[QCWA] SideSwiper Techniques

[Gerry Skinner]

Norm:  Thanks for the message. I have used the sideswiper as a single blade
paddle on an electronic keyer with success BUT have 10 thumbs so far as a
side swiper. Again Thanks
73 Gerry, K4LVZ
----- Original Message -----
From: Norm Gertz <k1aa at cfl.rr.com>
To: Discussion of QCWA <qcwa at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2005 9:44 AM
Subject: Re: [QCWA] SideSwiper Techniques


> Not everyone could master the sideswiper......some of the results were
quite
> unbelievable with uneven rhythms and dots and dashes of varying length.
> It took a lot of skill to be proficient with it.
> I remember an old friend who was a Great Lakes ships radio officer and
> checked in on one of our nets.  After exchanging info with him I was asked
> by another station if I really copied what he was sending......it wasnt
> easy.
> Properly used the operators with the correct swing could produce some
> beautiful ""musical" code.
> Even though I did make a key up as Joe describes when I was a youngster I
> never did get to master it and ended up with an old Vibroplex sold to me
by
> a Western Union operator for $5 in 1937.
>
> 73   Norm   K1AA
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gerry Skinner" <k4lvz at cfl.rr.com>
> To: "Discussion of QCWA" <qcwa at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2005 9:33 AM
> Subject: Re: [QCWA] SideSwiper Techniques
>
>
> > 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
> >>
> >>
> >> **********************************************************
> >> * Ham KH6JF AARS/MARS ABM6JF QCWA WW2 VET WD RADIO SYSTEM*
> >> * Army MARS PRECEDED by AARS (Army Amateur Radio System) *
> >> *       Hi State ARMY MARS COORDINATOR                   *
> >> **********************************************************
> >>
> >>
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> >>
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