Here’s How Everything Got Started…
It was 1973… The Korean Conflict is not
far behind us, and the Vietnam War is in full swing. I’m a kid in rural
East Texas… My Dad, is half way around the world the Captain of a Super
Tanker, full of Jet Fuel, off the Coast of Vietnam…
My Dad was a Ship’s Captain in the USNS
Fleet before internet or cell phones. Letters from around the world
took weeks… And so the only way we could talk to my Dad, was via “phone
patch” offered by the many fine operators that monitor the Maritime
Mobile Network.
Amateur Radio Was THE ONLY WAY Our Family could spend time with my Dad when he was gone at Sea!
I will never forget our entire family
huddled around the telephone, talking to Pop… and saying “over”, talking
to my Dad while he was anchored off of The Coast of Da Nang, Vietnam
(or some other classified location).
Back in those days, I would spend my
nights banging away on an old Radio Shack buzzer key, learning the
mysterious “code” that you HAD to KNOW to become a “Radio Operator”,
like my Dad, or Sparky, the Radio Operator on Dad’s ship.
A Thing for the “CW”
So, the old man was sweet on Morse Code. I
can still remember in the 70’s when I was only a few years old my dad
calling CQ on his Yaesu FT-101B, and then on his FT-101E. Pop got
started in 1969 with the call-sign WN6EIZ.
(Picture below. My Dad, Me, My Younger Brother Andy-KE5EXX followed by my younger sister Angela visiting some friends.)
Fast forward a few years to 1977 where at the ripe
old age of 15, I received my Novice Ticket, under call-sign of WD5DNU.
(now KC5ILR)
So coming up on 3 generations of licensed Amateur
Radio Operators… with a CW addiction 🙂 For over 45 years & through
my families history we have always had a special thing for cool straight
keys!
Present Day 2017
Present Day 2017 my 14 Year old Son Jacob comes to me wanting me to
get him a “cool looking” Morse code key. Now you know how youngsters
are. COOL is the key word. Yep, a chip off the old block.
I snickered to myself and said “Good luck Son, most of the cool ones are expensive for a young man… or any man.”
Not deterred in the least, he thought a minute…
Then with a cat like smile he said;
“Well… We have the software & equipment. Can we build one Dad?”
So we got to work trying to help my son get his “cool looking” Morse code key.
Over the next few weeks we designed, tweaked and tested, several prototypes…
The Best Part? We also had a LOT of fun!!!
And So CW Morse Was Born.
We have made many New Designs and even a few
oscillators. We had several people interested in the keys after that so
we got to building. The whole family was involved in one way or another.
My eldest Joseph Jr. started building and designing
the website. Jacob started building keys and oscillators. Andrew making
sub-assemblies while Mom was running to the store for supplies we all
got started.
Thanks to someone like you. A fellow ham radio
operator, or Morse code enthusiast we had started a business. We quickly
got to work building keys, testing oscillators, paddles, bases and
more. With your help and feedback we began shipping keys across the
world…
