[QCWA] SideSwiper Techniques

[Gerry Skinner]

Joe:  Wow!  Thanks!! 73
Gerry, K4LVZ
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Joseph Fenn <jfenn at lava.net>
To: Discussion of QCWA <qcwa at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, September 09, 2005 6:19 PM
Subject: Re: [QCWA] SideSwiper Techniques


> Gerry,
> I used the homebrew sideswiper (aka cootiekey) from 1940 till about
> 1952.  It was made out of a hacksaw blade, with brass wraps around
> the area that made contact with the 2 vertical bars and all mounted
> on an old transformer base.  It was made for me by a WW1
> Navy Vet still on active USCG in 1940 when I graduated frm High School.
> No you did'nt do it the way you described. When you finished a letter
> in one direction you just continued the next character in the opposite
> direction of the swinging blade.  This in turn caused the DAHS
> to some times be stretched out a bit too long and the dits would be
> or attempt to be at proper duration at the speed your were sending
> the code.   If you ended with a Dah on one side then the dits
> followed with rapid back and forth swings of the fist.  In fact
> many had what was known as "the lake eerie swing".   Even today
> you can occsnly hear an new zealander or Aussie useing a cootie key.
> In fact in Melbourne they made the only commercially built
> sideswipers  (learned this from the internet).  To make things
> even more weird, I was born lefthanded.  Did all my writing etc
> with left hand but forced myself to use the right hand for all
> cW work in Military, old cAA, and Airlines operations after WW2.
> I also used an old Vibroplex original during the same time frames
> right handed.
>                Joe/KH6JF
> 
> 
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