[AMRadio] Re: GB> Original T.O. Keyer Article When?

[Alan Cohen]

I forget to mention that the article is in the edition of the handbook
copyrighted in 1962.

I hope that helps.

Alan
WA2DZL

A detailed construction article about to build a W9TO keyer may be
found in Bill Orr's "West Coast" handbook on pages 597 - 600. The unit
in the handbook seems to have a circuit that is identical to the T.O.
keyers commercially manufactured by Hallicrafters.

Alan
WA2DZL

Don -
According to an Editor's note in the article, "Transistorized
Electronic Key and Monitor" in May 1959 QST, a semi-conductor version
of the 9TO keyer, the 9TO Keyer "... has not been described in any
periodical, but has been furnished privately by W9TO to a number of
amateurs."
Interesting side note... The keyer in the article used CK722
transistors!
73, Garey - K4OAH
Atlanta

I have a piece of homebrew here that says in Dymo labeling that it is
a "TO Keyer". I'd like to look this up. Does anyone happen to know
the ballpark year when the original TO Keyer article was published?
In QST I assume?
73, Don Merz, N3RHT

[Merz Donald S]

Yes, as Allan Cohen pointed out, the 9TO keyer is in the 16th edition (1962) of the Radio Handbook, edited by W6SAI. The version presented seems to be identical to the one in the Madison Electronics schematic on Kees HBR CD. Bill Orr refers to this circuit in the handbook as "famous" so I assume that means it was in circulation well before 1962.

The keyer I have would seem to support that idea. It uses older components. The 1962 design has miniature VR tubes while the one I have has octal VR tubes. The 1962 design uses silicon diodes as rectifiers while the one I have uses selenium rectifiers. Otherwise, the circuits seem to be identical. I am anxious to hear this thing go.

73, Don Merz, N3RHT


-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Rodowicz [mailto:***@Verizon.net]
Sent: Friday, August 13, 2004 8:21 AM
To: Merz Donald S; 'Amradio (E-mail); 'Glowbugs (E-mail)
Cc: ***@eo.kollmorgen.com
Subject: Re: GB> Original T.O. Keyer Article When?
Importance: High


Don,

Plans for the TO Keyer were included in the "West Coast Handbook" about
1963+/-.

Had a HS friend who built one & it worked well.

Not sure if & when it ever appeared in a "major" ham publication, althought
it does sound like a CQ magazine type of article.

Can research & possibly scan if necessary.

73, Steve - N1SR

I have a piece of homebrew here that says in Dymo labeling that it is a
"TO Keyer". I'd like to look this up. Does anyone happen to know the
ballpark year when the original TO Keyer article was published? In QST I
assume?
73, Don Merz, N3RHT
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[Alan Cohen]

All this talk about W9TO's famous keyer has me wondering about several
things.

It was probably the most successful electronic key produced up until
the 1970's. Hallicrafters built a boatload of the things in the early
60's. So many in fact, that they are still a common item at hamfests
and online auctions. It is pretty safe to assume that the vast
majority of gray-based single lever Vibroplex paddles that you see at
hamfests started their career plugged into a T.O. keyer.

Yet, it is very interesting to me that plans for the T.O. were
published in a number of places, even as Hallicrafters was producing
them commercially. I can think of no other piece of gear that was
built under such an arrangement. Was this design licensed to
Hallicrafters, or did they simply appropriate it? Who was W9TO, and
did he have any connection with Hallicrafters?

Alan
WA2DZL

[W4AWM at aol.com ()]

In a message dated 8/13/2004 17:33:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

Post by Alan Cohen
Who was W9TO, and
did he have any connection with Hallicrafters?

Courtesy of the ARRL Web News Page: James B. "Jim" Ricks, W9TO, SK: Jim
Ricks, W9TO, of Lake Forest, Washington, died October 20. He was 86. Well-known in
high-speed CW as well as in engineering circles, Ricks, designed the popular
Morse electronic keyer that Hallicrafters marketed as the HA-1 T.O. Keyer (six
vacuum tubes and a multivibrator; it was reviewed in the Nov 1960 issue of
QST).

He was also founder of the high-speed CW group "CFO"--Chicken Fat
Operators--(recognized on the air by the dit-dit-dit . . . di-dahhhhh signature, which is
meant to sound like a chicken clucking). Ricks fondly referred to the CFO as
"the ultimate disorganization" and was considered CFO Number 1 and dubbed "Big
Bird." Ricks also wrote "A Useful Formula for a Solenoid Inductor," published
in May 1947 QST. At the time of his death, he was living in a retirement home
and was not active on the air. He is survived by his daughter, Carter Ricks
Hawley.