder here.

gizajob · 8h ago

"Handmade CW from Finland" - explains everything.

notatoad · 12h ago

What?

8organicbits · 12h ago

These are keys (buttons) for tapping out morse code. Creative, but probably not practical.

r_lee · 9h ago

What do you mean the Moomin Triangle CW isn't practical?

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Strange CW Keys

Comments (44)