[CW] Is that you Joe?

[Joseph L Pontek Sr via CW]

Well, Ric, I guess it is still old Joe Palooka or Jolly Pirate here on 
da mosquito coast.
I just cam up from the shop.  I acquired a used TW Olympic bug from a 
chap in the US
and it had issues.  Tom, G3HGE, made keys in the UK under his TW 
company.  I had
actually won one of his Mag Pad iambic keyer paddles at an FOC gathering 
in Texas
two years ago and wanted to buy his bug, the Olympic.  But, he retired 
from key
making, he's 85 now, but I found one on eBay.  The day I was going to 
bid on it,
it disappeared and then I found the seller had pulled it. I sent him a 
message and
damned if it wasn't a friend of mine in the Straight Key Century Club.  
He said it had
an issue with the dits and pulled it.  I told him if he decided to sell 
it again, let me
know. About 3 or 4 weeks later, he asked what I would offer for it.  We 
agreed, I
sent him Pay Pal money and he sent it to me here.  The dit problem was, 
every once
in awhile, coming from a dash, the first dit was missing!  Ray told me, 
yes and that
was why the previous 4 owners sold it and he was.  He told me it had a 
problem
with the dits. The first day, I found by grounding the dit bar, problem 
gone.  Then
Tom, G3HGE, asked me, "Are the little ground leads still there?"  Yes, 
but I tighten
the screws, took away the clip lead and problem gone.  Now, it just has 
scratchy
dits, but someone messed with the contacts.  They are, er, were nickel 
plated
brass.  I polished the spring contact smooth and re-plated it with 
bright nickel.
This evening, I replaced the stationary one.  Almost there.  I will make 
a new dot
spring contact assembly with a new contact and it should be perfect.  
Once the
90° VIZKEY bug arrives, I will then start building my own bug.

So, what the heck you been up to?  Getting older, too?  Turned 71 last July.
Kids are growing. Had some rain, but not yet a normal rainy season like
before.  We are still in Hopkins, so not back to my towers and antennas yet.

On 10/13/2014 10:40 PM, Cold Old Stone Crab via CW wrote:
> *Hey Joe is that you down there?*
>
> -- 
> *COLD OLD STONE CRAB*

-- 
Regards, Joe, Ronnie (Rowena), Marty & Sidney Pontek
P.O. Box 280, Dangriga, Stann Creek District
(Hopkins Village) Belize
011-501-666-3564 Belize (cellular)
or
5204 Texas Highway 49 W
Omaha, TX 75571-6474
U.S.A.
903-434-9111 (My NEW cellular when in Texas)
903-884-5990 (Skype telephone number, Belize & TX)
Also, K8JP, member FOC-1743, CWops-876, QCWA-LM21894, OOTC-4607, A1OP, SKCC-3171T, NAQCC-5798, Flying Pig-2819, FISTS-7625CC951, A1C-2299, SOC 1075, PG1915841
Skype: v31joepalooka
Facebook: Joe Pontek
I am looking for Vibroplex Model X, Double lever and prefer basket cases to restore.

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