Second Life Of MFM Hard Drives - Iambic Telegraph Key

timelesson.blogspot.com/2010/02/second-life-of-dead-mfm-hard-drives.html

Do you remember a MFM hard drives? Not too fast, but very large - 20 Mb in the 5 inch rack, it was a something special! Times gone and those beautiful drives decided to rest in peace. In peace? No way!

One note - if you don't know wha-da-heck is Iambic Key, visit Wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraph_key As for me, this key is my way to communicate World. Our Old Good World.

Step 1: Extracting Heads from Dead Drives

There are best-of-the-best bearings inside. Because it is.

Step 2: Cut off fag end

Step 3: Breadboarding and making the plastic base.

Breadboarding - making something using wife's bread board en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breadboard. In my case board was slightly rustic.

Step 4: Assembling and assembled views

 

Step 5: Comunicating using new keyer

Comments

[wcgems]

What are the pins on the front from? Is the speed adjustable? The two wire on top, what are the connected to on the top and bottom?

[Arsenij]

Good idea!!!

[jeff-o]

Have you got any videos of your telegraph key in use?

[Andy UU1CC]

Well, I'm trying - never did it before. Maybe hour or two later.

[jeff-o]

Cool.  I suggest typing out a message in Morse code for us to decode!

[Andy UU1CC]

Enjoy!

[jeff-o]

Hey, that sounds really nice!  Of course I have no idea what the message was.  ;)