I've not been very active, at least on HF, for the last couple of weeks. Most of my activity has been limited to nets on VHF and 6 meters.
I've made some headway on straightening the shack. I can see the desktop at the operating position, and I've put my Christmas gift to use.
My wife gave me a U-Build-It shoe rack that's about 3-1/2 feet tall and divided into compartments about 4-1/2 inches wide and 6 inches tall. Of course it's designed to hold 25 pairs of women's shoes, so it will hold 25 Morse keys — actually more since it's plenty deep and I can put two keyers in each spot.
The Vibroplex carrying case is too large to fit, but that's fine — a key in its Vibroplex wooden box is probably in the safest place it can be.
Until tonight I've been on a moratorium on eBay surfing, mostly because I was expecting we would have to pay a substantial payment to the IRS this year. The big hit I was expecting was only a minor one, so I hit eBay for the first time tonight in some time.
The last thing I purchased more than a month ago finally showed up today via FedEx. I got a bargain basement price on a Speed-X Model 500 T-bar bug, mostly because it was dirty, and the damper post was — for whatever reason — moved from its proper spot to one of the factory holes that were used to secure the key to the desk (if desired).
Fortunately the seller put very large, detailed photos on the listing, and underneath the dirt the key looked pretty good. It was missing the weights, but that can be fixed.
I'm not sure why the month delay in getting it shipped. I paid for it via PayPal right after it ended. I hadn't really realized it was still pending, that's how much I've not looked at eBay!
I guess the ends of the T-bar on the pivot frame are prone to heavy wear. This Model 500 has the painted T-bar, and it seems the painted ones are typically chipped up on each end.
The paint on this particularly key — other than the chips on the T-bar — is perfect. It looks grungy as heck in the photo, but the dirt and heavy nicotine coating came off with some 409 and gentle scrubbing.
Speaking of Speed-X bugs, I have the base of the key I'm refurbishing primed now. The next step will be to block sand it smooth and then paint.
The biggest obstacle I've encountered — other than the moderate-to-frigid day-to-day temperature swings — seems to be my family. My wife and kids have twice kicked over the box I'm using as a stand to paint the base on our enclosed back porch/mud room. Because the porch is closed it but still well ventilated, the fumes don't migrate into the house … much.
The first time my wife knocked it over, she threw the box I was using away. I wondered what she thought the fresh paint smell, the can of spray primer, the freshly oversprayed box and the metal base was doing in her way … when I got back to it, she had buried the entire shootin' match with garbage bags.
“You shouldn't have it in my way,” she fussed after I asked her where all my stuff was. Sometimes it's just easier to hold your tongue and let it go. Other than my male ego there was no serious damage done.
That's it for now … 73 es CUL … de KY4z …. dit dit ….