DIY Single Paddle Key from a hard drive.

[Ham4CW]

Found this interesting video on YouTube created by IZ6198SWL (shortwave listener number perhaps?), showing the construction of a single paddle key from an old hard drive and a few other junk box items.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWoO4VjaQVc

73, Mark...

 

[OC71]

Is it still the case that you shouldn't open a hard drive because there are nasty toxic substances in there?

 

[Ham4CW]

There's nothing toxic that I am aware of, never has been(?)

There will be lead in the solder, and assorted other metals in the transistors/ICs, but unless you were to burn the item and inhale the fumes, or eat the thing, then there is no danger from just handling them.

A lot of the guys at work strip down hard drives for the magnets (to use as tool holders or as a screw tidy), and no one has yet died of HDD poisoning!

73, Mark...

 

[Mickey Morse]

Here's a straight key made from a hard drive, with magnets instead of springs etc.:

https://www.hpfriedrichs.com/radioroom/hdmorsekey/hdmorsekey.htm

There are a bunch of other good homebrew key links at the bottom of that page too.

 

[Ham4CW]

Found another single paddle key project, again made from hard disc parts:

https://caglrc.cc/morsekey/

73, Mark...