[CW] K6KPH Code

[kremper4-mailman at yahoo.com]

Uh-huh...the dollar bill cleaner is an oldie! 
   
  Seeing Master Chief Hans' message reminded me of the high esteem to which Navy CW ops were/are held. Reputedly, they're the best there is, and I, as an old USAF radio op, won't feed interservice rivalry by saying more!  :-)
   
  Hans' message also brought back a fond memory. A USAF buddy, Bill Kuhns, and I were traveling home by train on Christmas leave after graduating from Ground Radio Operator School (AFSC 29330) in 1956, prior to being shipped to Germany.  Yes, *shipped* is the correct word! We USAF personnel were to sail aboard the USNS Geiger for Bremerhaven in January 1957 -- we were not flying!
   
  In the train compartment with the two of us in uniform was a sailor in uniform bearing the unmistakable "Sparks" insignia. He was dozing. For the hell of it, Bill gave out with a "diddy dum dum diddy." Sparks was jolted from his nap. We had established communication.
   
  73,
   
  Paul / N1Fb
   
  

mikea <mikea at mikea.ath.cx> wrote:
  On Mon, Dec 17, 2007 at 06:50:26PM -0000, K0HB wrote:
> >From an old Navy hand (can you say "salt water"), the best way to polish
> contacts is with a fresh $1.00 bill. We used it on hand keys, speed keys,
> and crypto "bed of nails" card readers. One quick swipe between the
> contacts, and they're perfect.
> 
> 73, de Hans, K0HB
> Master Chief Radioman, US Navy

Yep. MPC's[1], though also printed by the Bureau of Printing and
Engraving, and supposedly on the same paper stock, never worked as
well on the readers (KG-3/12/13, KY-3, KY-9, KW-26, KW-37, and so on).
Until we were allowed to have dollar bills in Japan, sometime in ...
1969 IIRC, we had to do with the lint-free twill squares, which never
worked quite as well.

Interesting note: the contact plates in the readers were made of pure
iridium, and were worth a fairish amount as precious metal. They had
to be highly conductive, and also hard as nails to stand up to the
spring-loaded contacts. Your -- and my -- tax dollars at work, for
_us_!

I used Wright's silver cream on hand key and bug contacts that were in
really bad shape, and then typing paper or card stock until dollar 
bills became available. 

[1] Military Payment Certificates: scrip issued by the military for 
use in on-base facilities. E.g., PX/BX, laundry, Class VI store, 
bank. But I expect most of the readers of this list know this as 
well as I do. 

-- 
Mike Andrews, W5EGO, SSGT, USAF, AFSC 30650E &c. 
mikea at mikea.ath.cx
Tired old sysadmin 
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