Mission: Visit NS3E's shack, gather G2 and look at his "modest key collection".
OL: The keys were everywhere. The shacks were upstairs and downstairs.***
***
Ed has been know to operate from several different locations
at his home QTH.
At one time I think he had three operating positions running
in his main radio room, one for each band. Other operating positons included
the garage, upstairs and outside on the picnic table.
When I first arrived Ed was out on an errand------- I took a short peek
at the display and was overwhelmed by the display . . . I wanted
to linger in the "display area" but exited immediately and waited
for the Master to arrive.
PLEASE NOTE: Most of the photos are thumbnails, click em to enlarge.
We
all take pride in equipment that we homebrew.Most of the pictures on these
pages emphasis Ed's home brew keys. The keys in the foreground that occupy
about half of the display table are all home made.
This key is a homebrew reproduction of the famous Civil War key manufactured by George Phelps of Troy, NY. The design is referred to as a "camelback". Carpal Tunnel Syndrome known in those days as "Glass Arm" plagued operators, and this design supposedly helped to ease the fatique of long duty hours and help prevent the following pain..
A nice reproduction of a Vail key. The Vail series date back to the actual Samuel Morse era.
Nice placards on all the keys.
Ed surveys the homebrew section.
IMPORTANT: Try to keep in mind that all of the
homebrew keys shown on these pages were made with simple hand tools, no
mills or lathes, just handsaws, files, drills and patience. Ed did find
that a Dremel tool and emery cloth were very handy. Most of the materials
used were hard aluminum metals. "Some of the knurled nuts and stud
bolts were salvaged from broken keys since complicated machinery is necessary
to make them". 
August
2004. Photo of Ed's latest key taken at the local club meeting. Photo by K3LT