Introduction: (8) That Was Easy Mic Switch or CW Bug to Enable the Disabled

About: Been To:1) All 50 states 2) Guam 3) Adak 4) Hawai'i, Mo Bettah. The only good thing about snow is that it goes away...Would that it never comes.

I met an Amateur Radio Operator that is Quadriplegic.
He cannot use his hands to Squeeze The Pickle (mic).
The best he can do is swing his arm to drop his hand on the table.
So, I made a Mic Switch, that he can use, out of an Easy Button from Staples (an office supply store).
When you push the button it says, "That Was Easy" in a male voice.

The button can also be used as a CW practise key when plugged into a light or buzzer.
It can also be used as an actual CW key if plugged into a transmitter.

Step 1: Easy Take Apart

Under each rubber pad is a screw you need to remove.
Use a pocket knife or anything else sharp to peel the rubber feet off.

The 4 screws are exposed.

Remove and save them.

Step 2: Easy Lift Apart

Put the 'Easy' right side up and lift the silver colored ring off.

Lift the Easy Button off.

Notice the Easy Circuit Board is below the Easy Button.
This board is programmable, I think, so maybe one of you can tell me how to do just that.

Step 3: Easy Circuit Board Screws

Your going to have to save as many of the parts as you can in case you want to reverse the take apart.
Some of them will be used again, some will not.

Remove the 2 Easy Screws from the Easy Circuit Board.

Now remove the Easy Circuit Board.

Notice the Easy Metal Plate below the Easy Circuit Board.

Save it because I have no idea why they put it in.
It lifts right out no problem and might be usefull for some other project.

Step 4: Easy Sub-Plate Removal

There are 4 screws on this plate that need to be removed. Its Easy !

Lift the Easy Sub-assembly off.

As you lift the Easy Sub-assembly you will see the Easy Speaker, 2 Easy Slugs that I left in for Easy Weight, an Easy Black Wire and an Easy White Wire.

Cut the Easy White Wire. (+)
Cut the Easy Black Wire. (-)
These are the battery wires. 2AA's 3v.

Step 5: Drill the Easy Hole

I'll assume you will already know how to find where the Easy Hole goes...

The switch is a momentary contact push button that is normally open.
Catalog #275-1547 in Radio Shack.
Nother words like a doorbell switch only not shaped like one.

Bend the contacts on the bottom of the switch 90* degrees and solder wires to them.
Polarity does not matter in this case.....

I put 2 drops of hot glue on top of the switch so as to make the push button just a little higher
so it makes contact with the underside of the Easy Button.
A bigger switch would have been too tall for the space allotted.

Step 6: Button the Easy Button Up

Drill a hole through the battery box to the inside so the wire can be poked through.

Close up the Easy button the same way it came apart except for the electronics.

Replace the battery box cover.

All that is needed now is a 1/4 inch phone plug that I will get as soon as I can.
The plug goes into the Amateur Radio so the switch can be used to key the transmitter.

All this thing is, is an on/off switch that a fellow Ham can use, in his disability, to eliminate the disability and allow him to communicate with other Hams.

Save the electronics out and put them in another project box, yet another Instructable.

That Was Easy !

Step 7: Silent Key

A "Silent Key" Is an Amateur Radio Operator that has passed away.

Ed [ NH6WI ] was the weather man for the nightly A.R.E.S. net here in Honolulu.

He is sorely missed.